[NotAJerry]

Not to pick your argument apart, but a) Harrisonburg is close to what major metro area? D.C.? It's 2 1/2 hours from D.C. to Harrisonburg ... and b) on-field performance means nothing in the scheme of conference affiliation. It's about what a school can add to a conference going forward in terms of revenue streams. Liberty has a much more broad appeal on a nationwide basis than JMU does.

The only way Harrisonburg takes 2.5 hours is if you get stuck in rush hour traffic for part of the ride. I've made the trip many times, and it's a wide open ride for most of the time with a speed limit of 65-70 most of the way. 2.5 hours is a worst case scenario. There's a solid JMU presence in DC and the VA suburbs. I know a handful of folks who commute from Harrisonburg to Vienna, Tyson's Corner, etc. on a daily basis. Throw in folks in places like Chantilly and Manassas, that work in DC during the day, and they've got a trip to JMU that is closer to 1.5 hours or less.

[Chris Lang]

I grew up in the D.C. area. There is no time when there's not rush hour traffic. There are times it takes me 2 1/2 hours to get to my mom's house in southern Fairfax County, and there are times it takes 4 1/2 hours because of the slog on 95 between Fredericksburg and the beltway. I know JMU has a presence there, but it's well below most of the schools in the area, and not enough to make the school appealing based on grabbing the D.C. demo. If I had to rank, I'd say the pecking order up there in terms of media/fan interest is Georgetown basketball/Maryland basketball/Va. Tech FB/Maryland FB/Virginia sports/George Mason/George Washington/JMU/American-Howard-etc.

[Sly Fox]

I'm afraid I see Chris' side of this discussion. JMU has some great things working but they are nothing more than a regional school at best. Liberty offers a national potential that JMU cannot match simply because of the purpose and mission of each school. The only way JMU is perceived to be more attractive than us for CUSA/MWC is if religious intolerance plays a significant role.

I don't think many of you recognize that when it comes to these FBS leagues, there really are very few options at the FCS level that compare to us in regard to the criteria they are considering. If this realignment had occurred 5 years ago, we probably wouldn't have been a serious consideration for most if not all FBS leagues. But our administration had the vision and resources to make the moves that have positioned us for these possibilities.

On a regional basis, I would agree that JMU has a higher profile. But on a national level, Liberty is unquestionably the more attractive school. I know we have been ina regional mindset for the better part of two decades. But it is time for us to expand the boundaries of our minds. When you look from a different perspective, it will instill confidence in our position.

[NotAJerry]

I grew up in the D.C. area. There is no time when there's not rush hour traffic. There are times it takes me 2 1/2 hours to get to my mom's house in southern Fairfax County, and there are times it takes 4 1/2 hours because of the slog on 95 between Fredericksburg and the beltway. I know JMU has a presence there, but it's well below most of the schools in the area, and not enough to make the school appealing based on grabbing the D.C. demo. If I had to rank, I'd say the pecking order up there in terms of media/fan interest is Georgetown basketball/Maryland basketball/Va. Tech FB/Maryland FB/Virginia sports/George Mason/George Washington/JMU/American-Howard-etc.

Virginia has become a non-entity here on the sports front. Mason and JMU are both ahead of them. GW is dead in the water. There's an empty gym with some guys running around and losing games. They've completely fallen off the local sports radar. I can't think of a TV spot they've gotten in 3 years. I'd go ahead and throw ODU ahead of the American-Howard-etc. group. That's been a growing fanbase in the area and reminds me of how folks viewed VT 15-20 years ago.

The trip to Harrisonburg, especially on weekends, is an easy one that takes less than 2 hours. The DC JMU alumni have trips out to JMU for every home football game that have included over 1,000 people travelling to the game together at least 1 time. There's a reason why JMU is getting a game against West Virginia at FedEx Field. The hoops team doesn't get the same support, in part due to the difficulty of the trip on weeknights, but the football team has a solid and growing following in DC that is almost on par with Mason men's hoops.

[Chris Lang]

I grew up in the D.C. area. There is no time when there's not rush hour traffic. There are times it takes me 2 1/2 hours to get to my mom's house in southern Fairfax County, and there are times it takes 4 1/2 hours because of the slog on 95 between Fredericksburg and the beltway. I know JMU has a presence there, but it's well below most of the schools in the area, and not enough to make the school appealing based on grabbing the D.C. demo. If I had to rank, I'd say the pecking order up there in terms of media/fan interest is Georgetown basketball/Maryland basketball/Va. Tech FB/Maryland FB/Virginia sports/George Mason/George Washington/JMU/American-Howard-etc.

Virginia has become a non-entity here on the sports front. Mason and JMU are both ahead of them. GW is dead in the water. There's an empty gym with some guys running around and losing games. They've completely fallen off the local sports radar. I can't think of a TV spot they've gotten in 3 years. I'd go ahead and throw ODU ahead of the American-Howard-etc. group. That's been a growing fanbase in the area and reminds me of how folks viewed VT 15-20 years ago.

The trip to Harrisonburg, especially on weekends, is an easy one that takes less than 2 hours. The DC JMU alumni have trips out to JMU for every home football game that have included over 1,000 people travelling to the game together at least 1 time. There's a reason why JMU is getting a game against West Virginia at FedEx Field. The hoops team doesn't get the same support, in part due to the difficulty of the trip on weeknights, but the football team has a solid and growing following in DC that is almost on par with Mason men's hoops.

Good point on GW and the other small city schools. I don't disagree that JMU has a presence in the D.C. area. But I don't know if it's enough of a presence for a conference to go, hey, if we grab James Madison, we'll grab a share of the D.C. market. I guess that's my point. ... Just the same, I don't think anyone looks at Liberty and says, hey, we can grab that Richmond market, or the Raleigh/Durham market. It's kind of on an island. But the online/DLP has given the school a national presence that cannot be ignored. Pair that with the infrastructure changes on campus and suddenly LU is a very attractive school. As Sly noted, you couldn't say that in 2006. ... And with all that being said, JMU is an attractive option for a conference. And I wouldn't be surprised if both don't end up in the same place eventually, along with Appalachian State.

[mlschubert]

Hopefully this list expands to include us. From Andy Katz blog on ESPN this am:
According to multiple sources, the candidates include Charlotte (A-10), which is about to start playing football; Florida International (Sun Belt); North Texas (Sun Belt); UT-San Antonio (WAC); Louisiana Tech (WAC); Middle Tennessee State (Sun Belt); Western Kentucky (Sun Belt), if the Hilltoppers want to bump up the football program; Old Dominion (CAA), if the Monarchs bump up football as well; and UMass and Temple (both would be coming from MAC in football, A-10 in other sports).

[Sly Fox]

That list ia in line with what I have been hearing with the exception of UMass which seema out of the blue and seriously lacking in resources. I've also heard FAU mentiones as well.

[TH Spangler]

I posted this link in the Non-LU Sports forum under the "realignment thread" .... but maybe it belongs here.

I found this quote in a Alabama newspaper ... do you think it's a misquote, misunderstanding, slip of the tongue or a creditable leak, or just old news?

http://mobile.al.com/advbirm/pm_29180/c ... d=lobwldC8

Liberty is in the process of moving to Division I-A after years in I-AA.

"They're negotiating conferences and they'll announce that in April," Smith said. "They want to build a tradition there.

[TH Spangler]

Boy am I behind ..... http://www2.dailyprogress.com/sports/20 ... r-1657456/

Lang is probably wondering where I've been. I need to catch up!

[mlschubert]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/7519 ... the-answer#

This article is a little old, but it's a good look at FCS teams most ready to move; it's also particularly interesting w/the C-USA merger which could potentially allow for a group of teams to move into the conference shell that is left behind.

[LUconn]

bleacherreport? weak sauce.

[mlschubert]

bleacherreport? weak sauce.

That's fair. Though, I appreciated that someone looked objectively at schools by the numbers (and was glad to see Liberty listed amongst the candidates).