How will the Sun Belt look with Liberty added? (Updated 5:11 PM)

With Liberty University looking more and more like the frontrunner to be the newest member of the Sun Belt Conference, the Sun Belt will be back up to 12 football teams for the 2014 season. Liberty's inclusion is the direct result of Western Kentucky taking off for Conference USA and James Madison turning down the Sun Belt offer.

There is a significant section of the population that would like to see the Sun Belt move more westward and include a team such as Lamar that is located in Texas has significant Sun Belt ties. That possibility is looking less and less likely as there has been little to no information about the Sun Belt from Lamar in this most recent Sun Belt realignment.

With the thought that unless a significant change happens, Liberty will be the final member of the Sun Belt for the time being.

“It’s just the continual changing of the landscape with Tulsa leaving Conference USA to go to the [soon to be renamed] Big East and Western Kentucky left the Sun Belt to go into Conference USA, so it opened up another spot,” Jeff Barber said. “We’re one of those being considered.”*

The Sun Belt closed the door on expansion last season after Liberty’s announcement of being FBS ready. But since then, the conference has lost WKU, Florida International, North Texas, Florida Atlantic and Middle Tennessee State to Conference USA. The Sun Belt recently added Appalachian State and Georgia Southern as full members and Idaho and New Mexico State as football affiliates. That leaves the Sun Belt with 11 football-playing schools. James Madison has been rumored to be a Sun Belt target, but reports out of Harrisonburg indicate JMU has little interest in joining the conference.* [*quoted from the News and Advance (Lynchburg, Va.)*]

Here is a guess at how the divisions will work with Liberty added for the 2014 season:

Football:

East Division:

• Appalachian State
• Liberty
• Georgia State
• Georgia Southern
• Troy
• South Alabama

West Division:

• New Mexico State
• Idaho
• Texas State
• Arkansas State
• Louisiana
• Louisiana-Monroe

Other Sports: Baseball, Men's and Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Cross 

Country, Men's and Women's Golf, Men's and Women's Indoor Track and Field, Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field, Men's and Women's Tennis, Softball, Women's Swimming and Diving, Women's Volleyball)

East Division:

• Appalachian State
• Liberty
• Georgia State
• Georgia Southern
• Troy
• South Alabama

West Division:

• UALR 
• UTA
• Texas State
• Arkansas State
• Louisiana
• Louisiana-Monroe

Sun Belt Sponsored Sports:

• Baseball: All Schools Participate
• Men's Basketball: All Schools Participate
• Women's Basketball: All Schools Participate
• Men's Cross Country: All Schools Participate
• Women's Cross Country: All Schools Participate
• Men's Golf: All Schools Participate
• Women's Golf: 8 Schools Participate
• Men's Indoor Track and Field: All Schools Participate
• Women's Indoor Track and Field: All Schools Participate
• Men's Outdoor Track and Field: All Schools Participate
• Men's Tennis: 8 Schools Participate
• Women's Tennis: All Schools Participate
• Softball: 10 Schools Participate
• Women's Soccer: 11 Schools Participate
• Women's Swimming and Diving: 3 Schools Participate
• Women's Volleyball: 10 Schools Participate

Non-Sun Belt Sponsored Sports: 

• Appalachian State participates in Wrestling
• 4 schools participate in Men's Soccer
• 2 schools participate in Field Hockey
• 2 schools participate in Sand Volleyball
• Arkansas State participates in Bowling
• Troy participates in Rodeo