Expansion: UAB to reunite with Marquette and DePaul in NBE?

[GoldenWarrior11]

UAB is the first domino to fall. There will most definitely be more schools doing the same thing.

[Bill Marsh]

So is conference USA gonna keep them? Can't think of any logical fit for UAB unless its some low major conference.

Frankly the A10 would be a good fit for them. Once you're as far south as North Carolina , Birmingham isn't far off. They would bring a good basketball tradition and a good market to the conference.

[stever20]

So is conference USA gonna keep them? Can't think of any logical fit for UAB unless its some low major conference.

Frankly the A10 would be a good fit for them. Once you're as far south as North Carolina , Birmingham isn't far off. They would bring a good basketball tradition and a good market to the conference.

not only that, but also would be a closer rival for SLU actually.

[butlerguy03]

Frankly the A10 would be a good fit for them. Once you're as far south as North Carolina , Birmingham isn't far off. They would bring a good basketball tradition and a good market to the conference.

Agreed. I think UAB has a "baskeball name." It may not be blue-blood or necessarily historical in any sense, but I'd say they are big enough to remain in the second tier of basketball. The Missouri Valley would be a great landing spot. Missouri Valley could go after another private Horizon/Summit team (maybe Valpo/Oakland) to keep the balance they've always wanted.

[FlyJays]

I agree a place like the Valley could be a fit, but I certainy disagree with the notion that UAB is a "basketball name". Outside of 2004, they haven't done a thing in hoops in the over 30 years.

[Bill Marsh]

I agree a place like the Valley could be a fit, but I certainy disagree with the notion that UAB is a "basketball name". Outside of 2004, they haven't done a thing in hoops in the over 30 years.

Fair point. They have won the regular season championship of a pretty good conference 3 times in the past 16 years, but attendance is down and maybe the bloom is off the rose.

They could also fit in either the Southern or the Ohio Valley Conference. Birmingham is in the Tennessee River Valley and fits well with the Tennessee schools in the OVC.

[Boyee]

UAB and Southern Miss would be the worst C-USA members to add. The new Big East Conference should not add any current Conference USA member. These are the only two schools in C-USA that have been in the conference since the merger of the Great Midwest Conference and Metropolitan Collegiate Athletic Conference to create Conference USA, which no only has Southern schools. UNC Charlotte left C-USA for seven years in the Atlantic 10 Conference, before rejoining. There are currently 14 C-USA schools and Conference USA has lost 14 members to superior leagues.

[gosports1]

someone mentioned on another board and i agree, why cant CUSA add UMass for FB only and keep UAB for all other sports?

[shupirate98]

someone mentioned on another board and i agree, why cant CUSA add UMass for FB only and keep UAB for all other sports?

Because they don't want to?

[gosports1]

someone mentioned on another board and i agree, why cant CUSA add UMass for FB only and keep UAB for all other sports?

Because they don't want to?

so they would rather end familiar rivalries (witn uab) and get a program that is worse than UAB in BB and doesnt have the potential market exposure of UMass?