Sacred Heart (Fairfield, CT) is joining CAA Football: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coastal_A ... Conference
They had been in the NEC from '99-'23 before going Independent last year and are right in the footprint of the current CAA Football, being very close to schools like Bryant, Rhode Island, Albany, Stony Brook, and Monmouth.
FCS/Mid-Major Conference Shuffling

Western Illinois University Alum/Fan/Employee
Member of the Marching Leathernecks - 1996-2000
Tennessee Tech will be leaving the OVC and joining the SoCon next season (26/27). That will take the OVC-Big South down to 8 football teams.

Western Illinois University Alum/Fan/Employee
Member of the Marching Leathernecks - 1996-2000
Scott, sounds like their are rumors more OVC teams might leave and I'm thinking non football wise (mainly basketball) if so any idea who the conference might add? Any chance they would add Chicago St? especially since they are adding football.
If that ends up happening, then Chicago State could be an option. There have also been occasional rumblings that the DII University of Indianapolis might want to move up to DI, which would be a possibility.meganeck wrote: Thu Aug 14, 2025 5:39 pm Scott, sounds like their are rumors more OVC teams might leave and I'm thinking non football wise (mainly basketball) if so any idea who the conference might add? Any chance they would add Chicago St? especially since they are adding football.
That being said, I'm not quite sure who would go where. It sounds like the SoCon wants to add one more team, but it also sounds like they're looking more at the UAC members in the area.

Western Illinois University Alum/Fan/Employee
Member of the Marching Leathernecks - 1996-2000