[tyndal23]

I was thinking of a hypothetical:

Would going to the AAC really benefit us in the long run IF we could schedule an SEC, 2 ACC teams and then the likes of a BYU or lower level P5 like a rutgers, kansas, oregon state every year?

I am using 2027 un-complete schedule as my example:

So far:
@Duke
Vs. UVA
Vs. UMASS
@Viginia Tech

Imagine if we added:
Vs. BYU
@ Vanderbilt
Vs. ODU
@UCF
@Army
Vs. Troy
Vs. UConn
@ Marshall

Would this schedule hypothetically as well as schedules like this year in and year out be a better route than getting into a conference aka AAC?

You are only looking at football. Picture all sports in AAC.

That is the only way to look at anything if you are a football power or wanting to be one - rest of the sports pale in comparison in every way when it comes to revenue. Staying Independent in football as a G5 equivalent makes no sense if it meant turning down an all sport AAC invite - staying Independent in football as a P5 equivalent with 1-2 more P5 games ( over and above what High on the Tide’s example schedule) makes total sense while leaving rest of your teams with a good chance of post season play in ASUN. For the 100th time - we need to define what we want to be as a Football Progam and jump in.

[Ewglenn]

So if the AAC said we will add y’all but it will cost 50 million would y’all do it? I think the only way we get an invite is to throw out a ridiculous amount of money. Similar to what we did with CUSA and SBC. The difference is this would actually be worth it.

[cruzan_flame13]

It would be worth it academically, athletically and financially. We can continue to grow in research and building more academic schools, better recruiting and maybe have our tv network connect to that good tv deal that the AAC received last December. Can I say future rivalry with Temple and ECU!

[LUOrange]

I do hope Jr., McCaw, Freeze, and McKay are working the phones and contacts with the AAC. It's definitely a really long, long shot, but it's worth trying for and dreaming about.

[TH Spangler]

It would be worth it academically, athletically and financially. We can continue to grow in research and building more academic schools, better recruiting and maybe have our tv network connect to that good tv deal that the AAC received last December. Can I say future rivalry with Temple and ECU!

being originally from the obx i would love a ecu rivalry

[LUGrad2000]

Any other candidates considering FBS Independence?

[chris leedlelee]

Not sure, regardless, this is good for us because it gives us another scheduling partner; the AAC might also take a school from a smaller conference thus opening a spot for us. (if we would like to go there)

[TH Spangler]

Not sure, regardless, this is good for us because it gives us another scheduling partner; the AAC might also take a school from a smaller conference thus opening a spot for us. (if we would like to go there)

might take byu, we could lose them on future schedules

[tyndal23]

I do hope Jr., McCaw, Freeze, and McKay are working the phones and contacts with the AAC. It's definitely a really long, long shot, but it's worth trying for and dreaming about.

We can be a big fish in small pond in all other sports and win National Championships - Sacrificing football to put all sports in a little better conference - I don’t like it - end of the day, still a G5 conference with the top 2 ( UCF and Houston ) wanting out and desperate for a P5 invite as quick as possible - LU already has a scheduling advantage over AAC teams if they want to capitalize on it and max out the potential of being a ND level team with their own network or ESPN deal. If you argue that going to AAC gets us closer to a P5 invite in the future - I disagree - a much quicker path would be Independent and frankly, if we eventually got a scheduling partnership with a P5 - would prefer to stay Independent ( and they would probably not vote us in regardless ). ND has an ideal scenario ( with exception of not having a 13th game ) but they overcame that with SOS last year. IF you give a Hugh Freeze level coach the ability to recruit to come play for a P5 level schedule and the LU conservative/Christian brand - the 3 Stars become 4 stars overnight, the stadium size gets bigger - the ESPN contracts gets a whole lot bigger.

[tyndal23]

Interesting article on scheduling towards an 8 team playoff where a marquee non con loss doesn’t hurt as bad...

https://oklahoman.com/article/5634684/c ... nce-slates

[tyndal23]

BYU schedule considered the “most interesting” in 2019.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/s ... 019-season

[LU 57]

Saban: Bama working toward 10 Power 5 games

Alabama coach Nick Saban would like to see schools from Power 5 conferences play at least 10 games a year against Power 5 foes and/or Notre Dame in the regular season, and he said his program is working to make that happen on future schedules.

"I've always said, 'Let's play all Power 5 games,'" Saban told ESPN on Friday.

Interesting that he does not seem to view BYU or any other G5 schools as P5 equivalent. Not necessarily looking to rev tyndal back up but it certainly lends credence to his P5 or bust logic.

If other P5 programs pursue this philosophy it is going to be increasingly hard for IM to replicate the strength of our schedules post 2023.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/s ... er-5-games

[tyndal23]

Saban: Bama working toward 10 Power 5 games

Alabama coach Nick Saban would like to see schools from Power 5 conferences play at least 10 games a year against Power 5 foes and/or Notre Dame in the regular season, and he said his program is working to make that happen on future schedules.

"I've always said, 'Let's play all Power 5 games,'" Saban told ESPN on Friday.

Interesting that he does not seem to view BYU or any other G5 schools as P5 equivalent. Not necessarily looking to rev tyndal back up but it certainly lends credence to his P5 or bust logic.

If other P5 programs pursue this philosophy it is going to be increasingly hard for IM to replicate the strength of our schedules post 2023.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/s ... er-5-games

Tyndal is idling on the topic and focused on 2019. Not feeling the need to restate P5 ad nauseam at this juncture ( is that correct usage and spelling BJ? ) when every possible point has been made. Beat Cuse !!!

[BJWilliams]

Correct usage but it is ad nauseum

Anyway, This sentiment from Saban does not surprise me, especially with all the talk of playoff expansion and schools wanting to position themselves for being part of that discussion when the field is expanded to 8 or more.

[tyndal23]

That’s what I thought but my phone changed it -

[LU 57]

Makes me think independent is not a great long term solution though. I guess a lot will depend on what happens when existing TV deals start rolling off.

Recruiting and winning consistently seems about the only controllable right now.

I am certainly getting fired up about Syracuse as well. Debating whether to come up early for the kickoff luncheon and such.

[BlueBlood]

Went lightyears back to revive an old thread.

I like the SC 2023 add. If LU can keep picking up money games like that, get a decent number of 2 for 1 regional ACC games (maybe schools like Maryland, Rutgers or WVU might fit in that group also), get some home and homes with G5 schools, play UMass, UConn and maybe NM State home and home, use the money game money to buy some additional home games, and mix in BYU and the academies - I like the potential schedules.

I think I like those schedules better than anything that CUSA, MAC or Sunbelt can produce. AAC is probably my breaking point.

By the way - I don't mind UMass, UConn and NM State. They might not be strong programs, but they are "University of"/"(name of real state) State" and do each have a certain degree of brand recognition. When friends ask who Liberty is playing this week, its a name they will at least recognize. There are probably more UMass, UConn and NM State fans questioning who/where Liberty is.

I think this scheduling can be maintained for awhile. I do have a fear that if LU starts winning, it will shrink the pool of schools that are willing to give 2 for 1s and money games. Then again, that isn't the worst problem to have. And maybe it isn't a legit fear anyway. UCF seems to be able to get 2 for 1s, they just can't get home and homes from many P5 schools.

[thepostman]

I was pretty critical of the move up as a FBS independent school and I think he has been proven pretty early on how wrong I was. The staff has done a great job with scheduling and I think each schedule has a great mix of winnable games and games against high level competition. Starting next year (I believe) we will start having more bowl tie-ins that will be something to play towards. Sure it would be cool to have a conference championship to go after, but that is at least made better when we have numerous bowl tie-ins.

[BlueBlood]

Liberty is very fortunate to be easy commuting distance from the 2 VA ACC schools and the 4 NC ACC schools. If we can keep rotating the 2 for 1s with them, that will go a long way in solidifying a decent schedule.

Wish list:
- add WVU and Maryland to the 2 for 1s list
- more games with Marshall (home and home scheduled)
- more games in FL (FIU scheduled)
- more games in TX (North Texas scheduled)
- a game in ATL

[ballcoach15]

A game in Atlanta would be great, regardless of opponent. (but SEC school would be icing on the cake.)

[sstaedtler]

I have no desire to be in a conference. I think the reason Notre Dame, BYU, and Liberty can't get into a conference is because of the anti-religious bigotry of some athletic directors and administrators. So be it. I don't want to play by their rules. What I'd like to see is less Massachusetts, New Mexico, and New Mexico State. 1 a year is fine, but not all 3. If want independents, let it be BYU and Army. More games against mid or lower level ACC or SEC teams. I would love West Virginia, Maryland, Vanderbilt, Duke, Tennessee, Louisville, Pittsburgh. Even weaker Big 10 teams like Rutgers, Illinois, Purdue. Mid to upper level MAC and Conference USA teams are fine, just as long as we don't overdo it with them. I love the South Carolina add for 2023.

[olldflame]

I have no desire to be in a conference. I think the reason Notre Dame, BYU, and Liberty can't get into a conference is because of the anti-religious bigotry of some athletic directors and administrators. So be it. I don't want to play by their rules. What I'd like to see is less Massachusetts, New Mexico, and New Mexico State. 1 a year is fine, but not all 3. If want independents, let it be BYU and Army. More games against mid or lower level ACC or SEC teams. I would love West Virginia, Maryland, Vanderbilt, Duke, Tennessee, Louisville, Pittsburgh. Even weaker Big 10 teams like Rutgers, Illinois, Purdue. Mid to upper level MAC and Conference USA teams are fine, just as long as we don't overdo it with them. I love the South Carolina add for 2023.

I agree with almost all of that, the exception being that I would not paint Athletic Directors with the same brush as college Presidents. For the most part they are pragmatic, and would look at what Liberty brings to the table objectively. The Sun Belt Commissioner was actually an advocate for us joining.

[sstaedtler]

You are right, oldflame. Many athletic directors are fine. Some college Presidents and administrators have it out for Liberty. It's weird, because Conference USA teams, for instance, have no problem scheduling Liberty for games, but don't want us in their conference. Unfortunately you will always have some conference people against religious schools joining, as BYU and Notre Dame have also found out.

I'd love a schedule that had the following:

2 Independents (at least 1 stronger one, such as BYU, Army, Notre Dame, not all UConn and NM State)
4 ACC or SEC games. Big 10 would be acceptable also in this mix.
5 games from MAC, Sun Belt, Conf. USA
1 game against sub division 1 (if necessary)

[tyndal23]

You are right, oldflame. Many athletic directors are fine. Some college Presidents and administrators have it out for Liberty. It's weird, because Conference USA teams, for instance, have no problem scheduling Liberty for games, but don't want us in their conference. Unfortunately you will always have some conference people against religious schools joining, as BYU and Notre Dame have also found out.

I'd love a schedule that had the following:

2 Independents (at least 1 stronger one, such as BYU, Army, Notre Dame, not all UConn and NM State)
4 ACC or SEC games. Big 10 would be acceptable also in this mix.
5 games from MAC, Sun Belt, Conf. USA
1 game against sub division 1 (if necessary)

Still 1 foot in and 1 foot out of big boy football with that schedule -
I don’t think we can get away from Independents due to scheduling - however you can make NMSU, UMass your lowest rated SOS games - Eliminate FCS game and sub ODU. What benefit does it do to play all those G5 games? Substitute 2 of them for low end P5 and we are P5 equivalent and can recruit/staff at P5 level - huge difference...

[FLAMEfromBAMA]

Since we are giving schedule hopes here is mine! Yeah, I know we are a looooong way from this, but it'd be my hope for where we'd one day get to.

Rotating H&H vs BYU
Rotating H&H vs ND (Saturday After Thanksgiving)
Host 1 Military Academy (Military Appreciation Day)
1 Virginia School
2 SEC Games
2 Big Ten Games
1 Big 12 Game
1 Pac 10 Game
2 G5 Games