Things have been rather quiet on the conference realignment front in recent months after USC and UCLA suddenly announced at the end of June that they’d be leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten. But on Friday afternoon, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported a change that is on its way to happening.
Thamel reported that Kennesaw State of the FCS ranks “has emerged as the favorite to become Conference USA’s tenth member.”
Thamel added that a formal announcement “is expected in the near future” and that the change would be effective in 2024.
Sources: Kennesaw State has emerged as the favorite to become Conference USA’s tenth member. That addition is expected in the near future for Kennesaw to join effective 2024.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) October 7, 2022
Conference USA has been deeply affected by recent realignment dating back to last summer when Texas and Oklahoma suddenly announced they would be leaving the Big 12 for the SEC.
As observed in a story Friday, by Football Scoop’s Zach Barnett, nine schools that were conference members have since left for either the American Athletic Conference or the Sun Belt Conference.
That left Conference USA with just five members for a short time before it added four schools — FBS independents Liberty and New Mexico State and FCS members Jacksonville State and Sam Houston.
Kennesaw State thus would make Conference USA a 10-member league again.
Barnett observed that Kennesaw State’s (Georgia) football program began in just 2015, but it has won three Big South Conference championships and made the FCS quarterfinals twice.