Utah State, San Jose State expected to jump to Mountain West today
A person with knowledge of the situation said Utah State and San Jose State are jumping from the Western Athletic Conference to the Mountain West Conference in 2013 for football.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday because the move won't be formally announced until today. The Salt Lake Tribune first reported the move.
The person said Utah State is making the move to the MWC in all sports. A few of San Jose State's sports programs will not be affected.
The two schools would replace San Diego State and Boise State, which are joining the Big East for football.
UT-San Antonio's move to Conference USA was approved Thursday by University of Texas System regents, the same day that people familiar with the league's plans said North Texas, Charlotte, Louisiana Tech and Florida International would also be joining C-USA. Announcements are expected at each of the schools today.
UTSA will play in the WAC this season - which would be its first and only season in the WAC.
Texas State, which will also join the WAC this fall for just one year, announced Wednesday it will join the Sun Belt Conference in 2013.
That would leave Idaho and New Mexico State as the only football-playing members of the WAC in 2013. The only other WAC members in other sports would be Boise State, Seattle and Denver.
UT-Arlington, scheduled to join the WAC this fall in all sports except football, is reportedly also considering a move to the Sun Belt in 2013.
There could be even more additions in the future to the incoming five and the eight remaining Conference USA schools: Southern Miss, Marshall, East Carolina, Tulane, Tulsa, Rice, UTEP and UAB.
UTSA went 4-6 in its inaugural football season under Larry Coker as an independent in FCS last year, but the program has sought to accelerate its national profile.
Louisiana Tech has been in the WAC since 2001, and is coming off an 8-4 season under first-year football coach Sonny Dykes.
FIU has been in the Sun Belt since 1998, two years before North Texas joined that league.
Idaho was a member of the Sun Belt in football for four seasons before joining the WAC in 2005.