Who’s ready for some conference realignment news! Anybody? Nobody? Bueller?
The Sun Belt is looking for a 12th member and has zeroed in on either Eastern Kentucky or Coastal Carolina for that coveted final spot, according to Dan Wolken of USA Today.
“They have enough votes,” an unnamed source told Wolken. “They have already visited the campuses.”
Commissioner Karl Benson declined to speak for the piece, but he has acknowledged conversing with both schools previously.I do not believe that Coastal Carolina has made any public statement regarding a move up. Has Eastern Kentucky contacted the Sun Belt? Yes.
— Karl Benson (@kbcommish) July 23, 2015
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Have we had conversation with Coastal Carolina and others? Yes. That’s all I can say.
— Karl Benson (@kbcommish) July 23, 2015
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Adding either school would allow the Sun Belt to immediately schedule a conference championship game, though conference title games are expected to be deregulated by the NCAA in 2016.
Eastern Kentucky is said to be more FBS-ready on Day 1 (Coastal’s football stadium seats less than 10,000 people, for starters), but Coastal Carolina is coached by billionaire former Ameritrade CEO Joe Moglia and, if the last five years have taught us anything about conference realignment, the prospect of future money tends to send common sense waiting at the door in these scenarios.