This is a big news for northeast FCS footprint. As VA_Seawolf mentioned.. if the "you must be invited by an existing FBS conference" clause is not important anymore, I can see more FCS programs going to FBS sooner before NCAA changes mind about the clause. JMU and Delaware definitely have FBS aspiration.
The dream scenario for Stony Brook would be if JMU and Delaware transit and along with independent UMASS, Army and couple of lost in AAC northeast schools like UCONN and Temple start playing together. Along with those 6 schools, they will need 2 or 3 more football programs for regular schedule. I can see northeast schools like Stony Brook, Albany, Towson being considered for potential add.
We just have to make sure when the opportunity comes, we are at the front of these potential candidates as The indisputable candidate. Which means we need to turn into a CAA powerhouse sooner than later and start filling up the stadium.
A conference like one outlined below I think would be really beneficial for SBU and overall G5 football in the northeast in general:
Stony Brook
Buffalo
Albany (if they move up, I personally wouldn't mind the competition)
New Hampshire
UMASS
Delaware
Temple
Marshall
Cincinatti
JMU
ODU
Charlotte
VCU (non-football)
Dayton (non-football)
Six team divisions for football, basketball you could work out. Others like Towson or possibly the academies could come along. This league could easily get at least two bids a year to the NCAA tournament. Some schools lag academically, but would bring recruiting and good football tradition. Everyone would get a little bit of everything as far as travel partners and rivalries go. This league assumes UCONN gets a P5 invite, Cincinnati doesn't get raided by the remnants of the Big 12/AAC/MWC, and that VCU, UMASS, and others would leave the A10, but this would be a very solid, very much regional league without too many outliers. If others like Charlotte or Marshall want to realign south, that's their choice, we simply settle at 9-12 members or invite other schools. The NCAA has a continuity rule for basketball auto-bids, but we could work that bit out if we got a full invite with Albany and UNH to the CAA...