[SuperJon]

Worked for Coastal.

[Purple Haize]

Worked for Coastal.

That's usually the best way to get things like this done

[ATrain]

No doubt. I would think the SoCon and possibly the CAA would be interested.

The CAA already told them no.

[flameshaw]

Worked for Coastal.

That's usually the best way to get things like this done

Didn't work very well for EKU. I personally don't think there is a good, better, best, solution when it comes to realignment and how to get an invite. What works for one school, doesn't necessarily work for another, because every situation is unique.
Hopefully we find a home sooner rather than later. We were obviously the most qualified university for the SBC, they thought otherwise for some reason. Money, message, bad/good decision on their part ? I guess time will tell.

[Purple Haize]

Worked for Coastal.

That's usually the best way to get things like this done

Didn't work very well for EKU. I personally don't think there is a good, better, best, solution when it comes to realignment and how to get an invite. What works for one school, doesn't necessarily work for another, because every situation is unique.
Hopefully we find a home sooner rather than later. We were obviously the most qualified university for the SBC, they thought otherwise for some reason. Money, message, bad/good decision on their part ? I guess time will tell.

[SuperJon]

Jerry Jr said on the radio this morning he’s been talking with Benson at the Sun Belt and that they’re looking to possibly expand to 13-14 teams later this year.

He also said that of the 12 Sun Belt schools, there were 9 that would be okay to vote for Liberty and three that were very against the idea of adding a private school to a public school league.

[bluejacket]

Jerry Jr said on the radio this morning he’s been talking with Benson at the Sun Belt and that they’re looking to possibly expand to 13-14 teams later this year.

He also said that of the 12 Sun Belt schools, there were 9 that would be okay to vote for Liberty and three that were very against the idea of adding a private school to a public school league.

Interesting.

[thepostman]

Why would the sun belt want to continue to expand?

[alabama24]

He also said that of the 12 Sun Belt schools, there were 9 that would be okay to vote for Liberty and three that were very against the idea of adding a private school to a public school league.

My understanding was different. I understood him to say that they NEEDED 9 votes to get in, but 3 were against. Perhaps Coastal is our ticket in.

[Sly Fox]

Why would the sun belt want to continue to expand?

For two reasons:

• 1. Insurance against the inevitable poaching from CUSA
  2. They could ditch affiliate football members Idaho & possibly NM State and still qualify for Conference Championship Game

[Purple Haize]

Why would the sun belt want to continue to expand?

For two reasons:

• 1. Insurance against the inevitable poaching from CUSA
  2. They could ditch affiliate football members Idaho & possibly NM State and still qualify for Conference Championship Game

Agree 100% and having CCU in Conference would seem like a vote for us. But I am not sure CCU would do us any favors and I'm still not sure the SBC is the best option

[SuperJon]

I'm not convinced Jerry's comments weren't a total PR move but they seemed authentic and were even a bit on the humble side. He handled it really well.

[Purple Haize]

I'm not convinced Jerry's comments weren't a total PR move but they seemed authentic and were even a bit on the humble side. He handled it really well.

I personally would have left it at 'we've been in contact with several FBS Conferences including the SBC but it's way too early to get into specifics and a lot of this stuff is best not left for public consumption '

[Chris Lang]

He mentioned to me last week (and it was included in that blog post) that he and Benson still talk and text regularly. He was fairly adamant that he didn't think the door was shut on the Sun Belt. Is that PR speak to keep the hope alive among fans, or is there fire to the smoke? That's not for me to say, because I'm not in JFJR's head. Knowing who I know at Coastal, I think CCU would certainly be an advocate. The competition between the schools across the board has been beneficial to both sides, and having LU in the league would add another reasonable conference trip for both CCU and App.

[ATrain]

The SunBelt will add EKU and then NMSU as a full member. We're still going to be at the door begging.

[flameshaw]

Maybe if Jr. quit talking and texting Benson, we would get an invite. You know, play hard to get and act uninterested, it worked on me when my girlfriend, now wife, tried it.

[Purple Haize]

Maybe if Jr. quit talking and texting Benson, we would get an invite. You know, play hard to get and act uninterested, it worked on me when my girlfriend, now wife, tried it.

Yeah, but look who SHE'S stuck with!

[flameshaw]

Maybe if Jr. quit talking and texting Benson, we would get an invite. You know, play hard to get and act uninterested, it worked on me when my girlfriend, now wife, tried it.

Yeah, but look who SHE'S stuck with!

True, but she has been happily stuck with me for 40+ years. Something must be working.

[Humble_Opinion]

Benson is an advocate for LU and has been since rather early on in the process. As the main caretaker of the league, he only cares about adding stable schools that have the funding and support to do what's necessary to put a decent product on the field. Being the bottom-feeders of FBS that they are right now, there are very few schools that meet all of these necessities today... most don't, as we've seen from the most recent move-ups. I think the SBC has been talking about 13 - 14 teams for a while. Benson himself has been an advocate of this, but the SBC presidents have been split on this topic... otherwise it would have already happened.

[Sly Fox]

It only happens as a compromise to the west with at least one of the two adds comign from west of the Mississippi (i.e. Missouri State or NMSU). Buzz on the SBC board is that the three diehard holdout schools in the west that have shut down any chance of us joining the league no longer have total veto power with the addition of Coastal. We mentione dit in passing earlier in this thread. But the fact that it now takes four schools to block an addition is a gamechanger not only for us but also possibly Jacksonville State.

[rmiller1959]

Here is the inside scoop on the LU-Sun Belt saga. We no longer need to speculate on why we were not chosen, and it sounds like that door isn't entirely closed, unless it's just President Falwell being an optimist:

http://www.libertyflamesnation.com/falw ... interview/

[Purple Haize]

The SBC with Coastal in it is certainly more attractive but still not sold on it

[Sly Fox]

Just hours after I mentioned that it now taking 4 schools to block a Sun Belt addition might help not only us but Jacksonville State, I stumble across this week-old story:

New JSU president not in favor of FBS move anytime soon


Photo by Stephen Gross / The Anniston Star
JSU Interim Athletics Director Greg Seitz with new school president Dr. John Beehler during the annual JSU Media Day.

Posted: Saturday, August 29, 2015 5:07 pm | Updated: 8:53 pm, Sat Aug 29, 2015.
By Seth Boster, Star Staff Writer, sboster@annistonstar.com

JACKSONVILLE — If the future is now for Jacksonville State athletics as John Beehler begins his first year as president of the university, then the future might not look all too different. At least as it pertains to the Gamecocks’ conference home.
In an interview with The Star last week, Beehler did not sound in favor of JSU moving any time soon from the Football Championship Subdivision to the Football Bowl Subdivision, a prospect that has intrigued school leaders and supporters for years.

Here is the summary of the beancounter who is Jax State's new president:

On the question of an FBS move, Beehler considers himself a pragmatist.
“You have to be fiscally responsible in making these kinds of decisions,” said Beehler, a certified accountant who was previously the dean of three university business schools. “I have friends who are presidents at FCS schools where everybody got all excited about the FBS, but then when the price tag came down, they said, ‘Well, I don't see how we’re ever going to have that much money to do it.’ You have to be a pragmatist.”

Click Here for Full Story

[flameshaw]

It only happens as a compromise to the west with at least one of the two adds comign from west of the Mississippi (i.e. Missouri State or NMSU). Buzz on the SBC board is that the three diehard holdout schools in the west that have shut down any chance of us joining the league no longer have total veto power with the addition of Coastal. We mentione dit in passing earlier in this thread. But the fact that it now takes four schools to block an addition is a gamechanger not only for us but also possibly Jacksonville State.

This................. along with what Jerry said and the input from Lang, one could think that adding Coastal, who would be a yes vote for us, could have been a strategic move to make sure we get approved if an invite were to happen.
Sounds like Jr. has been working those back channels too. Hope he did it with hat in hand, real humble. meek, etc. Maybe from a borrowed cell phone as well, you know............ act like he couldn't afford a phone. Austerity measures at LU.

[rmiller1959]

Sounds like Jr. has been working those back channels too. Hope he did it with hat in hand, real humble. meek, etc. Maybe from a borrowed cell phone as well, you know............ act like he couldn't afford a phone. Austerity measures at LU.