C-USA is a little more "eastern heavy" which is why it makes sense for there to be a MEAC invasion. It won't work, though, if they skip over the Sun Belt schools in their footprint: Georgia State, Georgia Southern, App State, and Coastal Carolina.
The remainder of C-USA runs basically from I-25 in El Paso to I-65 in Birmingham/Bowling Green (Murfreesboro is slightly east of I-65, but basically they are in the corridor). The best candidates for them also fall in the footprint:
- Texas State (SBC)
- Louisiana (SBC)
- New Mexico State (Independent)
- South Alabama (SBC)
- Arkansas State (SBC)
I don't see them taking any FCS upgrades, unless if C-USA wants Arkansas State and Missouri State - even then, both would lose having non-football UALR as a conference mate, so the Sun Belt may still be more appealing. I would expect Texas State to get the nod for #10. C-USA remains in divisions for football:
West: UTEP, UTSA, North Texas, Rice, Texas State
East: Louisiana Tech, Southern Miss, UAB, MTSU, WKU
The Sun Belt - now down to 5 members in football - has to at least add 3 members to survive. I expect them to try to build around the Ark-La-Tex remnant by raiding the Southland. Missouri State and Eastern Kentucky would also be under consideration, but they may not take the invitation.
West: SHSU, SFASU, Lamar, NMSU, UTRGV, UT-Arlington*
East: Troy, USA, ULM, Arkansas State, Missouri State, UALR*
(*non-football)
It's possible that UT-Arlington might add football before UTRGV, but unless if Little Rock departs I see the Sun Belt admitting UTRGV. This consolidates the remaining Texas public Division I schools into FBS conferences, with the exception of Tarleton State, who joins the Southland.
The WAC then has one last opportunity for survival, and that is a mass re-configure with the Big Sky:
Big Sky: Seattle*, EWU, Portland State, Idaho, Idaho State, Montana, Montana State, Utah Valley*, UC Davis (FCS football only)
WAC: Sacramento State, Cal Baptist*, GCU*, Northern Arizona, Southern Utah, Dixie State, Weber State, Northern Colorado, Cal Poly (FCS football only)
Essentially acting as divisions of a 14-team FCS conference, both conferences play each other for the bulk of their non-conference games.