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Conference rankings are cyclical. If Rice improves and a couple other C-USA programs get back on track the rankings will be fine. Being aligned with La. Tech, Marshall, Southern MIss are good for UNT. The Florida schools seem to be rising as is Charlotte and WKU is always strong. Charlotte seems to be rising as well. You need to remember that C-USA was not formed solely on the power of the programs at that time but more about their potential to grow and develop based on budgets, academics and markets.

Only 16 of the 62 schools in Power 5 conference haven’t made their decisions on reopening official, based on a list compiled by the Chronicle of Higher Education and Star-Telegram research. The Cal and UCLA campuses are expected to have minimal in-person studies, and USC is among 14 others searching for the best plan to open their campuses safely. Some are opening in phases. Some will offer both in-person and online classes. Some will wait as late as July before deciding on how they will hold fall classes. Even if there are in-person classes and fall sports, namely football, things won’t be going back to normal. Football will likely be played in empty stadiums. Read more: https://www.star-telegram.com/sports/college/article242731151.html

Now Gary Patterson at TCU is taking a voluntary paycut as well: https://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/05/15/tcu-football-gary-patterson-pay-cut/

Between C-USA and the Sun Belt, there are 24 schools that could easily be split into two 12-team conferences or three eight-team conferences. Former Sun Belt commissioner Karl Benson, who led the conference from 2012-19, has always believed there’s too much overlap between his former league and C-USA. “I still firmly believe that North Texas and Texas State and UT-San Antonio need to be in the same conference,” he said. “(Louisiana-Lafayette) and La. Tech need to be in the same conference. Southern Miss and South Alabama need to be in the same conference. That’s the same for Troy and UAB, and Charlotte and App State.” One solution would be to merge the C-USA West and the Sun Belt West and then do the same for the East. That means Louisiana Tech, Southern Miss, UAB, La. Tech, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, South Alabama, Arkansas State, North Texas, Rice, UTSA and UTEP would be lumped together in the West In the East, it would be Florida Atlantic, Western Kentucky, Marshall, Florida International, Middle Tennessee, Old Dominion, Appalachian State, Charlotte, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Troy and Coastal Carolina. If C-USA and the Sun Belt dissolved to create three more regional conferences, independent football programs like UConn, Liberty, New Mexico State and UMass could also factor in as members. read more: https://www.sunherald.com/sports/college/conference-usa/article242750786.html

What did you do in the off season to prepare yourself for this year? I attended many camps as well as doing team and personal workouts. I went to camps at Texas A&M, Southeastern, Tulane, LSU, and ULL. What do you want your college major to be? I would like to do engineering. I want to be an architect. What community service have you done? I am in a club FCCLA and it is agriculture class where we do a lot of cooking and a lot of passing out food to homeless people. We go on field trips often and we plant and grow things. Have you received any academic awards? In eighth grade I received the community service award. What awards have you gotten for sports? I have gotten MVP for baseball as well as MVP for football when I was younger. In the past I have also received the best quarterback award. With basketball we went to various championships. What has football taught you about yourself? It has taught me a lot and how to deal with adversity. I also have learned how to handle things as they come in life. read more: https://louisianagridironfootball.com/diamond-in-the-rough-amani-gilmore-amite-high-school/

Former UK All-SEC defensive back Van Hiles knows plenty about Gilmore, a Louisiana native like Hiles. “If he keeps progressing, he is special,” Hiles said. “He is left-handed and has a great arm. He is Terry Wilson almost. He has great straight line speed. He played in a spread offense on a really good team in high school that won the state championship his senior year. “He has all the attributes to be a really special player. He will be more than just good, especially since UK is bringing in receivers for him to have a really good group of skilled players around him. Coach (Vince) Marrow is getting really good tight ends every year. He should really have a lot of talent at his disposal going forward.” read more: https://www.vaughtsviews.com/2019/09/freshman-qb-amani-gilmore-could-eventually-be-special-but-also-could-be-forced-into-action-this-year/