Report: Old Dominion to leave CAA for Conference USA
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Old Dominion has plans to leave CAA Football and rise to the FBS level in Conference USA, according to a report.
CBSSports.com reported Tuesday that the Monarchs, whose startup program will play just their fourth season in the FCS this fall, is one of six programs that will be announcing intentions to join Conference USA.
An announcement from Conference USA could happen Friday, according to the report.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Four of the six - Florida International and North Texas from the Sun Belt Conference and Louisiana Tech and UTSA from the Western Athletic Conference - would join for the 2013 season. It was unclear when Old Dominion and Charlotte, an Atlantic-10 program whose football program will play for the first time in 2013, would be able to compete as Conference USA members.
With the six schools, Conference USA's membership would be at 14 schools and could split into two seven-team divisions. Current members Houston, SMU, UCF and Memphis are leaving for the Big East Conference in 2013.
Old Dominion has been wildly successful in its first three seasons under head coach Bobby Wilder. The Monarchs have a 27-8 record in that time, and debuted in CAA Football last year by tying for second place and reaching the second round of the FCS playoffs.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The CAA already is losing new member Georgia State, which announced last month that it will leave the conference and rise to the FBS level and the Sun Belt for the 2013 season.