Liberty to become FBS independent in 2018. Did not think you could move up without a conference invitation.

http://www.fcs.football/cfb/story.asp?i=...5597425404

Right now no conference wants Liberty because of their deep pocket ability to fund their athletic department. With 110,000 students, a small increase in the student activity/athletic fee can move their athletic department budget into the stratosphere.

(02-18-2017 06:46 PM)BucDoctor Wrote:  Right now no conference wants Liberty because of their deep pocket ability to fund their athletic department. With 110,000 students, a small increase in the student activity/athletic fee can move their athletic department budget into the stratosphere.

Very surprising the NCAA gave them anything. They are not exactly on the right side of political correctness. Strange development.

Guys, politics aside, LU met all the requirements for FBS. Attendance, facilities, financial, men & women's programs. On paper, they were ready to go FBS. With the SBC not inviting them, likely for social/political/economic issues, which is their prerogative, what was LU to do? They applied for a waiver and received it. If they had not received it, litigation was likely, and the NCAA knew their case was weak to win if challenged.

With this waiver granted, the NCAA has set a new standard of how programs can become FBS without an invite. If future programs are judged the same and allowed to become FBS meeting the regs, why not?

So the wavier will allow schools that may have aspirations such as Eastern Kentucky, Madison, and so forth, to move up if they meet the same criteria as Liberty. I think that is fine.

So keep in mind they hired Ian McCaw as their athletic director, who was formally at Baylor. McCaw should never be allowed by an athletic director at any NCAA program. I hope they have an enormous amount of trouble finding a conference that takes them. McCaw is an ace at "looking the other way" when it comes to sexual assault.

(03-03-2017 10:21 AM)GoBucsGo Wrote:  So keep in mind they hired Ian McCaw as their athletic director, who was formally at Baylor. McCaw should never be allowed by an athletic director at any NCAA program. I hope they have an enormous amount of trouble finding a conference that takes them. McCaw is an ace at "looking the other way" when it comes to sexual assault.

They've yet to find a home. Nobody in FBS wants them even with their facilities, and the reality is they'll stay in the Big South for all other sports, because the Big South needs numbers. Teams will play them, and it'll work out. I'm sure they're goal is follow the BYU model on a smaller scale for the forseeable future. Schedule home and homes with Sun Belt, C-USA, and MAC schools while they try to build.

I didn't understand why they hired Ian McCaw, there has to be more to the Baylor story that we're not hearing that justifies him getting a second chance this fast. Either that or they were desperate for someone with P5 experience.