The 1-A ranks of college football will be growing in numbers in 2012 with the addition of former 1-AA teams Texas State, UT-San Antonio (to the WAC) and UMass (to the MAC).
In the not-too-distant future, it may grow by one more.
Georgia State announced on its official athletic site today that it commissioned a consulting group, Collegiate Consulting, to conduct a study regarding the feasibility of a move to 1-A football. The Panthers just completed their second season in football at the 1-AA level in the Colonial Athletic Association.
“We are performing our due diligence to fully understand potential opportunities in the rapidly changing landscape of college athletics and particularly college football,” GSU AD Cheryl L. Levick said in a statement. “We will evaluate the information in the feasibility study to determine the best course of action for Georgia State.
“No decisions have been made, and Georgia State has not received an invitation from any conference.”
It just so happens that new Sun Belt commissioner Karl Benson said conference expansion would be one of his first priorities. The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports via the school’s commissioned report that “that the Sun Belt would be the best fit.”
GSU could be making that move by 2014.
Other 1-AA programs that have looked into the move to 1-A included Villanova, (too) long rumored to be joining the Big East, as well as Appalachian State.