Utah Tech and SUU Want Bama

A report released last night by ESPN's Pete Thamel has the local football world reeling.

According to Thamel's sources, the WAC and the ASUN are combining to create an FBS football only conference.

The conference would look like this:

Stephen F. Austin (WAC), Abilene Christian (WAC), Utah Tech (WAC), Southern Utah (WAC), Tarleton State (WAC), Austin Peay (Atlantic Sun), Eastern Kentucky (Atlantic Sun), Central Arkansas (Atlantic Sun), North Alabama (Atlantic Sun).

The new conference also has plans to include UT Rio Grande Valley.

Who knows if it will get approved. The process is murky. The FBS accepting an entire conference is unprecedented. But there are a lot of voices out there who seem to think it is realistic.

The WAC went from an FBS football conference to FCS. Is it possible that because they were once at the highest level the FBS will have to accept their petition to reclassify? I don't know. I don't know that anybody knows if the conferences former classification will bear any sway on the decision.

I think this is an awesome move for UTU and SUU. Kudos especially to UTU for making big moves in the last several years and having this goal in mind for a long time.

They obviously have a lot of work to do.

Here are the most recent FCS programs to jump up to FBS. James Madison who just started playing FBS football this year, Liberty (2018), Coastal Carolina (2017), Appalachian State (2014). These are all very solid programs who have been very competitive. They also have great fan support for the most part. Coastal Carolina routinely has over 20,000 fans at their games. Utah Tech has work to do in that arena but the future is bright.

What a time to be a college football fan in southern Utah...