The Morning Dish – Monday, September 22nd
Break Up C-USA: The Atlantic 10 Conference is looking to add member institutions, once the Big East has announced its expansion plans, and once again C-USA has schools licking their chops. While everyone is awaiting the Big East announcement, expected to include Conference USA members Marquette, DePaul, Cincinnati and Louisville, plus A-10 member Xavier. Meanwhile, a report in the Cincinnati Enquirer has the A-10 eyeing C-USA leftovers Charlotte and Saint Louis (which is west of the Mississippi, but still closer to the Atlantic than the Pacific Ocean.) Charlotte athletic director Judy Rose is quoted as saying, “My initial reaction is we are very interested in continuing to have conversations with the A-10.” The A-10, which has 12 members currently, could add two teams with little fuss, or could stay at the same size by booting underachieving Duquesne and Fordham. Earlier reports have the WAC eyeing Houston, TCU, and Tulane. If all of these dominoes fall, it would leave C-USA with UAB, East Carolina, Memphis, South Florida, and Southern Miss. Pull the plug, slice the pie. C-USA commissioner Britton Banowsky needs to step up and protect what’s assumed to be already gone.
