Solution for the 5 smaller conferences...how the realignment can better work.

Conference USA and the Mountain West Conference are considering a merger.  They are likely to run into the same problems that plagued the old 16-team WAC.  Those were a mixture of private and public schools, a large geographic footprint and the disruption of traditional rivalries.  Defection to other conferences is going to make these problems worse.  Therefore, the 5 smaller conferences...Conference USA, MWC, WAC, MAC and Sun Belt should mesh together and become regionally aligned.  Here is my proposal.

After 2013, here is the membership of these 5 conferences.

C-USA--9 schools.

UAB
ECU
Marshall
Memphis
Southern Mississippi
Rice (Private)
UTEP
Tulane (Private)
Tulsa (Private)

Mid America Conference 14 schools.

Akron
Ball State
Bowling Green
Buffalo
Central Michigan
Eastern Michigan
Kent
Miami (OH)
Northern Illinois
Ohio
Toledo
Western Michigan
Massachusetts (Football Only)
Temple (Football Only)

Mountain West 8 schools

Air Force
Colorado State
Fresno State
Nevada
UNLV
New Mexico
Wyoming
Hawaii (Football Only)

Sun Belt 10 schools

Arkansas State
Florida Atlantic
Florida International
Louisiana Lafayette
Louisiana Monroe
Middle Tennessee
North Texas
South Alabama
Troy
Western Kentucky

WAC 7 schools

Idaho
Louisiana Tech
New Mexico State
San Jose State
Texas San Antonio
Texas State
Utah State

Together, they currently have 48 schools.  Likely Air Force could go to the Big East, but Appalachian State is moving up and looking for a home.  That is still 48 and that breaks down to 4 12-school conferences.  And no names need to be changed.  Many people believe that the WAC will become a non-football conference.  Why not help it along and then the other four conferences can simply re-align regionally and show the big conferences how to do it right.  Here is how it could go...

Mountain West

Pacific Division

Idaho
Hawaii
San Jose State
Fresno State
Nevada
UNLV

Mountain Division

Colorado State
New Mexico
New Mexico State
UTEP
Utah State
Wyoming

Conference USA--

West Division

North Texas
Rice
Tulane
Tulsa
Texas San Antonio
Texas State

East Division

Arkansas State
Louisiana Tech
Louisiana Monroe
Louisiana Lafayette
Memphis
Southern Mississippi

Sun Belt Conference

West Division

Appalachian State
UAB
Middle Tennessee
Troy
South Alabama
Western Kentucky

East Division

East Carolina
Florida Atlantic
Florida International
Marshall
U-Mass
Temple

MAC

West Division

Ball State
Northern Illinois
Western Michigan
Central Michigan
Eastern Michigan
Toledo

East Division

Akron
Bowling Green
Buffalo
Kent
Miami (OH)
Ohio

Yes, the MAC ends up like it was before it took on Temple and UMass.  The other conferences don't look much like they used to and the MWC looks a lot like the WAC used to.  But the conferences are regionally aligned which should help reduce travel expense and build fan interest due to the maintenance of regional rivals.  This may help these conferences and schools survive in spite of the money grabbing of the bigger conferences.