[Sly Fox]

I live in Fort Worth, TX and the past two years I have seen some LU-online graduates at both the SMU and Baylor games.

Another Texan in the house!

[Kricket]

I graduated online with my undergrad and currently finishing my MBA. I live in Wisconsin so anytime there is a game close enough to drive too I try to make it. I actually attended the Indiana State game, which was horrible, in Indiana a few years back along with a few games in Lynchburg. Hoping for revenge today.

Anyway, if only 10 percent of online students care about LU athletics that still practically doubles the fan base. Now that Liberty is FBS I can guarantee you that online students will take more notice. I know a few online students up here and they have their local FBS teams they root for, because it's very lonely watching FCS football by yourself (Wisconsin has no FCS teams so most people can't tell you what FCS is, much less name an FCS school). I'd bet online students interest in Liberty more than quadruples with this move if Liberty keeps big names on the schedule. Even my family and friends who have known about LU are starting to take more interest with the FBS move and Baylor victory. They've seen the ACC teams and teams like Auburn on the schedule and if these games were nationally televised they'd watch, but they're not going to go to ESPN3 on their Roku to check it out.

[Kricket]

I certainly identify with the mission of LU more than teams like Wisconsin, who are borderline Communist, and I think there are others like me who will jump on the bandwagon as soon as one is available.

Don't dismiss the online students and sell the mission. The online base and even conservative Christian base could be a mostly untapped fan base if Liberty's marketing finds a way to reach them.

[Liberty22]

I graduated online with my undergrad and currently finishing my MBA. I live in Wisconsin so anytime there is a game close enough to drive too I try to make it. I actually attended the Indiana State game, which was horrible, in Indiana a few years back along with a few games in Lynchburg. Hoping for revenge today.

Anyway, if only 10 percent of online students care about LU athletics that still practically doubles the fan base. Now that Liberty is FBS I can guarantee you that online students will take more notice. I know a few online students up here and they have their local FBS teams they root for, because it's very lonely watching FCS football by yourself (Wisconsin has no FCS teams so most people can't tell you what FCS is, much less name an FCS school). I'd bet online students interest in Liberty more than quadruples with this move if Liberty keeps big names on the schedule. Even my family and friends who have known about LU are starting to take more interest with the FBS move and Baylor victory. They've seen the ACC teams and teams like Auburn on the schedule and if these games were nationally televised they'd watch, but they're not going to go to ESPN3 on their Roku to check it out.

Good stuff. Hope there's more like you out there. I do agree if we keep independent and getting the teams we're scheduling than more online students will take notice. If we go to a CUSA in a couple years I think we limit growth potential on capitalizing on online student fandom. Most college football fans don't care unless your school is P5. We can schedule like a P5 and potentially position ourselves like a BYU. The minute we go to CUSA, we limit our potential.

[Class of 20Something]

The minute we go to CUSA, we limit our potential.

This has been the biggest change for us in the past 9 months. Liberty has been able to schedule on short notice a 2018 schedule on par with UMass and unfinished 2019/2020 schedules that are already superior. We have turned the greatest weakness of independence into our greatest ally.

Let's look at Marshall's(Generic CUSA Team) P5 opponents for 2020.
-Pitt

ODU's 2020 P5
-Wake Forest
-UNC
-UVA

North Texas' 2020 P5
-Texas A&M


Liberty's 2020 P5 slate.
-VT
-Syracuse
-UVA
-NC State
And 5 games have yet to be scheduled.

Liberty is scheduling for a position to vie for more than the Salad Bowl.

[Purple Haize]

The minute we go to CUSA, we limit our potential.

This has been the biggest change for us in the past 9 months. Liberty has been able to schedule on short notice a 2018 schedule on par with UMass and unfinished 2019/2020 schedules that are already superior. We have turned the greatest weakness of independence into our greatest ally.

Let's look at Marshall's(Generic CUSA Team) P5 opponents for 2020.
-Pitt

ODU's 2020 P5
-Wake Forest
-UNC
-UVA

North Texas' 2020 P5
-Texas A&M


Liberty's 2020 P5 slate.
-VT
-Syracuse
-UVA
-NC State
And 5 games have yet to be scheduled.

Liberty is scheduling for a position to vie for more than the Salad Bowl.

You can schedule then but you have to beat them.
I don't see hoe going CUSA limits LU. They can still schedule VT UVA et al non Conference. Plus, they have a lot more Bowl tie ins.

[TallyW]

I'd be disappointed with a lower level conference tie-in... As for winning... that will come. It makes no sense to me to compare what we did at NAIA to FCS... or what we had with Coach Sam to what we'll have in 2021. History is exactly that, history.

If we can afford it, I would LOVE to see us stay indy. The players will come and the wins will come.

The fixation on one random game labeled a 'bowl' isn't a big deal to me...
Exhibit "A": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category: ... ball_bowls

We will have about a dozen opportunities in a 3-month period to draw eyeballs to the program. We don't need the random 'bowl' to build our brand as much as we need the week-in and week-out exposure that playing 'known' teams will bring.

I want to be able to talk to my neighbors and have them say "Yeah... Liberty played great last week against Baylor." You can't have that conversation if Liberty is playing North Texas or Charlotte. No one cares.

Early on, it'll be about upsets. By year 5-6 we should be competing and winning. By year 10, it would be great if people EXPECT us to win some of our P5 games.

[Liberty22]

I'd be disappointed with a lower level conference tie-in... As for winning... that will come. It makes no sense to me to compare what we did at NAIA to FCS... or what we had with Coach Sam to what we'll have in 2021. History is exactly that, history.

If we can afford it, I would LOVE to see us stay indy. The players will come and the wins will come.

The fixation on one random game labeled a 'bowl' isn't a big deal to me...
Exhibit "A": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category: ... ball_bowls

We will have about a dozen opportunities in a 3-month period to draw eyeballs to the program. We don't need the random 'bowl' to build our brand as much as we need the week-in and week-out exposure that playing 'known' teams will bring.

I want to be able to talk to my neighbors and have them say "Yeah... Liberty played great last week against Baylor." You can't have that conversation if Liberty is playing North Texas or Charlotte. No one cares.

Early on, it'll be about upsets. By year 5-6 we should be competing and winning. By year 10, it would be great if people EXPECT us to win some of our P5 games.

My thoughts exactly. The week in and week out exposure of playing the big boys is way more valuable than a Holiday Bowl that no one cares about. I'm die hard college football but don't care about most of the bowls.

[willflop]

The minute we go to CUSA, we limit our potential.

This has been the biggest change for us in the past 9 months. Liberty has been able to schedule on short notice a 2018 schedule on par with UMass and unfinished 2019/2020 schedules that are already superior. We have turned the greatest weakness of independence into our greatest ally.

Let's look at Marshall's(Generic CUSA Team) P5 opponents for 2020.
-Pitt

ODU's 2020 P5
-Wake Forest
-UNC
-UVA

North Texas' 2020 P5
-Texas A&M


Liberty's 2020 P5 slate.
-VT
-Syracuse
-UVA
-NC State
And 5 games have yet to be scheduled.

Liberty is scheduling for a position to vie for more than the Salad Bowl.

You can schedule then but you have to beat them.
I don't see hoe going CUSA limits LU. They can still schedule VT UVA et al non Conference. Plus, they have a lot more Bowl tie ins.

It's hard to say what we could have scheduled when we are only working with 3 occ games a year. We'd run into a lot more road blocks vs approaching these refional p5s with a clean slate.

If we can win, we have the ability to flip from 4P5/8G5 to 8P5/4G5. Effectively doing what ND does with the ACC, just not officially and drawing from any of the P5s. If we win in CUSA, we are just a CUSA team. Nothing wrong with it, but it doesn't meet the ling term goal. I think we have to assume we'll never get a p5 conference, so this is the only way to be P5ish in 10 years. That's why the cusa limits us, imo.

[ballcoach15]

There are a lot of FBS schools who are not much more than a FCS school. We need to focus on P5 schools. We must focus on "big name" schools, mainly those in the southern and southeastern areas of the country.

[Sly Fox]

I always love seeing our old school FlameFans posters dropping by and giving quality posts. The one area where TallyW and I may disagree is about the bowl experience. Being Indy will not keep us out of the bowl picture unless dynamics change. It will be a much more random experience than it would be for a conference tie-inroute. But if we get to seven wins in a season we will be in there. Bowl games do not provide the exposure they did before the playoff system began and essentially made them all exhibitions. But they generally are one of only 2 or 3 games on a night during a somewhat dead period for sports so there remains some decent exposure. And for any of you who have had traveled to a bowl with your family for one of the other teams you follow, it can be a fantastic experience. I have covered a slew of them and they are fantastic experiences for fans.

[Kricket]

I agree that Indy is probably better for Liberty football exposure, but it leaves the rest of the sports in the Big South for now, which is the downside.

[Sly Fox]

Outside of mens hoops, I wouldn't consider it a significant downside. Relatively easy access to auto bids with easy travel is great for most of our sports.

[cruzan_flame13]

Outside of mens hoops, I wouldn't consider it a significant downside. Relatively easy access to auto bids with easy travel is great for most of our sports.

I believe that men's hoops should be McCaw's other project for progression. Once that begins to get up to speed with McKay and the boys, then the idea of negotiation can proceed.

[flamesfilmguy]

I always love seeing our old school FlameFans posters dropping by and giving quality posts. The one area where TallyW and I may disagree is about the bowl experience. Being Indy will not keep us out of the bowl picture unless dynamics change. It will be a much more random experience than it would be for a conference tie-inroute. But if we get to seven wins in a season we will be in there. Bowl games do not provide the exposure they did before the playoff system began and essentially made them all exhibitions. But they generally are one of only 2 or 3 games on a night during a somewhat dead period for sports so there remains some decent exposure. And for any of you who have had traveled to a bowl with your family for one of the other teams you follow, it can be a fantastic experience. I have covered a slew of them and they are fantastic experiences for fans.

I'd like to add to this. After working my first bowl game (i've worked FCS football up until 2015) this past season, I will say not only for the fans who attend the games but also for the players its still a big deal and a huge recruiting tool. Bowl gifts and trips are a huge part of the draw for the athletes to the FBS level. you get spending money you get bowl gifts and extra gear. its a blast even for the staff. We played in the Taxslayer Bowl last year in jacksonville. We stayed on Amelia island and I played golf every morning for the 4 days we were there and enjoyed some awesome hospitality from the host city. its a lot like a short vacation and its a lot of fun for everyone involved. ESPECIALLY if you win. Just my 2 cents.

[Liberty22]

https://www.sbnation.com/platform/amp/c ... l-sun-belt

Karl Benson claims it was geography that kept us out of sunbelt

Says the guy and league drooling over JMU, having Idaho as a member, and having Texas State which is a way further travel team than LU would have been.

[Purple Haize]

https://www.sbnation.com/platform/amp/c ... l-sun-belt

Karl Benson claims it was geography that kept us out of sunbelt

Says the guy and league drooling over JMU, having Idaho as a member, and having Texas State which is a way further travel team than LU would have been.

More than enough money to make up for that. Even as a big proponent of getting into a Conference I am glad the SBC didn't happen.

[thepostman]

Juniors Twitter reads so much like trumps it is kind of scary.

[Liberty22]

Even as a big proponent of getting into a Conference I am glad the SBC didn't happen.

What I love about our situation now is that we will turn the sun belt down if they ever offer (or we should). If CUSA offers my hope is we'd turn them down (at this point I'm independent all the way, AAC if we go conference route) if we do go CUSA they aren't ever getting $24 million. The most they get now is the traditional $2 mil entrance fee. We now have that power.

[R i]

So hiring Ian, saved us 22 milly if CUSA every comes calling.

[flameshaw]

https://www.sbnation.com/platform/amp/c ... l-sun-belt

Karl Benson claims it was geography that kept us out of sunbelt

Says the guy and league drooling over JMU, having Idaho as a member, and having Texas State which is a way further travel team than LU would have been.

LOL, total

[ballah09]

Juniors Twitter reads so much like trumps it is kind of scary.

He just needs to delete his twitter. Wishful thinking though. Hate his toxic politics.

As for the Sun Belt. When you were on your knees begging for JMU your geography excuse went out the window. Such a bs excuse.

[JK37]

What you call toxic, some of us find refreshing in his willingness to forgo political correctness.

What makes it toxic? That he isn't mainstream popular? That he ruffles feathers and is willing to insult some for what he believes? Sounds a little like, dare I say, his dad.

Progressives are so into diversity and inclusion and tolerance these days - unless you're a conservative white male. Then you don't have a right to speak, the first amendment be darned. We're more worried about what truth looks like than what it really is these days.

[Yacht Rock]

What you call toxic, some of us find refreshing in his willingness to forgo political correctness.

What makes it toxic? That he isn't mainstream popular? That he ruffles feathers and is willing to insult some for what he believes? Sounds a little like, dare I say, his dad.

Progressives are so into diversity and inclusion and tolerance these days - unless you're a conservative white male. Then you don't have a right to speak, the first amendment be darned. We're more worried about what truth looks like than what it really is these days.

It's one thing when you're speaking Biblical truth and it just happens to offend people. It's an entire different thing when you like to offend people with your opinion. Also, I think you can speak out truth without insulting people. In the end, your message will be that much more stronger if you can do it in a clear, well thought out way. When you throw in insults, there are many who just won't take you seriously anymore, even if there is truth in your argument.

Having personally been on the receiving end of Junior's insults and character attacks, I can't say I really trust his judgement regarding much of anything.

[jbock13]

Considering his twitter activity, don't expect any conferences to be interested in us anytime soon.