A message from former Editor Lanny Mixon..
Something amazing is happening in the world of college football in this round of realignment. First time in more than two decades it appears that when the cards in the deck of college football fall that Southern Miss won’t be left wondering what happened.
This year under the leadership of University President - Dr. Rodney Bennett and Director of Athletics Jeremy McClain, the Golden Eagles forged their own path.
The cards began to fall when Texas and Oklahoma bolted for the more lucrative pastures of the Southeastern Conference, the Big 12 moved quickly and filled the void with former Conference USA and current American Athletic Conference members Cincinnati, Houston and UCF along with longtime Independent BYU.
All four programs have experienced success on the gridiron and hardwood over the past decade.
The AAC wasted precious little time in extending memberships to current C-USA programs – Charlotte, FAU, North Texas, Rice, UAB and UTSA. This was no surprise to those of us who have followed Conference USA and the teams historically associated with it. The AAC added media markets, not universities. They added Charlotte, Miami, Dallas, Houston, Birmingham and San Antonio.
Success or lack there of had nothing to do with this process, the AAC and C-USA have always been and will always be focused on media markets first and everything else later.
Thankfully for Southern Miss, we had administration in place that had no desire to wait and see. The Eagles were blessed with leadership who had no desire to sit around and try to rebuild C-USA 4.0.
Not Your Father’s Sunbelt
For many years the Sunbelt was not a desirable destination for most schools. Current C-USA members FAU, FIU, MTSU and WKU willingly left the league just a decade ago for what were at the time greener pastures in C-USA.
My how times have changed, and it all came down to leadership.
For the past decade C-USA has languished under complacent and incompetent leadership.
In 2002, Mike Slive gave the keys of C-USA to Britton Banowsky. I think we all knew this was a downgrade, but few realized at the time just how big of a downgrade it really was. The downgrade was even more dramatic when Banowsky gave way to Judy McLeod in 2015.
Conference USA had become a random group of colleges thrown together with little rhyme or reason. Worse yet, they had no focus and no vision.
Meanwhile the Sunbelt Conference had a consistent vision and competent leadership. Wright Waters and Karl Benson (former WAC Commissioner) gave steady leadership as the Sunbelt matured. Regional rivalries flourished, close geography allowed costs to remain manageable and each member institute bought into this common vision.
This vision is far more in line with what Southern Miss needs than anything that Conference USA has offered in more than a decade.
Sunbelt Commissioner Keith Gill, a seasoned former AD and longtime conference administrator, will be a breath of fresh air for Southern Miss fans.
Now it’s Our Turn
Southern Miss fans, this part of the story if for us. Its time for you and I to step up.
Dr. Bennett and Mr. McClain have done what they have been working to do for some time. Southern Miss is no longer hampered by Conference USA.
Its time for fans to step up and step up now, not in 2023 when the Eagles are expected to start SBC play.
If you’ve not, buy season basketball tickets, buy baseball tickets, move up a level in the Eagle Club. At least send them an extra donation, another $100 from every EC member would be a big deal. Pack the Rock the rest of the season!
Bennett and McClain have done their part. Scott Berry has been doing his part for years. Jay Ladner is looking for a break-out season in year three. Will Hall has a big job in front of him, but I think he’s up to the task.
Now its time for Southern Miss fans to do their part. This is our chance for a fresh start and an opportunity to get back to the Southern Miss we all know and love.
