Georgia State possible addition for Sun Belt
The Sun Belt is strongly considering extending an invitation to Georgia State and the parties have had informal discussions. An invitation could occur in the coming weeks with Georgia State a possibility to be added to the league as early as 2013, sources said.
Coached by Bill Curry, the Panthers played their first season of football in 2010. The Panthers' Olympic sports have been members of the Colonial Athletic Association since 2005 and will play their inaugural season as a CAA football member this fall.
The Panthers could make a move to the FBS ranks as early as 2014. The school recently paid $20,000 for a feasibility study on moving to FBS, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported. The report indicated “GSU is well-positioned to make a transition to FBS” and suggested the Sun Belt “would be the best fit.”
Georgia State's potential move is the latest in the never-ending game of musical chairs - better known as conference realignment.
Two weeks ago, CBSSports.com reported Charlotte and Texas-San Antonio have had discussions with the Sun Belt about joining the league. However, each school likely will wait on making a decision until they know if they'll get an invitation to the new league formed by Conference USA and the Mountain West.
C-USA commissioner Britton Banowsky and Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson told me Monday that plans for their new league should be finalized by early June.
Also last week, CBSSports.com reported VCU, George Mason and Butler have had discussions join the Atlantic 10. Those discussions have been conducted through a third-party, sources told CBSSports.com. The schools, the CAA, where VCU and George Mason are members, and the A-10 said no “formal discussions” had been held.
Finally, Tuesday night the Record in Stockton, Calif., reported the University of Pacific would leave the Big West Conference for the West Coast Conference beginning in 2013. The West Coast Conference officially announced the move Wednesday afternoon.
