C-USA, Mountain West add members

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IRVING, Texas, May 4 (UPI) -- Conference USA added five teams and the Mountain West Conference announced two new members while the leagues consider a bigger partnership.

Conference USA officials said Charlotte, Florida international, Louisiana Tech, North Texas and Texas-San Antonio will join their league.

"There is a tremendous upside here," said C-USA Commissioner Britton Banowsky. "This is an opportunity for us to add a mixture of established and emerging programs."

The new members will vie for C-USA titles beginning in 2013 with Charlotte joining for football in 2015.

C-USA currently has 12 members in two divisions but four schools -- Central Florida, Memphis, Houston and Southern Methodist -- have made arrangements to join other leagues.

Charlotte will be moving from the Atlantic 10 while Louisiana Tech and Texas-San Antonio will be leaving the Western Athletic Conference and Florida International and North Texas depart from the Sun Belt.

The Mountain West said San Jose State and Utah State will become members of the MWC in 2013.

C-USA and the MWC are in talks to form a so-called super conference.

"The discussions with the Mountain West are ongoing," Banowsky said. "What form the relationship will take is still to be determined, but both remain committed to working together."