Southern has several problems seems to me: (1) They're in CUSA and it has deteriorated drastically; (2) No better conference seems to be interested in them; (3) Sunbelt conference strange as it seems may actually be a better more cohesive conference than CUSA in many ways; (4) the emergence and elevation of programs such as South Alabama, Troy, ULL, Louisiana Tech, UAB has probably hurt their recruiting; (5) they don't have any money; (6) they're still the red haired stepchild in this state. All this with the ever changing landscape in college football will continue to hurt them.