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Appalachian State Expected to Join Sun Belt Conference; Announcement Could Come Later this Week

By Paul T. Choate

SunBeltConference_100March 25, 2013. According to a report by the Winston-Salem Journal, an anonymous source at Appalachian State University said university officials will accept an invitation to join the Sun Belt Conference later this week, likely on Wednesday, in a move that will put the Mountaineers in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Following an assessment of feasibility, ASU has been seeking and waiting for an invitation to an FBS conference since August 2011. Though details are still being worked out, the Journal report says that “ASU could begin competition in the Sun Belt in 2014 in all 18 sports the conference offers.”

ASU Sports Information Director Mike Flynn said he was aware of the recent media reports, but said he was unable to confirm or deny anything at this time. 

Calls to members of the Sun Belt Conference’s media relations department were not returned as of presstime. 

If ASU did not move to FBS, they could have faced negative repercussions in the future, with the Big Ten Conference already announcing they would not schedule games against Football Championship Subdivision schools in the future

Stay with High Country Press for more on this developing story.