[LUinPA]

I agree. However, I don't see anything wrong with completely dominating the Big South. Especially if it gives us a constant post-season appearance.

[Purple Haize]

My 2 cents...

Right now we are starting to make a name for ourselves in FCS. Could we say that a few years ago?? Continued seasons of on-field success along with quality wins at out of conference games and Liberty will be a standard household name among the elite FCS programs such as NDS, Mont, JMU, EWS and the likes.

Seeing the current field of FBS, it seems any move up and we may be at the bottom level with a much more difficult venture to become elite, as being part of anything with P5 is extremely unlikely.

I'm beginning to lean towards more years of exciting playoff appearances, constantly contending for a national championship, than being part of a low level FBS conference where even a championship does not automatically signal participation in post-seasons opportunities.

I am currently enjoying the ride of success that seems to be growing with each and every year in multiple sports. Our campus is in the process of transforming physically and academically to compete in both the top level of FCS schools and FBS.

It think it's safe to say that staying in FCS for the foreseeable future is not a completely horrible alternative. Besides Football, we already have opportunities to play and possibly compete with the big players in most sports.

The only problem with this logic is that we've locked ourselves into the Big South. While the Big South has gained in recent years in terms of athletic prowess... its really only because of LU and CCU's recent successes (CCU moreso). If they leave now, then we are relegated to lower league FCS status once again with no chance of switching to another FCS conference, because of our FBS or bust mentality.

We have only ourselves to blame for that

[Humble_Opinion]

We have only ourselves to blame for that

Agreed. I suppose at the time, given all the hype surrounding the results of the Carr report, LU leadership saw fit to not mince words and do a full-court press. I just wonder if knowing what they know now, would they change their tune a bit and consider a move to the CAA as acceptable in the meantime.

[R i]

Everyone is assuming COA is completely off the board at this point.

[bluejacket]

We have only ourselves to blame for that

Agreed. I suppose at the time, given all the hype surrounding the results of the Carr report, LU leadership saw fit to not mince words and do a full-court press. I just wonder if knowing what they know now, would they change their tune a bit and consider a move to the CAA as acceptable in the meantime.

The rhetoric about playing at the highest level of football existed before Liberty existed. That "tune" could not be changed. Downplayed, but not fundamentally changed.

[flamesfilmguy]

My 2 cents...

Right now we are starting to make a name for ourselves in FCS.

If i had the time to go dig through about 8,000 posts ago where I said this from the beginning and was dubbed a member of the "dark side" for my opinion which i have gladly embraced. From day 1 this has been a long shot. What we stand for does not sit well with university presidents. That is exactly why they are going after Coastal. The money is definitely a contributing factor but for the love of all that is sacred can we all just admit that our mission is the reason we are being left out? And all agree that we shouldn't even think twice about changing said mission in order to make ourselves more appealing to FBS suitors? ok good glad we got that out of the way.
Love,
one of the original haters.
(Dark Side 4 Lyfe)
FFG

[SuperJon]

We have only ourselves to blame for that

Agreed. I suppose at the time, given all the hype surrounding the results of the Carr report, LU leadership saw fit to not mince words and do a full-court press. I just wonder if knowing what they know now, would they change their tune a bit and consider a move to the CAA as acceptable in the meantime.

So you're saying Liberty's admin decided to puff their chest and tell everyone how much better we are than everyone else and turned people off?

Sounds about right.

[TH Spangler]

http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/sports ... 45599.html

[thepostman]

It also hasn't helped that our men's basketball program has been awful.

I know our mission has a lot to do with it but I still refuse to believe that is the sole reason behind it. It is is a reason no doubt but if our football and men's basketball programs had been making noise for years then we would probably have a greater chance.

On the subject of our Athletic Department's approach with the #FBSready crap, I have never been shy about my dislike of that approach. We shot ourselves in the foot with that marketing push. Shouldn't surprise someone that LU failed in something PR related.

[ATrain]

It also hasn't helped that our men's basketball program has been awful.

I know our mission has a lot to do with it but I still refuse to believe that is the sole reason behind it. It is is a reason no doubt but if our football and men's basketball programs had been making noise for years then we would probably have a greater chance.

On the subject of our Athletic Department's approach with the #FBSready crap, I have never been shy about my dislike of that approach. We shot ourselves in the foot with that marketing push. Shouldn't surprise someone that LU failed in something PR related.

VT tried something similar with our #FBSReady campaign in the early part of the century to get into the ACC. Look at how well that went over...they needed the governor to intervene on their behalf. Should've learned from them about what NOT to do.

[flamesfilmguy]

It also hasn't helped that our men's basketball program has been awful.

I know our mission has a lot to do with it but I still refuse to believe that is the sole reason behind it. It is is a reason no doubt but if our football and men's basketball programs had been making noise for years then we would probably have a greater chance.

On the subject of our Athletic Department's approach with the #FBSready crap, I have never been shy about my dislike of that approach. We shot ourselves in the foot with that marketing push. Shouldn't surprise someone that LU failed in something PR related.

If coastal goes, please explain to me how any other reason other than our mission is the reason they went after Coastal instead of us.

a wise roommate of mine once made analogies this way and I think it applies here: The sun belt turning us down and going after Coastal is like having the prettiest girl in school tell you she wants you to ask her to prom but instead of asking her, you ask her not as good looking friend instead because she has a much more fun personality. in this analogy We are the prettiest girl in school. Money wise, Facilities wise and so on. We have one major detraction though, our mission, Coastal is the friend with the better personality but not as good of looks. They fit what the sun belt wants without having the detraction of a controversial mission.

And i am completely ok with that. Like I and many others on this board have said before I don't want to compromise our mission for the sake of going FBS. just my 2 cents.

[Cider Jim]

If we are talking geographical "footprint," Coastal's location near Myrtle Beach has to be a huge draw for the Sun Belt.

[flamesfilmguy]

the least Coastal can do is send us a nice gift basket if they make it in

[rmiller1959]

the least Coastal can do is send us a nice gift basket if they make it in

+1

[TH Spangler]

If we are talking geographical "footprint," Coastal's location near Myrtle Beach has to be a huge draw for the Sun Belt.

It's not the MYRTLE BEACH-FLORENCE, SC TV market, it ranks 102.

[Purple Haize]

The Sun Belt is not the prettiest girl in the room". So let's drop that analogy

[rmiller1959]

The Sun Belt is not the prettiest girl in the room". So let's drop that analogy

I think we are "the prettiest girl in the room" in his analogy, and Coastal is the "not as good looking friend" with the "much more fun personality." The Sun Belt is simply the suitor, and there are no particular traits assigned to them, although I'm sure folks in this thread have some thoughts on that!

[Purple Haize]

The Sun Belt is not the prettiest girl in the room". So let's drop that analogy

I think we are "the prettiest girl in the room" in his analogy, and Coastal is the "not as good looking friend" with the "much more fun personality." The Sun Belt is simply the suitor, and there are no particular traits assigned to them, although I'm sure folks in this thread have some thoughts on that!

I'm not sure WE are the prettiest girl in the room. The richest with the best clothes and most accessories, sure.

[Cider Jim]

I'm not sure WE are the prettiest girl in the room.

Purple, have you seen our campus lately--in the daylight?

[flamesfilmguy]

The Sun Belt is not the prettiest girl in the room". So let's drop that analogy

I think we are "the prettiest girl in the room" in his analogy, and Coastal is the "not as good looking friend" with the "much more fun personality." The Sun Belt is simply the suitor, and there are no particular traits assigned to them, although I'm sure folks in this thread have some thoughts on that!

Thats what I was going for.

[flamesfilmguy]

The Sun Belt is not the prettiest girl in the room". So let's drop that analogy

I think we are "the prettiest girl in the room" in his analogy, and Coastal is the "not as good looking friend" with the "much more fun personality." The Sun Belt is simply the suitor, and there are no particular traits assigned to them, although I'm sure folks in this thread have some thoughts on that!

I'm not sure WE are the prettiest girl in the room. The richest with the best clothes and most accessories, sure.

And the most expensive make up. what our former suitor doesn't understand that we are also pretty on the inside. we just don't show it in the way the sun belt wants.

[Purple Haize]

I'm not sure WE are the prettiest girl in the room.

Purple, have you seen our campus lately--in the daylight?

You of course are a powerful man and I'm sure attractive to some. The campus does look great, no doubt about it. But, like the attractive rich girl at school, there is more to it than that.

[ATrain]

While there is something to be said for being proactive in the conference realignment game, I think its time we take a lesson from the book on which we base our mission and remember that "Even a fool will be counted wise when he holds his tongue,"* and focus on one thing: just win, baby.

*I promise Kiwon did not hack my profile. However, I have also been looking at the Bible and saw that Jesus turned water into wine and that Paul told Timothy a little was good for the tummy. I may or may not have had a glass of wine before posting.

[jimflamesfan]

I think we're ok in the Big South for now. There are some on this board that can remember the days of FCS independence.

Liberty did shoot itself in the foot with the FBS or bust talk. At one point, there was a rumor of Coastal and LU to the CAA...but it seems that we weren't interested...instead, the CAA ends up with Stony Brook and Elon.

If Coastal joins the Sunbelt and JMU the MAC or CUSA...at that point, we might be able to move up to the CAA if we ate some humble pie.

It wouldn't be FBS...but it would be more national...and if they kept FSN television, most of the games would be on TV...and we'd have football games with Richmond and William and Mary...and basketball would be upgraded as well.

[Kiwon]

While there is something to be said for being proactive in the conference realignment game, I think its time we take a lesson from the book on which we base our mission and remember that "Even a fool will be counted wise when he holds his tongue,"* and focus on one thing: just win, baby.

Sounds like good advice to me. CCU would be less of a draw if LU would start smoking them across the board.

Now back to this sudden consensus that LU made some grave mistakes by making known its FBS aspirations......

How? What did they do wrong:

-The press conference announcing the CarrSports Consulting results? (In 21 years of consulting..."there's really been no school more prepared for its major athletics initiative than Liberty. Liberty is prepared in every sense of the word for this move.")

-Announcing it at graduation?
-Giving quotes to USA Today and Washington Post?
-Traveling and making presentations introducing LU to various Sun Belt university heads?

Just what is this supposed dealbreaker that caused such great offense?