ESPN is reporting that Western Kentucky is expecting to announce on Monday that they would be joining Conference USA beginning in 2014, and New Mexico State announced that they would be joining earlier this week as the dominoes of conference realignment continue to fall.
This won’t be totally unfamiliar territory for the WKU Hilltoppers’ swimming program: the men already compete in the “Conference USA Invitational” at year’s end; Conference USA in the past few years hasn’t sponsored a formal conference championship for men’s swimming.
The Western Kentucky women, on the other hand, will leave a Sun Belt Conference that they have dominated. Including the 2013 title, WKU has won 9 of the last 13 conference championships.
They will come along with the North Texas women, Florida Atlantic men and women, and Florida International women, all former Sun Belt members, who join the conference in 2013. Middle Tennessee State also comes
The New Mexico State and Idaho football teams, meanwhile, will fill in some of those spots in the Sun Belt from the WAC. Neither program will bring their other sports with them, which mean that Georgia Southern will be the lone swim program in the conference in 2014.
So, as far as we can tell, this is what Conference USA and the Sun Belt will look like in 2014, as far as we can tell, in swimming terms. It’s unclear what the future of Sun Belt swimming will be, with only two programs remaining in 2014.
Note that Appalachian State, who is also joining the conference but has no swim team, and Georgia Southern, who has only a women’s team, will be transitioning to Division IA FBS football over the next few years. That involves new expenses, but also the potential for big new revenues. Appalachian State already has a pretty nice indoor 50-meter pool, so there’s hope that an expanded swimming
Teams in bold are new to their conference.
Conference USA
Women
Rice
North Texas
Florida Atlantic
Florida International
Marshall
Old Dominion
Tulane
Western Kentucky
Men
Florida Atlantic
Old Dominion
Western Kentucky
Sun Belt Conference
Women only
Arkansas-Little Rock
Georgia Southern
App State will face Title IX issues and will need to add a women’s team. Swimmimg is in the mix as is lacrosse. Feel fee to email their AD and suggest swimming. They have a 50 meter pool on campus as it would be an easy addition.
The Sun Belt needs to invite JMU, and Liberty as all sports members, then invite FGCU as a swimming affiliate.
JMU/Liberty/FGCU would be a good start for rebuilding the Sun Belt – all three were at NCAA’s this year.
I am pretty sure that the New Mexico State and Idaho moves are for football only. New Mexico State will remain in the WAC for other sports; Idaho has one more year in the WAC and then they are supposed take all sports but football to Big Sky. Not sure whether women’s swimming will stay in the WAC at that point or not.