[flamesfilmguy]

To really get a bee in your bonnets ask yourself this:
What do
Georgia Southern
Appy State
JMU
Montana
Idaho
Missouri State
all have that LU does not?

coed dorms.

[TRIguyRVA]

Yea, we aren't going anywhere any time soon...

[GillsHill2013]

quizbowl?

[GillsHill2013]

or a giant fake ski slope

[ATrain]

A national championship in football?

I win

[flamesfilmguy]

i believe we both win lol

[Purple Haize]

I don't think ATrain cares about CoEd dorms

[Purple Haize]

A national championship in football?

I win

So tell me again that your product on the field/court doesn't matter

[PatrickKelly]

So really all we know at this point after all the tweets, posts is this: Barber said he has spoken to Benson and we're one of the schools being considered. Benson stated we're far far far down on the list.

That's not encouraging.

[jimflamesfan]

Here's what probably happened, if you take the n&a article and put it together with the last sunbelt post...

Benson brought up Liberty as an option, and if the presidents approved we would be in...but he brought Liberty up, and none of the presidents made a motion to give us an invitation.

[jimflamesfan]

I don't think their FCS national championship has much to do with the Sunbelt wanting JMU. The sunbelt is a collection of public schools, and they're more comfortable adding another public school like JMU.

Schools that have football programs less than 2 years old have already moved up.

The only thing LU could do would be the nuclear option...sue the NCAA for
not allowing a college's football program to move up as an independent. I actually think it would be a winnable case, but I don't know what the raminifications would be. Maybe at the threat of such a suit would put pressure on the NCAA to find LU a home. On the other hand, even if LU won, without a conference, scheduling would be brutal.

I guess with the CAA falling apart it's sit tight in the Big South and do the best you can in FCS.

[jimflamesfan]

The Big Question...does the Sunbelt have Quiz Bowl...I'd love to see us dominate the Sunbelt in Quiz bowl. Seriously, they think they are so smart...that is one thing I'd love to see

JFF, at the NAQT regionals, they really don't mind if we play out of our region. I could do a little research and find our which region most of the Sun Belt schools are in and take my team down that way to show them how much science, math, literature, history, and geography my home schooled Christian Quiz Bowlers know.

If we can beat UVa, Duke, North Carolina, Maryland, Kentucky, Va Tech, South Carolina, Auburn and Davidson, we should do okay against the Sun Belt schools.

PLEASE DO THIS!!

[LUGrad2000]

So really all we know at this point after all the tweets, posts is this: Barber said he has spoken to Benson and we're one of the schools being considered. Benson stated we're far far far down on the list.

That's not encouraging.

As careful as Barber has always been with his public statements, I have to believe he had a good reason for saying that we have been talking to the SB.

[Purple Haize]

So really all we know at this point after all the tweets, posts is this: Barber said he has spoken to Benson and we're one of the schools being considered. Benson stated we're far far far down on the list.

That's not encouraging.

As careful as Barber has always been with his public statements, I have to believe he had a good reason for saying that we have been talking to the SB.

It was to put pressure on the SBC and JMU to make a decision

[PatrickKelly]

Here's what probably happened, if you take the n&a article and put it together with the last sunbelt post...

Benson brought up Liberty as an option, and if the presidents approved we would be in...but he brought Liberty up, and none of the presidents made a motion to give us an invitation.

Jim , I think you're right. A poster on the SB board basically stated the same. The truth is we're probably at the bottom of the list and the only way we get an invite is if JMU turns down all offers, Missouri St isn't ready and possibly Jacksonville St gets vetoed. This is not about winning on the field, this is 100% political.

[bluedevilflame]

I say we get the wheels moving to sue the NCAA to move up as an Indy, having to grovel to the bottom feeding FBS conference that's probably just using us to get to JMU is really getting to me.

[ballah09]

yeah sue the NCAA and get on their bad side and make more enemies with school presidents. that will work really well. JB and JFJR will not even entertain the idea.

[bluedevilflame]

yeah sue the NCAA and get on their bad side and make more enemies with school presidents. that will work really well.

What's the alternative? If we don't get into the Sun Belt, which for all intents and purposes will be our only chance at FBS, it will not happen anytime soon. CUSA and MAC sure as heck aren't going to invite us, so it's sue for independence or stand pat long term in FCS.

[thepostman]

I am sure politics comes into play a little bit, but I really think that it has more to do with trying to keep the conference a public school conference. Our political stances do not help anything, but I think it is more of an icing on the cake deal for them.

Just my thoughts.

Who knows we may end up there. If we had a bit more success at the FCS level we would be more attractive too, so who knows

[ballah09]

let it play out. eventually power conferences will go to 16 teams. and once maryland clears that huge payout then it opens the doors for teams in the ACC to leave. patience.

[Purple Haize]

Here's what probably happened, if you take the n&a article and put it together with the last sunbelt post...

Benson brought up Liberty as an option, and if the presidents approved we would be in...but he brought Liberty up, and none of the presidents made a motion to give us an invitation.

Jim , I think you're right. A poster on the SB board basically stated the same. The truth is we're probably at the bottom of the list and the only way we get an invite is if JMU turns down all offers, Missouri St isn't ready and possibly Jacksonville St gets vetoed. This is not about winning on the field, this is 100% political.

The SBC wants to put a competitive product on the field. Winning has an awful lot to do with it. We have everything and more then those schools I listed earlier have when it comes to facilities, scholarships and budgets. But what we DON'T have, and what is making people nervous, is a lack of proven track record. At least with new programs you can play the NEW card for awhile.

[bluedevilflame]

Well it's not like we have no success at football, I am by no means comparing what we've done to national titles, but 5 conference titles in 10 seasons isn't too shabby

[flamesfan30]

and ZERO playoff births.

[Purple Haize]

and ZERO playoff births.

And beating Ball St doesn't really count. Neither does tying for first place in one of the weakest FCS conferences. If we had 2 or 3 play off births and or beaten JMU a couple of times.....we'd be viewed a lot more favorably

[Humble_Opinion]

The SBC wants to put a competitive product on the field. Winning has an awful lot to do with it. We have everything and more then those schools I listed earlier have when it comes to facilities, scholarships and budgets. But what we DON'T have, and what is making people nervous, is a lack of proven track record. At least with new programs you can play the NEW card for awhile.

You really think that the sole reason we aren't being accepted by a bunch of ACADEMIC presidents is because we're "new' and we don't have a major national championship in athletics? I don't buy it...

Granted it's not helping our case, but if we had won the FCS National Championship, or even had LU make it to the Sweet 16 instead of FGCU - do you really believe we'd be the top choice at this point in the game? We have a burgeoning online program and a stated goal to Train Champions for Christ. I think these facts matter a little more to the college presidents determining our fate more so than a national championship.