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Let’s review.

In 1996, Conference USA began sponsoring football with a lineup of Cincinnati, Houston, Louisville, Memphis, Southern Miss and Tulane. It added East Carolina in 1997, then Army in 1998 and UAB in 1999. TCU, bailing on the WAC, joined in 2001. USF, which had been a non-football member, joined for football in 2003.

In 2005 came the first of three total regeneration efforts. Cincinnati, Louisville and USF left for the Big East, Army went back to being independent, and TCU bailed for the Mountain West; so aboard came Marshall, Rice, SMU, Tulsa, UCF and UTEP. The center actually held for a moment, but realignment never really stops for long. Houston, Memphis, SMU and UCF left for what would become the AAC in 2013, then ECU, Tulane and Tulsa followed in 2014.

It was time to reload once more: CUSA raided the Sun Belt for FAU, FIU, MTSU, North Texas and Western Kentucky. It took Louisiana Tech and UTSA from the WAC and brought in football startups ODU in 2014 and Charlotte in 2015. That brought membership to 14. UAB dropped football in 2015 in a nasty political game, then wised up and brought it back in 2017. Fourteen again.

That held until the next time the AAC got raided. It nabbed Charlotte, FAU, North Texas, Rice, UAB and UTSA in 2023. Searching for some semblance of stability (and geographic sense), Marshall, Old Dominion and Old Dominion also left for the Sun Belt. Regeneration No. 3! Indies Liberty and New Mexico State came aboard, and Jacksonville State and Sam Houston made the jump up from FCS. Kennesaw State is joining this year. Delaware and Missouri State will do the same in 2025.

Next year, FBS will feature 136 teams. Conference USA will have, at one point or another, housed 32 of them. It is the Ellis Island of FBS. Poor, tired, huddled masses, et cetera. It is a genuine conference for the USA.

It might not have much of a conference race in 2024, however. Liberty was far and away the class of the conference last year, winning seven of nine CUSA games by at least 13 points and rolling to a 49-35 win over NMSU in each team’s first CUSA Championship. The Flames were able to go unbeaten and skate around having a dreadful run defense, but that caught up to them in a 45-6 decimation at Oregon’s hands in the Fiesta Bowl. They had one of the weakest schedules in the country and one of the most delightful offenses … just as they probably will this year. And unless Western Kentucky or Jacksonville State springs a surprise, it’s hard to see someone toppling LU this time around either.

Every week through the summer, Bill Connelly will preview another FBS conference exclusively for ESPN+, ultimately including all 134 FBS teams. The previews will include 2023 breakdowns, 2024 previews and team-by-team capsules. Here is the MAC preview.

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2024 projections | Best games
Title contenders | Who’s close?
Hoping for 6-6

2023 recap

CUSA might have only gotten four teams into bowls, and two of them (Liberty and NMSU) may have lost by a combined 82-16, but the other two bowls, both wins, were delightful. Thanks to a lack of bowl-eligible teams, Jacksonville State was able to score a bid to the New Orleans Bowl in its first FBS season, and the Gamecocks beat Louisiana in overtime.

Two days later, in the Famous Toastery Bowl in Charlotte, WKU, playing without starting quarterback Austin Reed, spotted Old Dominion a 28-0 lead just 17 minutes into the game before Caden Veltkamp hopped out of the transfer portal, threw five touchdown passes and led a shocking comeback.

This is what a 28-point, “don’t lead for a single play until you kick the game-winning field goal in overtime” comeback looks like on the ol’ win probability charts.

Veltkamp was ready to leave after he was told he would be moving to tight end. He decided to stick around after all.

It was a struggle for everyone else. Mike MacIntyre continued a rebuild at FIU, Sonny Cumbie kept looking for traction at Louisiana Tech, Sam Houston misplaced its offense in the move from FCS before winning three of four to end the year, and both Middle Tennessee and UTEP moved on from Rick Stockstill and Dana Dimel, respectively, after disappointing finishes.

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D-backs star Marte’s home robbed during break

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D-backs star Marte's home robbed during break

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — A home belonging to Arizona Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte was burglarized during the Major League Baseball All-Star break, according to police.

Scottsdale, Arizona, police confirmed that the department is investigating a “high-dollar residential burglary” that is believed to have happened on Tuesday night, which is when Marte was playing for the National League in its All-Star game win in Atlanta.

Numerous personal items and jewelry were stolen. No one was at home when the burglary occurred.

Police said the home is “reportedly” owned by Marte. Maricopa County Assessor’s Office records show Marte owns a home on the block near the investigation.

Police say the investigation is ongoing.

Marte hit a two-run double in the first inning of the NL’s win, which was secured after a home run contest at the end of the game after the score was tied after nine innings.

The burglary is the latest in a series of thefts from the homes of high-profile athletes across the country this year. Players have been targeted because of the high-end products believed to be in their homes and sometimes the thefts occur when they are away with their teams for road games.

The FBI has warned sports leagues about crime organizations targeting professional athletes. The NFL and NBA have issued security alerts to athletes.

A Seattle man was charged last month in connection with a string of burglaries at the homes of prominent active and retired professional athletes in the area.

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Cubs icon Sandberg ‘continuing to fight’ cancer

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Cubs icon Sandberg 'continuing to fight' cancer

Chicago Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg said Wednesday he is “continuing to fight” cancer and is prioritizing time with those closest to him.

He posted a letter addressed to his fans and extended baseball family on Instagram.

“I wanted to share an update regarding my health,” wrote Sandberg, 65. “It’s been a challenging few months as I have been going through treatment on a regular basis.

“While I am continuing to fight, I’m looking forward to making the most of every day with my loving family and friends.

“I haven’t been to Wrigley Field as much as I hoped in the first half but I’m watching every game and am excited for the second half.”

He threw out the first pitch, surrounded by fellow Cubs greats, before the home opener on April 4.

In January 2024, Sandberg announced he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, then last August announced he was cancer-free. In December, he said the cancer had recurred and spread. He vowed to “continue to be positive, strong, and fight to beat this.”

Sandberg spent 15 of his 16 major league seasons with the Cubs, along with 13 games at the start of his career for the Philadelphia Phillies (1981).

Sandberg was the 1984 National League MVP, when he batted a career-high .314 with a major-league-leading 19 triples and 114 runs scored as well as 19 home runs, 84 RBIs and 32 stolen bases.

The second baseman also earned the second of his nine career Gold Glove awards that year. He was a 10-time All-Star selection and a seven-time Silver Slugger honoree, batting .285 with 282 home runs and 1,061 RBIs in his 2,164-game career.

Sandberg, who was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005, also spent parts of three seasons (2013-15) as the Phillies’ manager.

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Rangers give All-Star bonus to snubbed Eovaldi

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Rangers give All-Star bonus to snubbed Eovaldi

Despite an excellent first half to the season, Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi wasn’t selected as an All-Star this year, but the team made sure that he’ll be paid like one.

Despite the snub, Eovaldi was given the $100,000 All-Star bonus in his contract by the Rangers after he posted a 1.58 ERA with 94 strikeouts over 91 innings. Teammate Jacob deGrom, who was selected as an All-Star, also received a $100,000 bonus.

Eovaldi, in his 15th major league season, would lead the majors in ERA, but after missing a month due to a triceps injury, he fell six innings short of the necessary 97 innings to qualify among leaders for individual statistical categories.

Eovaldi, a two-time All-Star, won his third straight game on Sunday to improve to 7-3, giving up five hits and a run with eight strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings against the Houston Astros.

The right-hander ranks second only to Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal among MLB starting pitchers in WHIP (0.85) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.71). Opposing batters are hitting a paltry .194 with a .237 on-base percentage, .286 slugging percentage and .523 OPS against Eovaldi.

Eovaldi is scheduled to make his first start of the second half at home on Sunday against Skubal and the Tigers at Globe Life Field.

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