I have stated on several threads on the realignment board that I believe that USM's best option for the immediate future might be a return to independence for football. Since baseball and basketball access can be achieved through winning conference tournaments, it wouldn't matter whether USM was in the Sun Belt, CUSA or some other league for non-football sports. Certainly I would rather they play the best competition possible, like Rice in baseball, but a few of those series could always be scheduled.

Of course, if USM is invited to rejoin some of their old conference mates in whatever happens with the remnants of the Big East, they will likely end up accepting that invitation. But barring that, no invitation will ever come from the SEC nor the Big XII or ACC as they are currently constituted.

Independence in football could position USM for inclusion in the round of expansion that follows any raid of the ACC by the SEC, Big 10 and/or the Big XII. Success with a competitive schedule would draw the kind of attention that USM would need for an invitation. Another added bonus is that any bowl money earned doesn't have to be split with anypne.

While scheduling can be a problem late in the season, I believe it could be worked out. BYU is already on the upcoming schedule and I have heard rumors of discussions with Notre Dame. Navy or Army could fill a late season slot and several SEC schools have an OOC slot for the week before their rivalry game. If you get creative, it can work.

If USM can schedule 3-4 SEC schools, and 2-3 Big XII/ACC schools, I think filling out the rest of the schedule shouldn't be terribly difficult. Just using teams that are on upcoming schedules and recently played teams, I could see a schedule like this:

Kansas/Virginia
Nebraska
Alabama
Tulane
LSU
Memphis
Tennessee
ECU
Mississippi State
BYU
Navy/Army
UAB

Throw in a game with Rice and Marshall when you can or La. Tech/ULL and I think you've got a schedule that coaches can recruit to and would make a winning team an attractive bowl candidate.