(09-01-2015 02:49 PM)TribePride91 Wrote:  I obviously am a W&M grad, but am a native of Lynchburg. I am curious as to all of the angst and fervor over going FBS. I do not see much benefit to Liberty in any other sports other than football for a move to the Sun Belt. I do not believe recent moves for ODU, App St, Ga Southern and others to have been wildly successful. Only the move of VCU from the CAA to the A10 was a significant success. Since it appears likely that the P5 conferences are going to shortly form their own division and playoff and Liberty, JMU, ODU and many others will not have a seat at that table, I question whether the additional cost and resources for a move are worth it. I do not doubt JMU and Liberty's ability to occasionally play well against an ACC opponent or another P5 school(as JMU did in beating VT and W&M did in beating UVA), but the chasm between those football schools and ours is significant. Look to ODU's shortened 80-10 loss to UNC as some evidence of the uphill climb.

If in the next 5 years, the top 3-4 FCS conferences and the lower G5 conferences end up all in a similar division, the angst will have been for nothing. I am curious as to the thoughts of Liberty alumni as to the possibility of a move to the CAA for all sports vs. independent status in all sports or just Big South but football independent. JMU fans(some, not all, and perhaps not its administration) seem to feel that they are ready to move even though many of their sports are not at the top of the CAA and their football is not the flagship of the CAA either. The question is: what are you really moving to? There is great utility in building rivalries and having long-term conference affiliation. I remember Dr. Falwell saying he dreamed of a day when Liberty would defeat Notre Dame in football. I am not saying that is not possible, I am just not sure whether it is an immediate goal. My guess is from the postings is that Liberty believes they will get 20,000-30,000 fans regardless of the opponent. Given the last 10 years that is likely true. But, isn't playing Coastal or an actual rival more fun that schools from the far Southwest that you have nothing in common with? Our only local experience is ODU and many of them wish they had not made the move to FBS at this point from a competition/rivalry standpoint. Just wondering if it is an FBS or nothing thought from a Liberty prospective. Perhaps the ultimate answer is not about competition or excitement but only money. Not being critical at all, just wondering what the 3 year plan is.

Welcome to the board!

To answer your question, different schools and different fans are going to want different things. Baskin Robbins has 31 flavors of ice cream after all.

I think Liberty wants to not only beat Notre Dame, but to be peers on the field/court/playing field and be at the very top of the mountain. There is a place for regional sports but I believe Liberty wants to be national if not worldwide. That doesn't happen at FCS, and it would still unlikely happen in a G5 conference. Liberty wants and needs to be P5.

As a fan, I want to compete at the highest level. I see the Big 12 as being the gateway to the P5 and Liberty is in a unique position to be close enough to be a bridge to West Virginia but also be in a new state to not overlap media coverage. Liberty is in a solid location to replace either Virginia ACC school, or to expand further north/south for the Big Ten/SEC if those conferences can't get into Virginia because of grant of rights from the ACC schools.

If Liberty is unable to get to FBS then I'd be okay with going to the CAA for all sports. I don't see the point in creating bad blood by leaving the Big South for another FCS conference (instead of an FBS conference which they would understand) and then to last there for a couple years before going FBS would likely upset them. I think the CAA is better than the Sun Belt in most sports but the FBS football is what puts them over the top. I don't have a problem with being in a conference that would be strung out across the country for two reasons: Liberty wants to brand itself nationally and they have alumni all over (thanks to the online program) and secondly I believe great rivalries can be made no matter the distance between schools.

It's hard to get a read on what Liberty wants to do. They obviously want to go FBS but what are they willing to do to get there? Will they fight for FBS independence? Or is Liberty going to sit on their hands and wait for an invitation and watch as they get passed over by their peers like JMU?

It's a dangerous time for the BSC. There is a great need for immediate expansion in football. I really hope the conference is being proactive.

(09-01-2015 08:39 PM)army56mike Wrote:  It's a dangerous time for the BSC. There is a great need for immediate expansion in football. I really hope the conference is being proactive.

There aint much around, short of somebody bringing up a football program out of thin air. Better and more realistic progress is shuffling the existing deck of SE based conferences to realign people with their geographic and cultural partners who are all in with all the big sports.

(09-01-2015 08:42 PM)georgia_tech_swagger Wrote:  

(09-01-2015 08:39 PM)army56mike Wrote:  It's a dangerous time for the BSC. There is a great need for immediate expansion in football. I really hope the conference is being proactive.

There aint much around, short of somebody bringing up a football program out of thin air. Better and more realistic progress is shuffling the existing deck of SE based conferences to realign people with their geographic and cultural partners who are all in with all the big sports.

That's a great idea. I just don't think current conference would ever, remotely be open to that idea.

The SoCon is comprised of a lot of private schools who seem stuck up and happy to be isolated so I'd be surprised if they made a move to contract with other conferences.

The CAA has elitism too who feels (and for the most part is right) they are better than other FCS conferences in football and other sports.

It would take mounds of humility for either to stoop down and work together with inferior Big South schools and associate themselves with them. Is it possible? Yes. Is is probable? Definitely not.

(09-01-2015 07:57 PM)georgia_tech_swagger Wrote:  If I were a shrewd Big South commish ... I'd lobby for creation of a new conference with participation of the CAA and SoCon. Let the non-FB schools pool together like they need to.

Mid-Atlantic Conference

Pod 1 "The I-26 Pod":
Presbyterian
Wofford
Citadel
Charleston Southern

Pod 2:
Gardner-Webb
Furman
UTC
Mercer

Pod 3:
Western Carolina
ETSU
Liberty
William & Mary

Pod 4 "The I-95 Pod":
Towson
Villanova
JMU
Richmond

Everybody has a travel partner. The conference is compact but diverse.

There is a LOT of inefficiency between the SoCon, Big South, and CAA. And much of it stems from basketball schools with no football, and football only members. A well designed conference looks more like the present Ohio Valley or MAC. Compact, travel partners, natural cultural fits.

As far a short term, band aid fix, the combo conference has appeal. With Coastal gone next year and Liberty's overt exodus desire for FBS, the BCS had better prepare for it's 2 marquee programs to depart.

NT I think you're getting ahead of yourself my friend. I see no way for Liberty to go FBS in the next few years. Even if they fought the NCAA I think it would take years so Liberty needs to make plans in the FCS.

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(09-01-2015 09:36 PM)Libertygrad01 Wrote:  NT I think you're getting ahead of yourself my friend. I see no way for Liberty to go FBS in the next few years. Even if they fought the NCAA I think it would take years so Liberty needs to make plans in the FCS.

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Thanks guys. I wouldn't assume that Liberty is not attractive to the CAA. Also, the elitism of the CAA is more fan driven than by the institutions themselves. The spinning wheel likely won't stop now, so being proactive is good. I think from a cost and footprint prospective, a regional conference makes sense for all sports. While football generates the revenue(and perhaps men's basketball), all other sports suffer in a conference like the Sun Belt. Liberty is in a very unique position. Logically, a regional move to the CAA makes sense if the offer comes(and if they seek it out, it probably would). But, I don't blame the Flames for dreaming big. I come from a place where the dreams were big 240 years ago and it made all the difference in the world. No question both Liberty and JMU have made amazing strides in the last 20 years. Both will continue to thrive whether an FBS invitation comes or not. We will see you in November for basketball and perhaps in the FCS playoffs if the Tribe can make it. I do expect Liberty to drop the hammer on Coastal in November.

Please do all the rest of us in the Commonwealth the favor of not screaming and losing your minds like those fans in Harrisonburg. Any opportunity is not necessarily the right opportunity. Wish the loud few at JMU could see what they are already missing in front of them. Good luck this fall.

(09-01-2015 09:36 PM)Libertygrad01 Wrote:  NT I think you're getting ahead of yourself my friend. I see no way for Liberty to go FBS in the next few years. Even if they fought the NCAA I think it would take years so Liberty needs to make plans in the FCS.

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LG, let me expand. My thought is the the quest for LU to achieve FBS will not diminish. Not that FBS membership is soon to occur with an invite.

(09-02-2015 08:22 AM)TribePride91 Wrote:  Please do all the rest of us in the Commonwealth the favor of not screaming and losing your minds like those fans in Harrisonburg. Any opportunity is not necessarily the right opportunity. Wish the loud few at JMU could see what they are already missing in front of them. Good luck this fall.

JMU has a large presence on CSBbbs and passionate fans. I appreciate that. Within that large fan support, there are some loose screws. I have verbally spared with many of them with keyboard clicks. To those JMU fans who post and respond beyond the realm of realty, I have had an equal number send me a PM saying an individual member is one brick short of a load and to continue to visit their board.

(09-02-2015 08:37 AM)NewTimes Wrote:  

(09-02-2015 08:22 AM)TribePride91 Wrote:  Please do all the rest of us in the Commonwealth the favor of not screaming and losing your minds like those fans in Harrisonburg. Any opportunity is not necessarily the right opportunity. Wish the loud few at JMU could see what they are already missing in front of them. Good luck this fall.

JMU has a large presence on CSBbbs and passionate fans. I appreciate that. Within that large fan support, there are some loose screws. I have verbally spared with many of them with keyboard clicks. To those JMU fans who post and respond beyond the realm of realty, I have had an equal number send me a PM saying an individual member is one brick short of a load and to continue to visit their board.

I agree with that. I guess given my connections to Lynchburg and with many, many alumni friends from both Liberty and JMU, I just hope that both schools can enjoy the journey instead of longing for something and missing what is right in front of it. I don't sense Liberty fans doing that nearly as much as JMU. Also, there is a very large group at JMU that does not want to move. Nevertheless, I expect dozens more moves to occur. The only one to likely make a huge impact though will be when the P5 conferences break off for football. I am not sure being a G5 then will be any different that a good FCS program. The question to ask is: would you rather be a perennial title contender like Montana, NDSU, Villanova or potentially Liberty and JMU in FCS, or Charlotte or Georgia State?

W&M size and our tradition make it very unlikely we would seek FBS ever. I wonder if cost might make regional rivalries and conferences return. Not certain. I certainly never thought we would see Syracuse in the ACC, Maryland in the Big Ten or West Virginia in the Big 12.

Good luck this season. You guys have a great OOC schedule and 9-2 or 8-3 with that schedule should be enough for the playoffs. 10-1 or 11-0 and you will be a top 4 or even top 2 seed. I don't bet on games, but I'd be shocked if Liberty doesn't defeat Coastal in November.

(09-04-2015 04:29 PM)TribePride91 Wrote:  

(09-02-2015 08:37 AM)NewTimes Wrote:  

(09-02-2015 08:22 AM)TribePride91 Wrote:  Please do all the rest of us in the Commonwealth the favor of not screaming and losing your minds like those fans in Harrisonburg. Any opportunity is not necessarily the right opportunity. Wish the loud few at JMU could see what they are already missing in front of them. Good luck this fall.

JMU has a large presence on CSBbbs and passionate fans. I appreciate that. Within that large fan support, there are some loose screws. I have verbally spared with many of them with keyboard clicks. To those JMU fans who post and respond beyond the realm of realty, I have had an equal number send me a PM saying an individual member is one brick short of a load and to continue to visit their board.

I agree with that. I guess given my connections to Lynchburg and with many, many alumni friends from both Liberty and JMU, I just hope that both schools can enjoy the journey instead of longing for something and missing what is right in front of it. I don't sense Liberty fans doing that nearly as much as JMU. Also, there is a very large group at JMU that does not want to move. Nevertheless, I expect dozens more moves to occur. The only one to likely make a huge impact though will be when the P5 conferences break off for football. I am not sure being a G5 then will be any different that a good FCS program. The question to ask is: would you rather be a perennial title contender like Montana, NDSU, Villanova or potentially Liberty and JMU in FCS, or Charlotte or Georgia State?

W&M size and our tradition make it very unlikely we would seek FBS ever. I wonder if cost might make regional rivalries and conferences return. Not certain. I certainly never thought we would see Syracuse in the ACC, Maryland in the Big Ten or West Virginia in the Big 12.

Good luck this season. You guys have a great OOC schedule and 9-2 or 8-3 with that schedule should be enough for the playoffs. 10-1 or 11-0 and you will be a top 4 or even top 2 seed. I don't bet on games, but I'd be shocked if Liberty doesn't defeat Coastal in November.

The Coastal game that you mention last will have an impact equal to the importance. If both teams have strong records, then we can expect it to be the most intense game of the year, for both teams. If one of both falters, the impact will be diminished. LU on offense this year is loaded and one can expect a potent, explosive team. Even a 8-3 should get an at large invite.

I really hope the Big South adds Hampton University.

Pretty good in football and hoops.
Good recruiting area.
They have a beach, too. Buckroe Beach!
Just a generally nice area, and an all sports add would add football.
I think they would come if offered. I hope the Big South makes that happen.

Hampton would be a good add.

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If bbs rumblings are an indication, they just may be a new BS member in the near future.

Devils Advocate: CCU is gone, what if KSU and MU leave right away? What would become of the LU program? We'd lose our auto bid and only have a handfull of teams in the BSC. Granted this is a doomsday scenario.

What will the Big South do?

Invite... Bethune-Cookman, Jacksonville, Norfolk St., Howard, Campbell, Morehead St., N.C. A&T, UPike

We really have to become FBS quick.

There are no good answers right now. We're gonna have to make lemonade out of lemons.