UL possible candidate for C-USA

[Harry]

Reacting to a national website story regarding potential Conference USA expansion, UL athletic director Scott Farmer said Monday that the Ragin’ Cajuns have interest in joining a 16-member C-USA.

Conference USA’s rumored contemplation of an increase to 16 is not new, but commissioner Britton Banowsky did publicly acknowledge the possibility in a CBSSports.com report.

“I think the number of teams isn’t as important as the teams we would compete against,” Farmer said. “We want our athletic teams facing the best competition possible.

“Yeah, we’d be interested. Yes. I would want to look at division alignment and dive into that, but sure we’d be interested.”

UL officials have worked quietly the last year-and-a-half to study, and position themselves for, a possible conference move.

The program’s candidacy got a boost with its recent reveal of a $115 million athletic facilities masterplan that includes $70 million in Cajun Field football stadium upgrades.

“We have spoken to several people trying to explore what conference would be best for the Ragin’ Cajuns athletic department,” Farmer said.

“We’ve shared our information. We’ve talked about all of the bragging points, from the teams we have and the coaches we have to the great fan support we have, to now we can include the masterplan.”

UL belongs to the Sun Belt Conference, which is losing current members North Texas, Middle Tennessee, Florida Atlantic and FIU to C-USA on July 1. Current member Western Kentucky follows in 2014.

After several months’ worth of extensive conference-member realignment, other football programs currently on C-USA’s 2014 roll are adds Louisiana Tech, Old Dominion and Texas-San Antonio and existing members UAB, Marshall, Southern Mississippi, Rice and UTEP.

Charlotte, transitioning from FCS, becomes a 14th football-playing member in 2015.

Whether C-USA indeed grows 16 remains to be seen.

“We’ve modeled it at 16,” Banowsky told CBSSports.com, “and it does kind of create some divisions that are a little more geographically connected.

Read more: http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20130409/SPORTS0201/304090005/Conference-USA-eyes-expansion-16-teams-UL-possible-candidate

[UNT90]

La. Tech has GOT to be thrilled...

[MeanGreenTexan]

La. Tech has GOT to be thrilled...

Gotta think they will be the squeakiest wheel in keeping them out. We'll see if they can get Rice/USM/UAB/UTEP/Marshall's ears because I'm sure UL-L will have allies with all of their former SBC bretheren.

[GrayEagle]

LaTech may not prefer the Cajuns as a conference/division member but I think that they'd accept it. What would make them totally ballistics is anyone mentioning ULM as a possibility.

[Arkstfan]

Gotta think they will be the squeakiest wheel in keeping them out. We'll see if they can get Rice/USM/UAB/UTEP/Marshall's ears because I'm sure UL-L will have allies with all of their former SBC bretheren.

I'd bet that UAB and Marshall aren't going to be persuaded by Tech, because I bet they want UAB back in the east.

Not sure UTEP cares, with them probably comes down to which deal costs me less traveling.