Bobcat Corner 055: Should Ohio Join the Sun Belt Conference?

#ohiobobcats #conferencerealignment #collegefootball #sunbelt #rumors

As of July 11, Ohio University has told the Columbus Dispatch that the reports of them talking to the Sun Belt Conference are inaccurate.

https://x.com/OhioUniforms/status/194...

However... I have seen this movie before in college and pro sports where one party denied rumors, and then months later they performed the very thing that they called inaccurate. Even if this rumor is proven to be 100% false, this still serves as a warning to MAC leadership.

Episode 055 of Bobcat Corner is a good one... Conference Realignment and the Ohio Bobcats in the same building? I'm labeling this as a rumor that can go either way over the course of time.

The rumor comes from Shane Mettlen of the Daily News-Record based in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Supposedly Ohio has had preliminary talks with the Sun Belt Conference about membership.

Shane Mettlen: https://www.dnronline.com/sports/coll...

Hustle Belt also provides some commentary about this report and tries to put 2 and 2 together.

James H. Jimenez: https://www.hustlebelt.com/2025/7/9/2...

Should Ohio University consider joining the Sun Belt Conference? My answer is this: Yes, if MAC leadership refuses to do right by Ohio in these next few years. If changes are made and the MAC finds ways to improve its value as a conference, then great. But it never hurts to have a backup plan, right?

I support the MAC and believe it can still be a legitimate conference. However, in this everchanging landscape of college sports, the MAC can't afford to sit around and stay quiet for long. Everyone else around them are making moves. Leadership needs to have a real understanding of what's going on.

Timestamps:
00:00 Start
00:10 The Sun Belt Backup Plan
12:30 Message to MAC Leadership