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JMU's board of visitors voted not to join the Sun Belt a couple of weeks ago, and Missouri State President Clif Smart said in an interview with Jock 98.7 in Springfield that the university never had any contact with the conference, emphasizing several times that MSU was "a basketball school happy in the MVC" and referencing Wichita State's recent success as a benchmark.
It's unclear whether the Sun Belt will even add a 12th member because the NCAA may decide to deregulate football championship games, allowing conferences with less than 12 members (hello, Big 12) to have one. Adding a 12th would mean the auto payments the Sun Belt members receive would be split another way, and it's doubtful that the conference could find a member to help with TV negotiations - they make next to nothing as it is, and options that would move the needle would get better offers.
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