Caboni addresses conference realignment in Board of Regents meeting

Jack Dobbs

According to the lawsuit, Brinkley told Wilkins he was informed by Caboni to “withdraw the position offer from the female employee.” According to Brinkley, Caboni informed him the employee could not transfer to another WKU position because she was under a “Plan of Improvement” regarding her performance at her current job, and that “WKU policy doesn’t allow an employee to transfer to another position.” When Brinkley asked Wilkins if this was true, Wilkins informed him there was no policy to this effect and that the employee in question was not under a Plan of Improvement.

Jake Moore, Sports Editor
October 22, 2021

President Timothy Caboni addressed the issue of conference realignment during the university’s Board of Regents meeting on Friday.

The remarks come during a time of uncertainty for Conference USA, the place WKU has called home since 2014. Six members – UAB, Rice, North Texas, FAU, Charlotte and UTSA – were officially accepted as future members of the American Athletic Conference this week.

“I know individuals in our community would like all the information that we have at hand, but that’s not really a helpful position to take when we’re in the midst of negotiations and conversations,” Caboni said.

The most the athletics department has shared regarding anything related to conference realignment is a statement from Director of Athletics Todd Stewart on Tuesday, shortly after the six programs were confirmed to be leaving. The statement offers little information about WKU’s position in conference negotiations, and Caboni clarified the lack of news in his remarks.

“Those of us who are involved in these conversations here and across the country, I can guarantee you [we] are not putting the content of them on Twitter,” Caboni said. 

The conference may not be done losing members. The talk on social media for the past 48 hours has surrounded the flight of Old Dominion, Marshall and Southern Mississippi to the Sun Belt Conference, a move that would leave the wounded C-USA with five remaining programs. 

WKU, MTSU, UTEP, LA Tech and FIU are the schools that have so far been left out of the realignment shuffle. Geographically, the Mid-American Conference is the best fit for both the Hilltoppers and their Blue Raider rivals and could be a potential landing spot for the 100 Miles of Hate duo.

Caboni said there will be no public comments about realignment going forward. 

“We won’t be making public comment about the machinations of those conversations,” Caboni said. 

Sports Editor Jake Moore can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @Charles_JMoore.