Feb. 13, 2012

Conference USA and Mountain West to merge

Reports indicate that members of Conference USA and the Mountain West will combine to form a new conference starting in the 2013-14 academic year.

The league will consist of East Carolina, Marshall, Rice, Southern Miss, Tulane, Tulsa, UAB and UTEP from C-USA and Air Force, Colorado State, Fresno State, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, UNLV and Wyoming from the MWC. Hawaii would be a football-only member.

C-USA will lose current members Houston, Memphis, SMU and UCF to the Big East. The MWC will lose TCU to the Big 12, Boise State to the Big East for football and WAC for other sports, and San Diego State to the Big East for football and the Big West for other sports. The MWC is adding Fresno State and Nevada next year from the WAC.

Of the 15 all-sports institutions in this new conference, four do not have baseball programs: Colorado State, Tulsa, UTEP and Wyoming. The remaining 11 baseball schools would be located in 10 different states and in four different time zones.

Baseball Programs in the New League

Air Force

East Carolina

Fresno State

Marshall

Nevada

New Mexico

Rice

Southern Miss

Tulane

UAB

UNLV