Conference realignment's outcasts will pool their resources in 2013 and start a new conference, CBS Sports' Brett McMurphy reports. Conference USA and the Mountain West Conference agreed months ago to start a new, massive football-only alliance, but further attrition has them whittled down to the point where they could form one bigger all-sports league, which could boast 16 teams in football.
If everything remained as-is, the new conference would consist of Air Force, Colorado State, East Carolina, Fresno State, Hawai'i, Marshall, Nevada, New Mexico, Rice, Southern Miss, Tulane, Tulsa, UAB, UNLV, UTEP, and Wyoming. McMurphy also reports Temple could be in the mix.
Really not all that bad of a conference, all things considered. At least two or three of those teams are usually good at football at one time or another, and, if nothing else, there are plenty of wide open spaces for traveling teams to enjoy while on game trips.
For more on the MWC, visit Mountain West blog Mountain West Connection.