Boone, NC

Appalachian State's football program is making a move to the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).

The Winston-Salem Journal reported that the Mountaineers are scheduled to push through with their plan to transfer to the Sun Belt Conference.

The newspaper said the move could come later this week. A spokesman at Appalachian State has issued no comment regarding the reported move.

The move was mulled in 2011 when a school feasibility committee recommended that Appalachian State's football program make the jump from the Southern Conference, which plays at the lower Football Championship Subdivision, to the FBS.

Another Southern Conference school, Georgia Southern, is also reportedly moving to the Sun Belt, which has lost several members recently.

The additions of Appalachian and Georgia Southern would eventually bring the number of Sun Belt football-playing schools to 10, joining Arkansas State, Georgia State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, South Alabama, Texas State, Troy and Western Kentucky.

Spearheaded by Athletic Director Charlie Cobb, Appalachian had also pursued Conference USA membership, but was turned down because of its relatively small media and television market.

Appalachian State has been a member of the Southern Conference since 1971. Only three current Southern Conference members - Davidson, Furman and The Citadel - have been in the league longer than the Mountaineers.

Appalachian has won 12 Southern Conference football championships, including at least a share of seven of the past eight.

The Mountaineers won three consecutive FCS titles from 2005-07 and beat Michigan in 2007 in one of college football's great upsets.

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Appalachian State makes move to Sun Belt Conference