Idaho may rejoin Sun Belt in football

Idaho athletic director Rob Spear said the Vandals football program plans to rejoin the Sun Belt Conference in 2014 after playing the 2013 season as an independent.

The Sun Belt Conference has eight football members after losing some teams to Conference USA, but the league could have as many as 12 teams in 2014.

The Vandals must gain the approval of the state Board of Education and receive an official invitation from the league.

The board is holding a special meeting this afternoon in Moscow.

Spear told the Idaho Statesman being in a conference will provide stability, give the team eight conference games a season and allow them to share revenue and bowl alliances.

Idaho was a football-only member of the conference from 2001-2005 before joining the Western Athletic Conference.

The 2012 season was the last one for the WAC in football. Idaho will play football as an independent in 2013.

Spear said the school's other sports programs still plan to join the Big Sky Conference in 2014.