-> Tarleton State (Stephenville, Texas) and Eastern Kentucky are contenders to join Conference USA as well, sources said. Tarleton State is midway through its four-year reclassification from Division II to Division I, but it has a stadium, resources and an aggressive administration. EKU was a finalist to join the Sun Belt in 2015, but the spot went to Coastal Carolina. WKU president and C-USA board chair Tim Caboni said any notion or rumor that WKU would block EKU from joining the conference is “nonsense.”
Stephen F. Austin and McNeese State have also been in the mix for C-USA, but it’s not believed they have the resources to match the others as serious candidates, according to league sources. Missouri State has not been discussed as much, either. <-
-> The bottom line is that C-USA’s recent media deals have not helped the conference even when it has successful teams like UAB, UTSA and WKU. As much as anything else, fixing the availability of games is crucial for the future and the image of the conference.
“It’s critical,” said Stockstill, who pointed to MTSU’s recent win against Miami happening on the ACC Network. “It’s vital in every aspect of your conference and program that your fans, recruits, everybody can be exposed to your team.” <-