Neither would get the call from the American unless it were severely gutted. And even then, there are numerous more attractive options in C-USA, the Sun Belt and perhaps even the MAC, such as Northern Illinois.

Their ceiling is C-USA unless the American becomes C-USA if you catch my drift. They will never be grouped with the current core of the American imo but they do in theory belong with the current core of C-USA, i.e. the members who have never been in the Sun Belt.