[PeterParker]

I know this topic was discussed at length in the offseason, but now that the fieldturf is finished and the operations center is almost done, another speculation thread needs to fill their shoes. Common knowledge by now is that the CAA will sponsor football starting 2007 (grafting in the A-10 teams), and also the ODU is all but a go to sponsor a football program beginning 2009 (they have also been guaranteed a spot in the CAA.) From an snipit from http://www.odu.edu/webroot/orgs/IA/univ ... 06103716AM, it would seem that adding ODU would make 13 teams, an awkward number, and it creates almost a complete split for a northern division and southern division.

I know some of the talk on here mentioned that some of the Northeast schools could form their own football league since most of the schools don't play their other sports in the CAA. Any rumors on the mountain of the new AD trying to work this angle...the CAA offers all of the sports (sans Ice Hockey) that LU currently sponsors, plus a home for the new programs alluded to: Wrestling, Potential Swim team, and even Lacrosse (field hockey for the ladies could be LU's answer to Title IX to house ncaa men's lacrosse.)

CAA 2007 & Beyond

North

Maine
New Hampshire
UMass
Hofstra
Rhode Island
Northeastern
Villanova


South

JMU
W&M
Richmond
Delaware
Towson

Likely: ODU
Long Shot?: Liberty


Love to See a Conference Split with CAA pulling from a three state area (four if you don't count Deleware as Maryland's step-brother): Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and NC if needed to fill out the league.

[LU'sbestmanager]

i think it would be great if we were to go into the CAA. hopefully JB has something up his sleeve to get us out of the Bg South by next year

[Chris Lang]

No chance of LU leaving the Big South by next year. None. Jeff Barber has publicly said that he supports making the Big South a better conference and that Liberty has no plans of looking outside the league.

Now that's his public posturing, which I respect a whole heck of a lot more than Coastal Carolina's open pining for the SoCon. What's going on behind the scenes? I don't really know. I'm sure if the CAA asked Liberty to join, Barber would do a backflip. I don't see that happening, though. The invite or the backflip.