3 Group of 5 teams Big 12 Football should consider adding for 2020

1. Arkansas State Red Wolves, Sun Belt

A consistently underrated and underappreciated Group of Five program on the national scene is the Arkansas State Red Wolves. As one of the usual more proficient programs out of the Sun Belt, Arkansas State could be a difficult challenge for some of the lower teams in the Big 12 if they were to join as a one year rental program in 2020.

Under the direction of head coach Blake Anderson, in his seventh year at the helm in Jonesboro, AR, the Red Wolves have found sustained success in recent seasons. Anderson holds a career coaching record of 47-30 during his time with the Arkansas State program. Although he is just 2-4 in the postseason. That still means that he was at least bowl eligible in every single one of his years with the Red Wolves.

Arkansas State does have one of the busier schedules among all of the Group of Five programs this fall. They have four true non-conference games, including one against a Big 12 opponent, on Sep. 12 against the Kansas State Wildcats. The other three non-conference opponents on tap for them this fall are the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, Memphis Tigers, and FCS Central Arkansas.

Jonesboro is actually pretty close geographically with the rest of the Big 12. If the Kansas schools, Iowa State, and West Virginia, are part of the difficulties for road travel this fall, then including Arkansas State in the mix wouldn’t add that much of a challenge in terms of mileage and travel time. It would make sense to have them in this hypothetical sort of conversation.