Fresno St. Alum wrote:
Does the C-USA really want to split up?
If no then in 2011 you are looking at 8 schools with FBS thoughts: Texas St., UTSA, Lamar, Sam Houston St., Jacksonville St., Georgia So., Georgia St., Charlotte(2013)
All of these schools except UNCC would be forced out of their conference if they go FBS for not having football in their conf. which sponsors it.
Are we looking at a new conference in the south? They would have to wait 5 years for a basketball auto-bid like GMC(now C-USA) did in the 90s. Sam Houston & UNCC are the only real competitive bball schools.
If Texas St., UTSA, Lamar, Sam Houston St. do all move up, they have only to drag along non-basketball southland members UTA and TAMU-CC to satisfy the 6/5 part of the 7/6/5 rule. UTA and TAMU-CC would be both regionally isolated remaining in the Southland and would be the only 2 non-football schools, meaning their standing in the southland might always be threatened. There is motive for them to move too. Adding Jacksonville St., Georgia So., or Georgia St. would give them the 7 needed to satisfy that rule and receive a tourney autobid.
I think the above represents the worst case scenario for the southland 4 if SHSU does committ to upgrading. (Although I'd say the odds of Charlotte are long. JMU or The Citadel hits me as more the right level.)