July 21, 2011
2012 Conference Membership
Changes in Conference
Affiliations for 2012
 When
the new academic year started on July 1, several teams found
themselves with new conference homes.
The top move involved Nebraska, as the
Cornhuskers moved from the Big 12 to the Big Ten. The Big Red
will be a big factor in the Big Ten race in 2012.
The Mountain West lost a pair of schools as Utah
went to the Pac-12 and BYU bounced to the West Coast Conference.
Even though the MWC will have only five teams in 2012, the
league will not lose its automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The MWC will be increase to six teams in 2013.
The MEAC added two schools as North Carolina
Central and Savannah State leave the land of the independents.
Campbell left the Atlantic Sun and returned to
the Big South.
Four schools left the Division I ranks. Cleveland
State of the Horizon League dropped its baseball program at the
conclusion of the 2011 campaign. Centenary of the Summit League
and independents Le Moyne and New Orleans all moved to Division
II.
There is one new member of Division I as
Nebraska-Omaha will play as an independent in 2012 before
joining the Summit League for the 2013 season.
Four schools completed their transition to
Division I and are now eligible for an NCAA tourney bid: FGCU,
Houston Baptist, NC Central and USC Upstate. Six schools
continue their transition: Bryant, Nebraska-Omaha, North Dakota,
Presbyterian, Seattle and SIU Edwardsville.
Don’t get too used to this conference alignment,
as there will be more changes for the 2013 season:
TCU will leave the Mountain West for the Big East
Hawaii will exit the WAC for the Big West
Fresno State and Nevada will depart the WAC for
the Mountain West
Texas State, UTSA and UT Arlington will leave the
Southland for the WAC
Independent Seattle will head to the WAC
Independent Nebraska-Omaha will join the Summit
Belmont will bolt from the Atlantic Sun to the
OVC
Who knows what awaits in 2014? Stay tuned.
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