MTSU To Stay In Conference USA After Invitation To Mid-American Conference

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After weeks of conference alignments and speculation, Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) President Sidney McPhee has announced the university will stay in Conference-USA after being invited to the Mid-American Conference.

Earlier this month, C-USA added Jacksonville State University, Liberty University, New Mexico State, and Sam Houston. Speculation was that MTSU and Western Kentucky would both join the MAC, shaking up the college athletic conference world even more.

“Over the past several weeks, as we have watched the landscape for Division I athletics evolve, MTSU has been proactive and diligent in evaluating our opportunities, always with the best interests of the University as the singular guiding principle,” says McPhee in a statement. “We greatly appreciate the interest other conferences have shown in our athletics program and in our university, as they are a testament to the overall excellence of our institution, both athletically and academically. However, after careful consideration and due diligence, I am pleased to reaffirm our commitment to Conference USA.

“With the addition of four new members, C-USA offers a strong footprint in the South and Southwest, providing opportunities to develop new regional rivalries, while staying connected to traditional opponents that our fans want,” McPhee continues. “Building on the conference’s storied history of success, I believe our continued affiliation offers our Blue Raider community the greatest opportunity for success and should enhance our fan engagement.”

The C-USA saw nine schools leave and join either the Sun Belt Conference or the AAC. The addition of Jacksonville, Liberty and others keeps the conference alive. Now with MTSU committed to staying, the conference currently has nine members and is expected to invite more schools in the near future.

“With the addition of four new institutions last week, Conference USA remains a great fit for Middle Tennessee,” says C-USA Commissioner Judy MacLeod in a statement. “We are very pleased that they have decided to reaffirm their commitment to C-USA as we continue to move forward as a conference. While several institutions have indicated interest in joining our league, we will use this time to be deliberate and strategic in exploring any potential additional expansion.”
Steven Boero
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