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© St. Petersburg Times, published October 4, 2001
Conference USA took the second-to-last step toward football expansion Wednesday when the conference athletic directors gathered in Chicago for their annual meeting.
It was reported before the meeting that commissioner Mike Slive would propose Marshall become C-USA's 12th football member. USF will become the 11th member in 2003.
"They did talk about the concept and impact of expansion," assistant commissioner Brian Teter said. "But it is up to the conference presidents."
The conference presidents will meet Oct.15 in Fort Worth, Texas.
"The athletic directors will be talking to their own presidents on an individual basis and present the viewpoints that were brought up here, and the presidents will make a decision in Fort Worth," Teter said.
According to Southern Miss athletic director Richard Giannini, if Marshall joins C-USA, it is likely it would enter along with USF in 2003. The Bulls are unlikely to be affected by any decision regarding expansion.
By boosting its membership to 12 teams, C-USA would be eligible to play a conference championship game and reap increased television revenue.