:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/10394175/20121219_ajw_ay3_019.0.jpg)
In a move that has little to do with basketball, Georgia Southern and Appalachian State are set to announce on Wednesday that they will be leaving the Southern Conference for the Sun Belt Conference.
Appalachian State will accept an invitation to join the Sun Belt Conference this week, probably on Wednesday, according to a source at ASU
— Tommy Bowman (@AppTrailWSJ) March 25, 2013
The full transition is not expected to occur until 2014 or 2015, but more details should become available after Wednesday's announcements.
While the move is totally football related, it will have ramifications on the hardwood. Davidson is rumored to be in talks with the Atlantic 10, while the ever-changing Colonial Athletic Association has also had interest in the Wildcats, along with Furman and Elon.
These dominoes that are falling could cause quite the battle between the Southern Conference, the Big South, and the Atlantic Sun with football being the driver.
Right now the SoCon is slated to lose three teams, putting them at nine members. If Davidson and/or Furman and Elon moved then the conference would need to find a way to simply survive. Most importantly the SoCon needs 6 football members to retain an auto-bid to the FCS football playoffs.
The main school that will be up for grabs is Kennesaw State, who has recently affirmed their intentions to add a football program. The SoCon could stand pat their or look to raid the Big South and schools like Coastal Carolina or Gardner-Webb.
The next few months should be interesting to say the least.