If UMass-Lowell was closer to non-D1 if might have to join the current version of the "WAC" and play Dixie College, Terlinstone State, Cal-Baptist, etc. **
** No this is not sarcastic. Those are teams now in the "WAC." I wish this was sarcasm but the (cough-cough) "winner" of that conference still gets an automatic bid to the big dance, as if it was the same membership as long ago.
Past/No longer members of the WAC...
Arizona
Arizona State
Boise State
BYU
Colorado State
UNLV
New Mexico
San Diego State
San Jose State
SMU
TCU
Utah
UTEP
Tulsa
Utah State
Wyoming
The WAC gets a bit of an upgrade in July when Abilene Christian (who beat Texas in the NCAA tourney this year), Lamar, Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin join the conference as full members. They'll be joined by Central Arkansas, EKU and Jacksonville State of Alabama in the new WAC football league in 1AA. Then after Chicago State leaves next year, Southern Utah joins as a full member. It looks like NMSU will stay as a member for everything but football.