College Football Realignment - UAB Drops football, will CUSA drop UAB?

It appears that the end is nigh for UAB's football program. Someone close to the decisionmaking process told USA TODAY Sports that UAB athletics director Brian Mackin has given indications the program will shut down this week and that Mackin is working on a separation agreement from the university.

This is a gut punch for a fan base that just saw their team reach bowl eligibility Saturday for the first time since 2004 and second time in school history. As hard as it is to believe there is a football team in Alabama struggling, a lot of that is owed to mistreatment by the University of Alabama Board of Trustees.

This means that Conference USA has a decision to make, and the scuttlebutt is that CUSA will drop UAB altogether if the school loses their football program.

So how does this tie into Buffalo you ask?

Well I wish I could say UB could press for membership in Conference USA. Given that the MAC forced UB to drop a home game this year has given me a new appreciation for those who have been clamoring to leave the MAC.

Buffalo may be improving their department but not enough to make up for the geography. So no, this does not tie in because I thing UB would be looked at. But a former UB coach will most certainly get some attention as his school continues to move through the FCS playoffs.

The logical candidates for Conference USA are Liberty, James Madison, Georgia State, South Alabama, Texas State, Arkansas State, and Louisana-Lafayette. Maybe Turner does not have to take that new job in order to get back into the Bowl Subdivision.

My money would be on JMU or Arkansas State. Either C-USA go FCS by bringing in a huge rival for Old Dominion or they go with the best of the Belt.