(07-13-2017 09:11 AM)Bobcat2013 Wrote:  

(07-13-2017 07:27 AM)NewTimes Wrote:  

(07-12-2017 08:17 PM)GE and MTS Wrote:  

(07-12-2017 11:17 AM)WesternSkillet Wrote:  

(07-10-2017 05:46 PM)GE and MTS Wrote:  I think a conference ranging from Virginia to Florida would offer a great combination of proximity and recruiting areas.

Marshall, ODU, Liberty, App State, Charlotte, WKU

MTSU, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Coastal Carolina, FIU, FAU

Protected crossovers would be WKU-MTSU, App State-Georgia Southern, Liberty-Coastal Carolina. It isn't compact enough to be hurtful like the MAC but not spread too thin. Olympic sports have travel partners and schedules to avoid the long distance conference mates if they aren't desirable.

MAC is a double edge sword. They have lower travel costs (bus league) but it is a congested conference (does not help recruiting). Liberty has a higher ceiling IMO.

We agree about the MAC and Liberty's ceiling. However, Liberty must walk and even crawl before it can run. Liberty won't just jump up to the Alabama and Ohio State level. I think independence is better than most G5 conferences but our non-football sports are suffering in the Big South.

Agree on both points. Would LU we better off, at the current time, playing in the SBC in FB? Not really. It was a good move for App St and the GA's but not for LU. LU is uniquely in the position to be an indy and play a competitive schedule of G5 and P5 schools. The SBC often bemoans the lack of P5 schools having home games with P5 teams.

The sooner that LU can relocate the olympic sports from the BSC the better. At present it provides LU an acceptable league to keep the sports while LU FB transitions to FBS. But an active effort should be made to relocate the other sports to a more predominate league, even if travel is involved. In whatever the requirements are for all or a portion of the sports being in multiple leagues, that should be a priority in having them achieving a better conference(s). LU, when full FBS in FB, and remaining in the BSC still gives the perception and identify of being a mid to low level FCS program. Not a FBS school.

If all you're worried about is casual perception then the Big South isn't a bad spot. Not because it's a great league but because y'all will always be in a position to win it in every sport and make the NCAAs which looks good to casuals. As long as your football is FBS then you will be known as a "D1" school to the casuals that see your games and highlights on ESPN and bet on your bowl game come bowl season. Most people aren't even aware of what FCS is. I had honestly never even heard of it until I got to TXST and I was a sportsaholic in high school.

Of course you want your teams to improve and get better so obviously you want another conference, but where you're at right now doesn't seem too bad. From an outside perspective.

Regarding your P5 home games how many do y'all have? I remember being impressed by a few of the names y'all got. We've only had 1 P5 game in 2012 and our next wont be until 2022 against Baylor, and then another in 2024 against Arizona State, but we've had some name G5s like Navy and UH too and SMU in 2020 I think.

The LU upcoming FBS schedule:
Liberty's Future Football Schedules
2018
Sept. 1 vs. Old Dominion
Sept. 8 at Army
Sept. 15 vs. Norfolk State
Sept. 22 vs. North Texas
Sept. 29 at New Mexico
Oct 6 at New Mexico State
Oct. 13 vs. Troy
Oct. 20 vs. Idaho State
Nov. 3 at UMass
Nov. 10 at Virginia
Nov. 17 at Auburn
Nov. 24 vs. New Mexico State
2019
Aug. 31 vs. Syracuse
Sept. 14 vs. Buffalo
Sept. 28 vs. New Mexico
Oct. 5 at New Mexico State
Oct. 26 at Rutgers
Nov. 9 at BYU
Nov. 23 at Virginia
Nov. 30 vs. New Mexico State
Also:
TBA at UMass
2020
Sept. 5 at Virginia Tech
Also:
TBA at Syracuse
2021
Sept. 25 at Syracuse
Oct. 9 at North Texas
Nov. 13 at Ole Miss
Nov. 27 vs. Army
2022
Sept. 17 at Wake Forest
Oct. 22 vs. BYU
2023
Sept. 16 at Buffalo
2025
Aug. 30 vs. Wake Forest
Sept. 20 at Army
2026
Sept. 3, 4 or 5 at Wake Forest
Nov. 28 vs. Army
2027
Sept. 11 vs. Virginia
Updated as of 5/26/17

Most agree this is a very strong schedule. Especially one accomplished so quickly and so late. P5 home games underlined with Army being highlighted, well because it's Army and will be a great game and atmosphere.