[PAmedic]

talk about a letdown.

nothing more than we already knew.

I suppose the validation is good, in and of itself.

[Libertine]

Hold on, Medic! KK just indicated that they're still looking to add more schools. Hard to say if that was a generically open statement or foreshadowing.

[PAmedic]

Coincidentally, I'm looking to make a million bucks, retire at 50, and lower my handicap to a 1.

[givemethemic]

The deal is for 4 years and there is an option to buyout and there is an option to renew as well

[FlameNForest]

I hope Barber works real hard while he's here to get LU out of this entry-level, stepping-stone conference. The BSC was fine when we first moved up from DII and the Mason-Dixon conference. But we're going on 20 years now and the BSC is still a bottom-feeder.

[TallyW]

I believe he will... He won't want to be an AD in the Big South longer than he has to. He's from a major conference/school... he'll want to move us up ASAP. He's taking us in the right direction so far. With continued fan support and a blank check from the Mansion, he'll make it happen.

[Stevev]

FlameNForest
I hope Barber works real hard while he's here to get LU out of this entry-level, stepping-stone conference. The BSC was fine when we first moved up from DII and the Mason-Dixon conference. But we're going on 20 years now and the BSC is still a bottom-feeder.

I can't believe that we have been in this conference for 20 years now. I agree with TallyW that he is probably not happy to be in the BSC but can't say it publically. I would think that in the back of his mind that he feels that it is an embarrassment to the athletic department to be in the BSC. It is hard to believe all the college programs that have past us by in moving their way up to better conferences and a higher level.

[ATrain]

Well, we all know how Coastal feels...publicly...about the Big South. We also know there is at least one school *coughcoughLongwoodcoughcough* that desparately wants in (hint to their AD: Get a football team). Anyway, yes its sad that we're stuck here in the Big South, but there are a couple worse places we could be right now.

[givemethemic]

Mr.Lang drops some knowledge..

The Big South gets bigger

By Chris Lang
Lynchburg News & Advance
March 21, 2007


Big South commissioner Kyle Kallander, who generally speaks in nothing but positives in regards to his conference, acknowledged the line of questioning was valid.
Stony Brook? In the Big South? How does that even make sense?

"Is it a logical fit, geographically?" Kallander said Tuesday during a conference call announcing the addition of the Long Island school as a football playing member beginning in 2008. "Maybe not as much as you'd like."

The only thing Stony Brook is "South" of is Connecticut. So why the odd move in conference membership?

It's simple, really.

It's all about the automatic bid, or at least the chance to gain one.

For a conference to be eligible to receive an automatic berth to the NCAA Football Championship Series (formerly Division I-AA) playoffs, it has to have at least six Division I football-playing members that play together for at least two years.

Presbyterian College joined the Big South last spring but is not eligible for full Division I membership until 2011. That meant the Big South wouldn't have been in the auto-bid mix until 2013.

Since Stony Brook, which competed in the Northeast Conference last season and will play as an independent in 2007, is already a Division I member (and immediately eligible to compete for the Big South title), the school's inclusion in the conference pushes the Big South auto-bid timeline up three years.

In 2010, the league will be eligible for an automatic bid. Whether the Big South gets one is still to be determined. The champions of eight leagues currently earn automatic invites - CAA, Gateway, Southern, Big Sky, Southland, MEAC, Patriot and Ohio Valley.

"It's not a sure thing," Kallander said. "There will be more conferences eligible than there will be automatic bids. We're confident that we'll be one of the top eight if there are still more conferences than bids."

The Big South made great strides in that direction this season. The conference ranked seventh in the GPI, an RPI-style power index used to rate FCS teams. That put the Big South ahead of four auto-bid leagues (OVC, Southland, Patriot, MEAC). Coastal Carolina earned a bid to the FCS playoffs and lost to eventual national champion Appalachian State in the first round.

The Stony Brook Seawolves went 5-6 last season, 5-2 in the improved Northeast Conference. They beat Albany, which won at FCS power Delaware, and lost by three to Central Connecticut State, which won at Georgia Southern.

The school is making "dramatic increases" in its athletics budget, Stony Brook athletics director Jim Fiore said. It plans on being at the full FCS allotment of 63 scholarships by the 2011 season. Next season, the school will offer 40 scholarships.

Stony Brook left the Northeast because the conference limits its schools to 30 scholarships. That's an improvement over what it used to allow. Before last season, Northeast schools only offered need-based aid, much like Patriot League and Ivy League schools do.

To offset the increase, scholarships will be added to existing women's sports at Stony Brook.

Stony Brook, which has been a Division I member since 1999, signed a four-year associate membership deal with the conference, but there is a buyout in the contract if the school wishes to leave before then, Kallander said.

Kallander said the conference is still eyeing more football members. Albany was rumored to be part of the current expansion, but the Great Danes elected not to increase scholarships at this time.

"I sense that Kyle is really trying to move the conference forward," Liberty coach Danny Rocco said. "I think he shares the vision of making this one of the most formidable conferences in (FCS)."

http://newsadvance.com/servlet/Satellit ... th=!sports

[thepostman]

thanks boss.................

[givemethemic]

Anytime...I think of it as a sign of RESPECT!!!!

[PAmedic]

http://newsadvance.com/servlet/Satellit ... th=!sports

"I sense that Kyle is really trying to move the conference forward," Liberty coach Danny Rocco said. "I think he shares the vision of making this one of the most formidable conferences in (FCS)."

ummmhmmm

[Stevev]

I don't see that happening in the short term as far as the BSC being formidable. Teams will build up to a competitive level and start looking at other options such as the A10 and the Southern or go 1A. I have seen that happen too many times in all sports. I am surprised Coastal is still in this conference. The sad thing is I thought that LU had opportunities to get into a competitive conference in the past but either were not pursued by our AD in the right way or passed over.

I do see improvements for football in the BSC but we are way behind the Southern and A10 in terms of scheduling and quality teams.

[SuperJon]

Can you ever say anything positive? I mean, really, has it ever happened before?

[LUconn]

When we were on that early winning streak in basketball he was pretty upbeat.

[SuperJon]

But wasn't he being negative about the schedule too?

[Stevev]

I was just agreeing with one of our new member's comments concerning the BSC. I guess you are not going to get all over him too.

[SuperJon]

I think it's an improvement over what we had.


You may have gotten onto him for what he said, but at the same time you talked crap about former ADs and where the programs are now.

[Stevev]

I don't think that our former AD (Graham) did a very good job. My opinion of course. Our sports programs were slipping big time under his watch.

[TallyW]

I have to agree with Steve here... Although in fairness to KG, their are shots being called from the AD's office now, not the mansion... Dr. Falwell was our AD for a very long time

[Stevev]

Yes I am aware of how things worked back then. Seems like John Borek had a lot to do with things too.

[FlameNForest]

I was just agreeing with one of our new member's comments concerning the BSC. I guess you are not going to get all over him too.

That wouldn't be a good way to treat a new member

[Fumblerooskies]

I have to agree with Steve here... Although in fairness to KG, their are shots being called from the AD's office now, not the mansion... Dr. Falwell was our AD for a very long time

Let's look at the record with KG in leadership...
...baseball team was near the top of the conference every year (until Pastors left)
...volleyball team was near the top
...WBB began dominating the league
...MSC was (and still is) a very competetive team in the league
...WSC began their very nice run as the team was built from scratch
...Track began their dominance...complete with an NCAA champion

Of course, the two marquee programs were in the crapper...except for fleeting moments. With the exception of MBB and FBL, I think we can look back on the KG era as a most prosperous time in Liberty Flames history...
...we certainly won enough Sasser Cups during his tenure. Regardless of who called the shots, KG was the AD during that time.

[Stevev]

Yea I mostly remember the 2 money sports being in the crapper for quite some time. The other sports seemed to peak all at ounce and then hit the skids with the exception of Womens hoops and track.

[TallyW]

How long was KG the AD?

Why did we notice the arrival of JB so much?