[jbock13]

That's not true. Take for example, what if I said that old white people love to talk about their health problems? Sure, there's a few that don't, but most of them do. Therefore I can say, with certainty that old white people love to talk about their health problems. If I have to make exceptions for everything I say, then there'd be no real point in saying it.

For example, Kansas would be Liberty in basketball. Maybe one time Liberty could beat them out of 20,000, but that would kill my overall point if I had to go out of my way to explain that.

[TH Spangler]

Speaking of health problems let me tell you about mine .... on second thought nevermind!

[LUaddict]

Check out this insight on behalf of consulting firm that conducted Georgia State's FBS feasibility study on Sun Belt Conference Realignment

http://www.ajc.com/weblogs/georgia-stat ... expansion/

An expert's predictions on Sun Belt expansion
By Doug Roberson

I asked for your opinion on what the Sun Belt should do if it expands.

I gave you my opinion.

Now, I provide the opinion of Russell Wright, owner of Atlanta-based Collegiate Consulting, and someone that I would consider to be an expert on conference expansion matters. You may remember Wright’s business as the one that produced Georgia State’s FBS feasibility study. His company has produced feasibility studies for dozens of colleges, including some that will be mentioned in a few words.

Here’s what he thinks will happen:

He thinks Georgia Southern and Appalachian State will receive invitations to join the Sun Belt Conference.

Answering some of your concerns, he said academics likely won’t enter into the mix. As for demographics, he said unless you are one of the top-five conferences, market size doesn’t mean as much as rivalries and interest. He thinks adding Georgia Southern would help generate interest in Georgia State.

“Generating excitement about these games is huge,” he said.

He thinks New Mexico State will also receive an invitation, possibly for football only. He said he hasn’t heard much about Idaho and therefore isn’t sure they will receive an invitation.

He predicts that Western Kentucky will soon leave the Sun Belt to join Conference USA.

Should that happen, he said don’t be surprised if Sam Houston State and Jacksonville State receive consideration to join the Sun Belt.

He said Sam Houston must work to improve its stadium (which seats around 14k but has room to add capacity), but like Southern and Appalachian State it is helped by its success in football (it has reached the FCS national championship game each of the past two years). Plus, if market size is a concern, the school has been playing some games in nearby Houston, where it has hosted 30,000 fans. He said Jacksonville State’s football stadium is much nicer, but he gives the nod to Sam Houston State because of its recent success and its proximity to Houston.

He said he hasn’t heard any rumblings regarding Delaware, James Madison, Liberty, Missouri State or other Missouri Valley Conference schools.

Within that group, he said he is intrigued by James Madison, which has a 30,000-seat stadium.

[logic]

This guy clearly doesn't know anything about Liberty University. Intrigued by JMU's stadium? Really? Does he realize we could build a stadium twice that size, tomorrow, if we wanted to?

[forbidden]

Then maybe they should just go ahead and do the stadium now, what good does it really do to wait? If there is a waiting list as has been claimed build you a top not h stadium hv the people come on in and make the game day exp the best it can possibly be. If that is what some are intrigued by now, not what u can do later why not have it be done and over with. The only thing I may not be opposed to holding off on would be the end zone horse show configuration until the end but the visitor side build, should be completed.

[adam42381]

Then maybe they should just go ahead and do the stadium now, what good does it really do to wait? If there is a waiting list as has been claimed build you a top not h stadium hv the people come on in and make the game day exp the best it can possibly be. If that is what some are intrigued by now, not what u can do later why not have it be done and over with. The only thing I may not be opposed to holding off on would be the end zone horse show configuration until the end but the visitor side build, should be completed.

I'm with you. I don't see the benefit at all.

[Humble_Opinion]

We wouldn't be able to fill a stadium that size at this point. We've gone far and beyond what's required for us to join an FBS conference at this point. There is no better funded Athletics department than ours at the FCS level. There is no other school that has as large as a base of current students than ours that is being considered. How many of these other schools have launched their own TV Networks?

I really think there's something else afoot here, beyond just the stuff we typically debate about as being important to move up. Our name is being mentioned quite often these days by the national media. Sending both Men's and Women's Basketball squads to the Big dance will help keep our name in the spotlight too. We'll see whether any of this has any real affect on our standing in the public's eye.

[Humble_Opinion]

Would you rather be one of 18,000 in a stadium that seats 19,000 or one of 18,000 in a stadium that seats 30,000+? Think about it... A lot of schools have fallen into that field of dreams mantra. It doesn't always pan out. If someone told us that if we built a stadium addition then we would be invited for sure, then it would likely be done. But that's not what's holding us back here.

[jbock13]

We know what's holding us back. We shouldn't be surprised.

[logic]

We know what's holding us back. We shouldn't be surprised.

Isn't it ironic that the very establishment we spent the first 40 years of our existence railing against now holds our FBS future in their hands...If there is one thing that liberal President's hate more than they love money, it might just be political conservatism, specifically the "in your face style" of our first 40 years. Perhaps even more ironic is the fact that real conservatism isn't even found in the GOP, rather it is found in the Constitution Party and the Libertarian Party. Not only are we pushing an agenda extremely unpopular in the liberal elitist academic world, we aren't even pushing a party that is truly conservative.

[jbock13]

Wow... I agree with you.

[flamesfan30]

We know what's holding us back. We shouldn't be surprised.

Isn't it ironic that the very establishment we spent the first 40 years of our existence railing against now holds our FBS future in their hands...If there is one thing that liberal President's hate more than they love money, it might just be political conservatism, specifically the "in your face style" of our first 40 years. Perhaps even more ironic is the fact that real conservatism isn't even found in the GOP, rather it is found in the Constitution Party and the Libertarian Party. Not only are we pushing an agenda extremely unpopular in the liberal elitist academic world, we aren't even pushing a party that is truly conservative.

well said.

[forbidden]

Well, the thing I ask is, IF there is a supposed waiting list building the other side, should'nt be an issue, not even a little bit. I am just trying to understand if there are people waiting to see the product give them someplace to sit.

I'm sure that its supposed to be a valid reason but I guess just wishful thinking on my part, more seats and better opposition brings fans to the yard, or am I wrong.

[ATrain]

7-10 days is when the Big East will announce its new teams:

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketb ... -7-10-days

Xavier, Butler and Creighton are the favorites. Dayton and St. Louis also considered, Richmond is a longshot.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story ... y-join-acc

Notre Dame to the ACC a year early.

[jlread]

7-10 days is when the Big East will announce its new teams:

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketb ... -7-10-days

Xavier, Butler and Creighton are the favorites. Dayton and St. Louis also considered, Richmond is a longshot.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story ... y-join-acc

Notre Dame to the ACC a year early.

If Richmond's a long shot maybe we could get Charlotte to lend a helping hand!!!!! LOL

[rmiller1959]

Looks like they came to their senses about the "America 12" Conference.

http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.co ... east-name/

[rmiller1959]

We made the New York Times for the second time in a year. The unique circumstances of our ascension to the tournament makes us a better human interest story than just about any other lower seed entrant. This can only help our pursuit of an FBS invitation:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/15/sport ... d=all&_r=2&

[TH Spangler]

Sounds like the MAC is going to raid the Sun Belt? A lot of buzz about Arkansas State and Louisiana-Lafayette to the MAC.

[Sly Fox]

I seriously doubt it. All the buzz is coming from a few disgruntled Louisiana-Lafayette fans who hate what the see of the Sun Belt and who are hoping some of their crazy ideas stick. Those two schools are much more likely to end up in CUSA than the MAC.

[JK37]

I was thinking, for what possible reason would the MAC want them??

[jbock13]

Because some people believe everything they hear. Or want to hear.

[TH Spangler]

Because some people believe everything they hear. Or want to hear.

Nothing would surprise me at this point.

http://csnbbs.com/showthread.php?pid=9089968

[Sly Fox]

Those two schools heading to the MAC would be shocking IMHO. Particularly the Cajuns. Those fans in Southwest Louisiana think the Duck Dynasty guys are too Yankee being from Northern Louisiana. Think Swamp People. I honestly believe they will stay in Sun Belt until C-USA finally offers them a spot to align with traditional rivals like Southern Miss & LaTech. Which frankly could be in the not too distant future. In a perfect world, they remain in the Sun Belt should we get in the club.

[rmiller1959]

Because some people believe everything they hear. Or want to hear.

Nothing would surprise me at this point.

http://csnbbs.com/showthread.php?pid=9089968

Interesting that there is only one reference to Liberty's FBS aspirations in 11 pages, and the name "Liberty" is followed by a vomiting emoticon.

http://csnbbs.com/showthread.php?tid=62 ... pid9097573

I've only been with the university for a year and a half, and I truly love it, but outside of Lynchburg and our alumni base, we apparently need to do a better job of marketing ourselves, recognizing, as some already have on this board, that we can't make people love us, especially if they don't subscribe to the public advocacy of a Biblical worldview.

[Sly Fox]

Keep in mind for the first 30 years of our existence, we practically begged the world to dislike us. There were very good reasons for us to choose that position. But it is taking us awhile to build some bridges these days.