[The Big Pineapple]

https://forms.gle/agC9Gw9QCD4zgAP4A
Has anyone voted on this link?
You can vote to remain independent or give 10 teams listed from independents, CUSA, and Sun Belt. If you go the conference route the 10th team to list is ours.

https://forms.gle/agC9Gw9QCD4zgAP4A

[tyndal23]

How about we stay as far away from both those conferences as possible and try and be relevant.

[cruzan_flame13]

How about we stay as far away from both those conferences as possible and try and be relevant.

I actually agree with that. I'd hope we can get invited in the A-10 when conference realigns and remain independent for football. At this point, being blessed with good finances, we may get an advantage to get into a good conference quicker than we might think.

[ballcoach15]

American Athletic Conference

Big 12 Conference

[Sly Fox]

I played along. I listed Liberty for all ten choices and it let me submit as such. Indy is dandy with me.

[ballcoach15]

How about we stay as far away from both those conferences as possible and try and be relevant.

I actually agree with that. I'd hope we can get invited in the A-10 when conference realigns and remain independent for football. At this point, being blessed with good finances, we may get an advantage to get into a good conference quicker than we might think.

What does A10 have to offer, that would be attractive to Liberty ?

[cruzan_flame13]

How about we stay as far away from both those conferences as possible and try and be relevant.

I actually agree with that. I'd hope we can get invited in the A-10 when conference realigns and remain independent for football. At this point, being blessed with good finances, we may get an advantage to get into a good conference quicker than we might think.

What does A10 have to offer, that would be attractive to Liberty ?

A better basketball conference, which is is the second valuable sport in college athletics. I know your interest is softball related, but it's not as interested to Americans as basketball. Since AAC is an uncertainty and the Big 12 is a mountain that we'll need to climb, I take a conference that will help us get more national attention in basketball and a stronger schedule. That's a bigger offer than the ASUN as a whole imho.

[Ill flame]

How about we stay as far away from both those conferences as possible and try and be relevant.

I actually agree with that. I'd hope we can get invited in the A-10 when conference realigns and remain independent for football. At this point, being blessed with good finances, we may get an advantage to get into a good conference quicker than we might think.

What does A10 have to offer, that would be attractive to Liberty ?

According to net this season in basketball A10 was the 8th best conference behind the AAC & ACC. The ASUN was 26th but without liberty they wouldve been 30th behind the big south.

In baseball ASUN was 13th best conference (again liberty is propping them up). While A10 was 20th.
Women's basketball was 17th in the A10 vs the ASUNs 24th.

I couldn't find rpi conference rankings for softball but I'm sure the asun is better... either way the A10 would be a better conference for us. We would be in a conference with 4 teams from Virginia or DC. They also tend to take sports more seriously which matches up better with liberty.

[ballcoach15]

We should not throw baseball, softball, track, tennis, soccer and volleyball under the bus for the sake of basketball. A10 is a basketball conference, nothing else.
Richmond and VCU don't have a softball team.
ASUN geography better suits Liberty than that of A10, which is a northern conference.
I don't think A10 would issue LU an invitation, knowing we would leave after a year or 2, if we got better offer.
I seem to recall the ASUN being just behind the P5 conferences in baseball and softball 2 seasons ago. One was 6th and one was 7th, I believe.

[Sly Fox]

Here is the discussion on the JMU board that acccompnaies the poll.

The A-10 has been our desired destination for decades even though the makeup of the league and the sports it sponsors have changed during this time period. The reason why we never were invited to the league over that period (and Doc tried hard) is the same reason I suspect it won't happen anytime soon ... look who votes. The thought of those guys inviting us into the fold is difficult to imagine in 2020. Believe it or not I believe the AAC is more likely and sadly by all indications we are not as high on their prospects list as we would prefer. And I am here to throw ballcoach a bone ... I absolutely agree that a Southern-based league in general is more desirable for our university since that is where our base is strongest. But the A-10 would be a HUGE step forward from A-Sun. The AAC would be a much bigger step forward than any of our other options. But I wouldn't be surprised to see it broken up in the next few years. Look at Cincy's situation right now. It is a harbinger of things to come.

But collegiate athletics are going to go through a horrendous year with revenues dropping dramatically. It is unknown how this will impact conference decision-making moving forward. Before this all occurred, the grant of rights for a number fo conferences were set to expire creating a window of opportunity for major realignment. The disparity in revenue between the fave and hav nots just was amplified significantly. Without going into great detail, expect state universities dependent on government coffers to be hit harder by this pandemic in the short term than privates who have a different business model. In the long term I suspect everyone will be impacted. But don't be surprised to see mid-tier state universities particularly in energy-focused states to feel the pinch in the next year. Louisiana may have to merge multiple schools. Wyoming may need to drop multiple sports. Commodity prices are going to ravage state budgets in 2021 that are based strongly on royalties. That includes my home state although we are more diversified that some of the others I listed prior as well as states like Alaska, California, New Mexico, Colorado, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The last state mentioned is much more exposed to oil & gas revenues today than it ever has been in the past and I know we have several folks on here for whom that is now a concern.

[Cider Jim]

ASUN geography better suits Liberty than that of A10, which is a northern conference.

Ballcoach, if you could get over your hatred for the North, you would realize that nearly half the teams in the A-10 are located nearby in Virginia or North Carolina. And you wouldn't have to make those long drives to Florida to see a softball game.

Check out this MAP of the A-10 Conference teams: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_10_Conference

[ballcoach15]

ASUN geography better suits Liberty than that of A10, which is a northern conference.

Ballcoach, if you could get over your hatred for the North, you would realize that nearly half the teams in the A-10 are located nearby in Virginia or North Carolina. And you wouldn't have to make those long drives to Florida to see a softball game.

Check out this MAP of the A-10 Conference teams: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_10_Conference

I have always operated under the assumption that when I cross the James River on U.S. 29 into Amherst County, I am in the north.

But I need to research the A10, to see who's actually in the conference.

[Cider Jim]

Ballcoach, without Googling, do you know where the Mason-Dixon Line is?

[ballcoach15]

Ballcoach, without Googling, do you know where the Mason-Dixon Line is?

It starts up in Maryland,(maybe Delaware) and weaves its way westward ending up at Texas-NM border I believe.

As for A10 baseball and softball, the A10 has an average RPI of 205 for baseball, and 218 for softball. Their softball teams had a combined record of 54-109 this season, with no team having a winning record.

I'd much rather drive to Florida than ANY venue in A10. Only decent venues in A10 are Davidson and St Louis, and Davidson doesn't have softball.

[Purple Haize]

ASUN geography better suits Liberty than that of A10, which is a northern conference.

Ballcoach, if you could get over your hatred for the North, you would realize that nearly half the teams in the A-10 are located nearby in Virginia or North Carolina. And you wouldn't have to make those long drives to Florida to see a softball game.

Check out this MAP of the A-10 Conference teams: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_10_Conference

I have always operated under the assumption that when I cross the James River on U.S. 29 into Amherst County, I am in the north.

But I need to research the A10, to see who's actually in the conference.

I mean you SAY you want to be taken seriously. And you SAY we should take everything you say as fact. But your own actions and admissions prove otherwise

[Cider Jim]

When I was going to Ole Miss, my fellow students said I lived "up North" in Virginia. I asked them what they considered "North," and they told me "anything above Memphis." By that definition, even Gretna is in the North.

[Ill flame]

This is more of a sideways move but is there any particular reason we didn't pursue joining the southern conference instead of ASUN? I don't know much about it but geographically it would fit better and it's a slightly better conference.

[cruzan_flame13]

Ballcoach, without Googling, do you know where the Mason-Dixon Line is?

It starts up in Maryland,(maybe Delaware) and weaves its way westward ending up at Texas-NM border I believe.

As for A10 baseball and softball, the A10 has an average RPI of 205 for baseball, and 218 for softball. Their softball teams had a combined record of 54-109 this season, with no team having a winning record.

I'd much rather drive to Florida than ANY venue in A10. Only decent venues in A10 are Davidson and St Louis, and Davidson doesn't have softball.

Sports bring in money for schools. Basketball brings in more money than Baseball and Softball combine. Without your preferences, you cannot deny yhatbit will be better for a school fanacially speaking to improve their Football and Basketball programs correct?

[Sly Fox]

In reference to the SoCon we did pursue them ... thirty years ago. Mike Tilley even hosted a weekly Southern Conference TV show that LU produced while we were courting them. Some on here might have ven been a part of the production.

But while the SoCon is a nice regional league, their members have no interest in a large, big-budgeted school joining their ranks. None. Even the A-Sun did so begrudgingly and the results since our includion have only confirmed their fears. One A-Sun AD flat out told me a few months back that competing with LU is nearly impossible based on budgets.

[cruzan_flame13]

In reference to the SoCon we did pursue them ... thirty years ago. Mike Tilley even hosted a weekly Southern Conference TV show that LU produced while we were courting them. Some on here might have ven been a part of the production.

But while the SoCon is a nice regional league, their members have no interest in a large, big-budgeted school joining their ranks. None. Even the A-Sun did so begrudgingly and the results since our includion have only confirmed their fears. One A-Sun AD flat out told me a few months back that competing with LU is nearly impossible based on budgets.

Do you think they will ask us to leave at some point?

[Purple Haize]

In reference to the SoCon we did pursue them ... thirty years ago. Mike Tilley even hosted a weekly Southern Conference TV show that LU produced while we were courting them. Some on here might have ven been a part of the production.

But while the SoCon is a nice regional league, their members have no interest in a large, big-budgeted school joining their ranks. None. Even the A-Sun did so begrudgingly and the results since our includion have only confirmed their fears. One A-Sun AD flat out told me a few months back that competing with LU is nearly impossible based on budgets.

Do you think they will ask us to leave at some point?

I thought they kinda already did

[cruzan_flame13]

Good point lol

[flameshaw]

My definition of up north is anything from the southern boundary of Richmond northward. I would like to see us build a wall from that point north to the VA border, across the northern line of Kentucky and on west to the Mississippi River.
Here in NC, we have been invaded from the North and I see no upside. They have brought all of their problems, and haughty attitudes with them. We could make a few exceptions, ie. PA Medic, but they should have to get prior approval.
Build the wall.

[LUOrange]

If we have the opportunity to join the A10 within the near future and barring any changes to the college athletics landscape (which I expect some changes, especially with the lower tiered G5's), we'd have to jump on it. A10 basketball speaks for itself. It makes alot more sense for us to be playing Davidson, Richmond, VCU, George Mason, and George Washington regularly in all sports than it does then all of the ASUN schools except Lipscomb and North Florida. We've raced so far ahead of the ASUN & Big South schools within the last 5-10 years that we're really not a fit for either conference anymore.

[LUOrange]

My definition of up north is anything from the southern boundary of Richmond northward. I would like to see us build a wall from that point north to the VA border, across the northern line of Kentucky and on west to the Mississippi River.
Here in NC, we have been invaded from the North and I see no upside. They have brought all of their problems, and haughty attitudes with them. We could make a few exceptions, ie. PA Medic, but they should have to get prior approval.
Build the wall.

Build the wall around Louden, Prince William, and Fairfax Counties.