In this latest round of conference realignment, thus far the MAC has been Switzerland. Sure, the ACC, the Big Ten, the Pac-12 and the Mountain West have also seen their membership numbers stand pat, but the first three formed THE ALLIANCE and the Mountain West had to fend off an attempted raiding from the American.
It was only after Boise State, San Diego State, Air Force and Colorado State turned down the American that the AAC went on a Conference USA shopping spree, picking up UAB, Florida Atlantic, Charlotte, Rice, UTSA, and North Texas.
And now it appears Switzerland has its army ready to invade.
According to a report Monday from Brett McMurphy, the MAC is close to adding Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee.
Simply put, this would be a death blow to Conference USA -- or at least the idea of C-USA as a viable FBS conference.
The membership, at 14 just a few weeks ago, would be down to three: Florida International, Louisiana Tech and UTEP. What do those three have in common, other than none of the nine other FBS conferences wanting them?
Perhaps New Mexico State comes aboard, but it reports indicate Liberty and Connecticut would rather remain independent than join this version of C-USA. Maybe C-USA raids the newly-formed WAC for the likes of Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin and Abilene Christian (who was in Division II not too long ago). And where does that leave FIU?
MAC “likely” to add Western Kentucky & Middle Tennessee, perhaps by end of week, pending approval by MAC presidents, sources told @ActionNetworkHQ. If so, C-USA will have lost 11 of 14 members w/only FIU, Louisiana Tech & UTEP remaining #MACtionhttps://t.co/E5r8QgRXnZ
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) November 1, 2021
Beyond those questions, there is one more obvious query. What does the Mid-American Conference, with nine of its 12 members residing in Ohio or Michigan, want with two schools in Kentucky and dadgum Tennessee?
As Matt Brown writes in his newsletter Extra Points:
... WKU and MTSU are both within an hour's drive of Nashville. While many population centers in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio are getting smaller, Nashville is exploding. Perhaps additional exposure in that market could be valuable not just for recruiting potential athletes, but for recruiting new students.
A university president may be okay with the athletic department taking a $100,000 budget haircut if it means they might be able to recruit $200,000 worth of new tuition dollars, after all.
Conference USA was always a marriage of convenience, born in the melding of two conferences that has, at one time or another, counted 28 different schools as full-time members in its 26 years of life. And now, barring a late-stage rally, this once-proud league may be headed to the scrap heap of college football history.