AAC football realignment: Mapping out the potential new-look conference

Sun Belt could be upended if the G5 regionalizes its conferences

A new Sun Belt Conference would be highlighted by Memphis, Arkansas State, Western Kentucky, and UAB.

Those schools have been to a combined 34 bowl games and been coached by the likes of Justin Fuente, Mike Norvell, Hugh Freeze, Gus Malzahn, Willie Taggart, Bobby Petrino, and Jeff Brohm in years past— an impressive list.

Rounding out the conference would be Tulane, Southern Miss, South Alabama, Troy, Georgia State, Georgia Southern, Middle Tennessee, and basketball only UA-Little Rock.

This realignment would allow Memphis and Arkansas State to rekindle their rivalry when they played each other on a near-annual basis from 1980-2013, according to Winspedia.

Georgia Southern and Southern Miss could play their first matchup between the two teams since WWII (1941). You could make it into a rivalry game and play for a trophy — Battle for the Southern Cup anyone? — and make it an annual game.