Conference USA will add Liberty, Jacksonville State, New Mexico State, and Sam Houston State as the league tries to replenish its ranks after having nine schools announce plans to leave in the last month.
All four schools have accepted invitations to C-USA, the conference said Friday.
The Conference USA overhaul might not be done, either: Mid-American Conference presidents were meeting Friday with possible expansion on the agenda and C-USA members Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee State as potential options, a person familiar with the situation told AP, also speaking only on condition of anonymity because the league discussions are private.
Including MTSU and WKU, Conference USA has only five members that have not announced plans to leave in the next few years. The NCAA requires Bowl Subdivision leagues to have at least eight teams.
Liberty and Jacksonville State are both members of the ASun Conference for most of their sports, though Liberty is an independent competing in NCAA Division I's highest tier of football while Jacksonville State has been a successful program in the Championship Subdivision (FCS).
New Mexico State is also an FBS independent and member of the Western Athletic Conference for basketball and other sports.
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Sam Houston State, which is coming off an FCS national championship, is part of the newly restarted WAC football league, which is competing in FCS this year.
