[ballcoach15]

Hopefully NCAA will force them to go to 12 teams. Also, B12 needs to go to 2 divisions
Conference championship games that are rematches from regular season make conference watered down.

[ballcoach15]

One thing that may be in our favor with AAC, is ECU needs a conference rival

[alabama24]

Hopefully NCAA will force them to go to 12 teams. Also, B12 needs to go to 2 divisions
Conference championship games that are rematches from regular season make conference watered down.

Hey wait a minute. Aren't you the one who doesn't like conference championship games in the first place?

[ballcoach15]

Yes, but since they're here, conferences should have 2 divisions. Taking top 2 teams, who have already played in regular season isn't a good format.

[tyndal23]

Way harder to play every team in your conference and then beat a team twice to win it all, but it does ensure best teams are in champ game unlike SEC and the rest.

[Liberty22]

This is UCONN 2020 schedule:

UMass
Illinois
Virginia
Indiana
Old Dominion
Maine
Ole Miss
Liberty
North Carolina
San Jose State
Middle Tennessee
Army

That’s a pretty great schedule. More impressive than an AAC schedule in my mind. There’s something to be said for the independent route.

[LUOrange]

That is an impressive schedule. However, UCONN will never have areal hard time buiding a schedule because of their basketball teams, they're being a household name, and the relationships they've built while being in the Big East & AAC.

[tyndal23]

LU could have easily schedule that way if they wanted to. Curious to see if UConn bothers with trying to tweak it slightly more and bother with trying to be a P5 Equivalent or if they even care - pretty sure they don’t really care and consider hoops as main priority.

[ballcoach15]

Everytime I think of schedule, I think that we need to drop Western Carolina, and replace them with FBS school.

[LUOrange]

Everytime I think of schedule, I think that we need to drop Western Carolina, and replace them with FBS school.

I would've rather have dropped one of the FCS schools for UConn and kept UVA, but I understand the what and why they did things. I look forward to only having 1 FCS school on the schedule.

However and IMO, our goal should be an all FBS schedule that includes at least 3-4 P5 schools per year. Just as I think we need to drop the NAIA schools from the MBB schedule. I think it's pretty obvious, that for the immediate foreseeable future, we need to overwork to prove the naysayers wrong. I know some or maybe even most of our scheduling issues with FB and MBB are not our fault. But we're starting in the negatives in respect in FB and MBB, we don't need to contribute to it by playing a cupcake schedule. We're also on the verge of becoming one of the few G5/Midmajor level schools to break through in both major sports, and cupcakes will only hinder us. And I know and have heard the arguments for MBB and they make sense, but so does my argument.

[The Big Pineapple]

I like the scheduling that has been done so far. As an independent you have to be a little aggressive in scheduling. There are several factors to consider in scheduling: reputation of the other team, not being too aggressive since you need to build a winning reputation, budget, building rivalries, attendance, and travel. There are end of the year battles for bells, buckets, skillets, etc. Maybe start one with an ODU; recruits like these things to play for. Also, championships maybe with several other independents.
By the way, i think Cincinnati did trade some basketball games to get invited to a bowl several years ago.
Go Flames!

[ballcoach15]

Don't know what future holds, but ODU doesn't move the needle. Right now they are probably the worst FBS football team in the country. I'd rather play a more established school.

[The Big Pineapple]

It doesn't have to be ODU. That was just an example. Just need to start a rivalry series with someone.

[Purple Haize]

ODU would be a perfect rival for LU. Both young FBS schools looking for tradition. In state Recruiting some of the same players. It would be perfect to grow together
If you were to look at a “National” rivalry BYU is a no brainer. But they are more concerned with The Utes

[ballcoach15]

If I had to pick one school now for LU to become a rival with, I would pick Marshall.

[Purple Haize]

If I had to pick one school now for LU to become a rival with, I would pick Marshall.

They’re too busy trying to be WVU’s rival. Maybe when they play Varsity Sports but not now. But they offer nothing for LU either

[chris leedlelee]

BYU and LU are natural rivals due to the religious leanings of both schools. ODU would make a fine regional rival, however, I hope to one day be developing a rivalry with one of the local ACC schools. We do happen to have a series with Duke and Virginia Tech in the future...

[Cider Jim]

If I had to pick one school now for LU to become a rival with, I would pick Marshall.

I like how you think, Ballcoach.

[thepostman]

Why would Marshall ever care enough about us to make it a rivalry? ODU makes sense in so many ways. Not only is it a natural rivalry on the field but also in recruiting. It's perfect and I'd love for it to grow.

[ballcoach15]

ODU brings nothing to the table. No tradition, no history, no nothing. They are not an established football program. Nothing with ODU even shows a hint of it being a good rivalry. I don't understand how a no name football program can become a rival. If LU is dependent upon ODU as a rival, we are in trouble

[thepostman]

I explained why I believe ODU makes sense for a regional rival. I'm not sure why any school with tradition or history would care about liberty enough to make a change in whatever traditional rivalry they already have.

ODU and LU are both Virigina schools, they are both new the FBS and they both could use some kind of rivalry. It makes a lot of logical sense to me.

Regardless, I'm not a huge fan of manufacturing rivalries. So I guess we will see what develops in the coming years.

[Purple Haize]

ODU brings nothing to the table. No tradition, no history, no nothing. They are not an established football program. Nothing with ODU even shows a hint of it being a good rivalry. I don't understand how a no name football program can become a rival. If LU is dependent upon ODU as a rival, we are in trouble

What tradition or history does LU have? What has LU established as a FB program that is so much greater than ODU?
How does not being in:
The same state
Being FBS for about the same amount of time
Competing for the same recruits
Having the same aspirations
NOT hint at being a good rival? It actually hints at being a GREAT rival.
The fact that you, an ultimate fanboy, loathe them even proves the point that they’d be a great rival for LU

[thepostman]

The fact that you, an ultimate fanboy, loathe them even proves the point that they’d be a great rival for LU

Great observation!

[A Sea of Red]

ASOR and the forums got a ton of traffic from BYU fans. Not that it matters too much, but it is interesting as it shows their fans apparently care more about Liberty than some of our other opponents. Maybe "care about" isn't the appropriate term, "curious" is probably better.

[thepostman]

Yeah, the BYU dynamic is certianly an interesting one. They also posses a lot of intangibles that could make for a fun rivalry. Their fans are so dang nice so it would be hard to have any real animosity but I'm all for a BYU rivalry. They have a great fanbase.