Southern Miss to join Sun Belt Conference as early as 2023

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Southern Pass up is established to sign up for the Solar Belt Conference, which could quickly insert several customers, sources instructed ESPN.

The Southern Skip transfer is a “finished deal,” a resource explained, and the university probably will be a part of the Sunlight Belt for the 2023 fall athletics year. Southern Miss out on is the latest faculty to depart Convention Usa, which this week misplaced 6 users — UAB, Florida Atlantic, Charlotte, North Texas, Rice and UTSA — to the expanded American Athletic Convention.

The Sun Belt also has had conversations about membership with two other Meeting United states universities, Marshall and Outdated Dominion, as very well as James Madison, one particular of the nation’s major FCS systems, which competes in the Colonial Athletic Affiliation. No formal invitations have been prolonged to those people educational facilities. A resource mentioned talks with Aged Dominion and James Madison are a bit more together than they are with Marshall. Official announcements are very likely to appear following 7 days.

The Motion Community initial reported Southern Miss’ go to the Solar Belt.

If Outdated Dominion and Marshall also depart Conference Usa, the 14-staff league would be left with only five associates: Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee, Florida Worldwide, UTEP and Louisiana Tech.

“We have a robust main of users to create around and are continuing to perform to fortify our league as we transfer ahead,” Conference Usa commissioner Judy MacLeod said in a ready statement. “There are numerous establishments intrigued in becoming a member of Meeting Usa, both equally across FBS and FCS, some of whom we’ve by now met with in person. Each individual step we take will be deliberate, strategically audio, and intentional.

“We will acquire the vital time to incorporate long term users that will be the greatest match from an athletic and tutorial standpoint and allow prospective establishments time to total their procedure. We go on to believe that in the regional notion and will look to incorporate that into our structure and scheduling.

“There are surely numerous thoughts out there, but a excellent deal is taking place at the rear of the scenes. When acceptable, we will release additional information, while out of regard for these involved, we will continue to run outside the house of the general public room.”

The Sunshine Belt is focusing its enlargement push on potent soccer courses located inside or in close proximity to the league’s footprint, relatively than these in huge metropolitan spots.