Coastal Carolina to join Sun Belt Conference

Dan Wolken | USA TODAY Sports

Show Caption Hide Caption What to expect in the Sun Belt Conference in 2015 USA TODAY Sports' Paul Myerberg breaks down the Sun Belt Conference, including the game of the year and which player is going to break out in 2015.

Coastal Carolina will become the 12th member of the Sun Belt Conference, according to a person with knowledge of the process. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because the conference had not yet made the news public.

A formal announcement is expected on Coastal Carolina's campus near Myrtle Beach, S.C., on Tuesday.

To make the move from FCS, where it has made the national quarterfinals the last two years, Coastal Carolina is expected to announce stadium upgrades and expansion. Its current stadium seats just 9,000.

In 2012, Coastal Carolina hired Joe Moglia, the former CEO of Ameritrade, as its head coach. Though the move brought significant national attention, it has also paid off on the field as Moglia, who coached high school and college football before his Wall Street career, has compiled a 32-10 record.

Coastal Carolina will join the league in 2016 in all sports but football, which is expected to have an FBS transitional year and be a full member in 2017.

Coastal Carolina already has strong men's basketball and baseball programs, which contributed to the Chanticleers being selected over Eastern Kentucky for the invitation. Liberty had also been angling for admission to the league in recent years.

While the league had publicly been considering options for expansion over the last several months, USA TODAY Sports reported last Friday that the league had finally gathered enough internal support to offer an invitation.