The Conference USA has announced the tweaks to its divisions for the 2013 football season, as well as the league schedule for the conference's 14 teams.
With UCF, SMU, Memphis, and Houston leaving the league -- but FAU, FIU, Louisiana Tech, MTSU, North Texas, and University of Texas at San Antonio entering -- the league needed to revamp its pre-existing divisions. However, with Tulane and East Carolina leaving after this season, it's just a one-year setup. Here's how the seven-team divisions look:
East:
East Carolina
Florida Atlantic
Florida International
Marshall
Middle Tennessee State
Southern Miss
UABWest
Louisiana Tech
North Texas
Rice
Tulane
Tulsa
UTEP
UTSA
It's a pretty similar set-up to last year: each division lost two teams, but gains three more, with new additions FAU, FIU and MTSU going into the East, while Louisiana Tech, North Texas, and UTSA joining the West. Six of seven West division titles had been won by Tulsa or the now-departed Houston, so Louisiana Tech -- who had the top offense in the nation last year -- will have a good shot at winning. On the other side, last year's division winners, UCF, are gone, and East Carolina leaves next year, so it could get wide open.
The divisions will be slightly complicated next year: one team from each division leaves in East Carolina and Tulane, and the East will get Old Dominion.
Here's how the league schedules for each team break down, from the C-USA press release. Each team plays the other six teams from its division, in addition to two from the other.
EAST CAROLINA
HOME - FAU, Southern Miss, Tulsa, UAB
AWAY - at FIU, at Marshall, at Middle Tennessee, at TulaneFAU
HOME - FIU, Marshall Middle Tennessee, Tulane
AWAY - at East Carolina, at Rice, at Southern Miss, at UABFIU
HOME - East Carolina, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, UAB
AWAY - at FAU, at Middle Tennessee, at Southern Miss, at UTEPLOUISIANA TECH
HOME - North Texas, Southern Miss, Tulane, Tulsa
AWAY - at FIU, at Rice, at UTEP, at UTSAMARSHALL
HOME - East Carolina, Southern Miss, UAB, UTSA
AWAY - at FAU, at FIU, at Middle Tennessee, at TulsaMIDDLE TENNESSEE
HOME - East Carolina, FIU, Marshall, UTEP
AWAY - at FAU, at North Texas, at Southern Miss, at UABNORTH TEXAS
HOME - Middle Tennessee, Rice, UTEP, UTSA
AWAY - at Louisiana Tech, at Southern Miss, at Tulane, at TulsaRICE
HOME - FAU, Louisiana Tech, Tulane, UTEP
AWAY - at North Texas, at Tulsa, at UAB, at UTSASOUTHERN MISS
HOME - FAU, FIU, Middle Tennessee, North Texas
AWAY - at East Carolina, at Louisiana Tech, at Marshall, at UABTULANE
HOME - East Carolina, North Texas, Tulsa, UTEP
AWAY - at FAU, at Louisiana Tech, at Rice, at UTSATULSA
HOME - Marshall, North Texas, Rice, UTSA
AWAY - at East Carolina, at Louisiana Tech, at Tulane, at UTEPUAB
HOME - FAU, Middle Tennessee, Rice, Southern Miss
AWAY - at East Carolina, at FIU, at Marshall, at UTSAUTEP
HOME - FIU, Louisiana Tech, Tulsa, UTSA
AWAY - at Middle Tennessee, at North Texas, at Rice, at TulaneUTSA
HOME - Louisiana Tech, Rice, Tulane, UAB
AWAY - at Marshall, at North Texas, at Tulsa, at UTEP