[Equinox]

I'm sure we'll all know JMU's decision real soon

http://www.jmu.edu/news/2014/04/08-bov- ... ment.shtml

[LUaddict]

Apparently according to the sun belt board MSU and JMU both have received official invites to the sun belt.

[LUaddict]

Bear Boulevard @BearBoulevard
Reports are saying that Missouri State and JMU have been invited to the Sun Belt Conference. Could FBS football be coming to #sgf soon?

[Liberty22]

...........

[flowserve]

I found this link from the Lehigh board.
http://lehighfootballnation.blogspot.co ... -unit.html

[LUaddict]

This Yahoo College Football page had a headline tonight of Liberty to Join SBC. It has since been pulled. Here is a screenshot. Any thoughts?

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f117/ ... 8cff3f.jpg

This is an obvious hoax dude, he is messing with all the Liberty Haters. Its really easy to make and edit a shot like this.

He also made another one saying that Missouri State was invited to the Super Big 12 ACC SEC Mega Conference, Its basically a joke.

[LUaddict]

My thoughts are that what a lot of us thought could happen did. We were set to get invited, and sources a lot of legit people had have backed that up. JMU decided they would rather join a conference they don't like than get left behind by a school they hate. Sun Belt presidents always wanted JMU most, so boom, we are out.

As for Missouri State, that is just to make the west schools happy. It's a ridiculous add honestly. Anybody that says it's about winning should look at Mo St.

Bingo BYD

[Liberty22]

oh gotcha

[CinciFlame]

I'm a plan B kinda guy. You should always have a fall back plan. So if this turns out like it's likely to turn out, JMU and Missouri St. to the Belt and Liberty left out what so we do then? I can't imagine a scenario where we spend the next several years in the Big South. So what's plan B?

[LUaddict]

I'm a plan B kinda guy. You should always have a fall back plan. So if this turns out like it's likely to turn out, JMU and Missouri St. to the Belt and Liberty left out what so we do then? I can't imagine a scenario where we spend the next several years in the Big South. So what's plan B?

To be honest with you, I think JR is smart guy, but we know that if the Sun Belt has a problem with us, other FCS conference don't want us because we would bolt at a drop of a hat. We also have like minded academic/athletic peers beside in the Big South. Upper tier FCS conference feel they are better than us in athletics and academics. I am a die hard Liberty fan and Alum, I just get the feeling that no one wants us unless it they are in a bind and need a warm body, it took me a long time to accept that. We tend to not be liked by the general media, other public universities, and many other general population. Some are neutral at best at what we stand for, but our institution is controversial. Many presidents have a hard time accepting us.

[CinciFlame]

I agree totally. If the SB won't accept us we can forget the other conferences.

[SuperJon]

There is no plan b. It's FBS or bust.

[LUaddict]

I'm a plan B kinda guy. You should always have a fall back plan. So if this turns out like it's likely to turn out, JMU and Missouri St. to the Belt and Liberty left out what so we do then? I can't imagine a scenario where we spend the next several years in the Big South. So what's plan B?

Best case scenario for us is that we recruit other schools to the Big South, stay pat, and continue to build out program all sports, not just football. Keep or recruit schools to the big south to keep the autobid to the FCS playoffs.

If and When JMU gets invited to another AAC/CUSA/MAC conference after they have been in the Sun Belt for a couple of seasons, after their transition is done, and they have been bowl eligible; and won. Then, I feel that we will be plugged in to keep the Sun Belt at 12, keep their CCG, and also keep the travel partners happy in the east. I just feel that we will get invited if and when JMU leaves for greener pastures.

[VAGolf]

2 things

1. We aren't out of it until JMU accepts. They can always reject an invitation.

2. If they do accept, they'll have to receive an invitation to C-USA, AAC, or MAC before they bolt from the SB.

Personally, I don't see them leaving the CAA for the Sun Belt, unless they feel comfortable that the MAC will invite them soon. The MAC may very well be interested in JMU but not be interested in having a transitional school. So, the easy way to combat that is to be in the Sun Belt during the transitional period.

[SuperJon]

Missouri State getting an invite before us would be more embarrassing than any of the WTF games in football.

[LUaddict]

2 things

1. We aren't out of it until JMU accepts. They can always reject an invitation.

2. If they do accept, they'll have to receive an invitation to C-USA, AAC, or MAC before they bolt from the SB.

Personally, I don't see them leaving the CAA for the Sun Belt, unless they feel comfortable that the MAC will invite them soon. The MAC may very well be interested in JMU but not be interested in having a transitional school. So, the easy way to combat that is to be in the Sun Belt during the transitional period.

If JMU has received an invite, which may or not be true, but according to their BOT meeting schedule, it sure looks like conference realignment discussion and decision may come soon.

Of course other AAC/CUSA/MAC conferences would have to offer them an invite in order to be received as a member of those respective conference.

If an invite has been extended to JMU, they would not decline, because it looks bad on the conference inviting someone that would not accept, that would be a big PR black for the Sun Belt. On the of other side, JMU knows that they will be left behind in mediocrity at the FCS level, it is now or never JMU to get on the FBS train, so to speak.

[LUaddict]

Missouri State getting an invite before us would be more embarrassing than any of the WTF games in football.

Seriously.

I wouldn't say that it is more embarrassing than our WTF games, but it definitely sucks donkey ****.

[SuperJon]

We've leveraged absolutely everything. If we don't get an invite, it's embarrassing. If we don't get an invite and MoSt does, that's as embarrassing athletically as the Benny Hinn thing is academically.

[LUaddict]

Look at this little nugget of information I dug up by Chiefsfans that he wrote on the MSU board regarding our negotiations with the Sun Belt and Commissioner Benson, not sure if true, but he seems to be in the know.

The SBC Membership situation is a mess right now:

Benson wants Liberty,. He has begun negotiating with Liberty, and we're not entirely sure that the Presidents actually approved him doing that. Liberty, from what I have heard, has between 5-6 votes right now. They need 9.

Arkansas State, Louisiana Lafayette, and Texas State all want Missouri State. So much so that I do not see any agreeing to an East school from these three unless they know that the Missouri State has declared they are not interested.

Everyone wants JMU. Whether or not JMU wants the Sun Belt is another story. JMU's administration has intense faculty pressure to stay in a high rated academic based league. (Which is insane) To get into the SBC, they will need to talk those professors off a ledge. JMU wants football only. SBC will not give football only.

Suffice to say...If Missouri State does not end up in the Sun Belt...it will be because you guys chose to remain FCS, and not because of our lack of interest. As of right now, you are the only school that has 100 percent support of the league presidents. JMU does not have the votes as long as they insist football only.

http://missouristate.247sports.com/Boar ... 4419518/14


This is also about ULL and ASU's pull they have over other conference members in the Sun Belt, especially in regards to conference membership.

417Native said...

Are there any swing voters related to Liberty? How secure is Benson? It seems like ASU and ULL are the most respected members of the Sun Belt - why would Benson disregard them like that?

I have no idea if Benson is disregarding anyone. Its just a possible explanation. Liberty and JMU both have boosters insisting they have SBC Invites. Yet I have strong sources saying there is no chance of a Liberty invite. That being said, if either ASU and ULL were to suddenly agree to Liberty, I think the rest of the West would fall in line. ASU has a lot of power over UALR right now because the Governor and Head of the Board of Higher Ed are ASU grads. Texas State follows ULL like a lost puppy sometimes...

As for Benson and ASU. There is no love lost between the two of us. He's pretty much ignored us ever since he came to present our football trophy to us, and fans booed him so lustily that he couldn't actually speak over the crowd, and our own school officials had to admonish fans to calm down. He personally tried to keep us out of the Go Daddy bowl this year. Our own AD pretty much admitted that publically.

Benson is a running joke because he essentially has no power. He has little to no support among most of the membership, and ideas are rarely accepted. His issue is that he cant get out of his own way. He tries to appease the Lafayette vs Monroe name debate and accidentally manages to offend both teams and ASU and Texas State in the process.

If I am guessing...the SBC will sit with JMU out East until JMU either says yes, or takes another FBS invite. In the meantime.,. I do not see any way that ULL or ASU will agree to even JMU without a promise to admit Missouri State should you guys indicate a readiness to accept.

Either way, we're looking 2015 probably on this end. I don't see any way you guys could accept before the NCAA June 1st deadline.

http://missouristate.247sports.com/Boar ... 4419518/14

[LUaddict]

We've leveraged absolutely everything. If we don't get an invite, it's embarrassing. If we don't get an invite and MoSt does, that's as embarrassing athletically as the Benny Hinn thing is academically.

I actually feel that the Benny Hinn deal is definitely the most embarrassing thing that could happen to use, because we are a university first, not a sports factory, and I am not saying that you said this SJ.

If we can't operate as a university with decent academic integrity, and at least an ok academic reputation, everything else is moot in being respected as a university. It is because we are an institution of higher learning that educates college students. No one wants us because we have a controversial past and present, and we cannot seem to unchain ourselves with these ridiculous situations. we always seem associate and find ourselves in the most embarrassing and controversial situations. Even though we are attempting to build a great university with strong academic programs and colleges, when we do idiotic things, we take a huge leap backwards, because the people running our university can come off as incompetent religious zealots.

[CinciFlame]

Look at this little nugget of information I dug up by Chiefsfans that he wrote on the MSU board regarding our negotiations with the Sun Belt and Commissioner Benson, not sure if true, but he seems to be in the know.

The SBC Membership situation is a mess right now:

Benson wants Liberty,. He has begun negotiating with Liberty, and we're not entirely sure that the Presidents actually approved him doing that. Liberty, from what I have heard, has between 5-6 votes right now. They need 9.

Arkansas State, Louisiana Lafayette, and Texas State all want Missouri State. So much so that I do not see any agreeing to an East school from these three unless they know that the Missouri State has declared they are not interested.

Everyone wants JMU. Whether or not JMU wants the Sun Belt is another story. JMU's administration has intense faculty pressure to stay in a high rated academic based league. (Which is insane) To get into the SBC, they will need to talk those professors off a ledge. JMU wants football only. SBC will not give football only.

Suffice to say...If Missouri State does not end up in the Sun Belt...it will be because you guys chose to remain FCS, and not because of our lack of interest. As of right now, you are the only school that has 100 percent support of the league presidents. JMU does not have the votes as long as they insist football only.

http://missouristate.247sports.com/Boar ... 4419518/14


This is also about ULL and ASU's pull they have over other conference members in the Sun Belt, especially in regards to conference membership.

417Native said...

Are there any swing voters related to Liberty? How secure is Benson? It seems like ASU and ULL are the most respected members of the Sun Belt - why would Benson disregard them like that?

I have no idea if Benson is disregarding anyone. Its just a possible explanation. Liberty and JMU both have boosters insisting they have SBC Invites. Yet I have strong sources saying there is no chance of a Liberty invite. That being said, if either ASU and ULL were to suddenly agree to Liberty, I think the rest of the West would fall in line. ASU has a lot of power over UALR right now because the Governor and Head of the Board of Higher Ed are ASU grads. Texas State follows ULL like a lost puppy sometimes...

As for Benson and ASU. There is no love lost between the two of us. He's pretty much ignored us ever since he came to present our football trophy to us, and fans booed him so lustily that he couldn't actually speak over the crowd, and our own school officials had to admonish fans to calm down. He personally tried to keep us out of the Go Daddy bowl this year. Our own AD pretty much admitted that publically.

Benson is a running joke because he essentially has no power. He has little to no support among most of the membership, and ideas are rarely accepted. His issue is that he cant get out of his own way. He tries to appease the Lafayette vs Monroe name debate and accidentally manages to offend both teams and ASU and Texas State in the process.

If I am guessing...the SBC will sit with JMU out East until JMU either says yes, or takes another FBS invite. In the meantime.,. I do not see any way that ULL or ASU will agree to even JMU without a promise to admit Missouri State should you guys indicate a readiness to accept.

Either way, we're looking 2015 probably on this end. I don't see any way you guys could accept before the NCAA June 1st deadline.

http://missouristate.247sports.com/Boar ... 4419518/14

No disrespect to chiefsfan but everything he wrote is information that could be gathered from reading the SB board. He did put it together nicely. So I guess all eyes will be on JMU this Friday when the Board of Visitors meet. That could be a nasty meeting because I guarantee they won't all see eye to eye.

[sigmo7]

I said it last year and i will say it again now. who cares about the SBC other than the fact that it's FBS? I know everybody wants to move up to spread the word and more exposure. prior to last year when all the stuff popped up about possibly getting an invite to the conference i couldn't name one school in the conference. all the rumors about possibly having to ditch FSN and other little things just to get an invite sounds completely crazy. It almost seems as though we are having to buy drinks for the ugliest girl in the room and all her friends just so she would give us the pleasure to dance with her ugly azz. (no disrespect to ugly women intended) I will pull for LU regardless where or who they play.

[CinciFlame]

I understand what you're saying, but if you can't name teams in the SB, can you name the teams we currently play in the big south? Does playing Gardner Webb doing anything for ya? Not me!

[JakeP50]

Why are the public universities so against bringing in a Christian university? The Big12 has not one but two, Baylor and TCU, and Baylor has been a member since them along with Texas, A&M and Tech merged with the Big8 to create the Big12. Why is the Sun Belt so picky about this, the Big 12 was totally fine with Baylor being a Baptist university AND THEN ADDED ANOTHER.

[LUaddict]

No disrespect to chiefsfan but everything he wrote is information that could be gathered from reading the SB board. He did put it together nicely. So I guess all eyes will be on JMU this Friday when the Board of Visitors meet. That could be a nasty meeting because I guarantee they won't all see eye to eye.

I should know, I work at an DIV I athletic department here in California, who was approached by two athletic conferences to join, especially for football. The university declined one conference and joined the other suitor conference. I know very well how these negotiations work and what happens behind closed doors. I just wished Liberty had the same attention the conferences were showing my employer.

I just hope JMU declines, but they will accept because invites are not given out unless the conference knows JMU will accept. The JMU BOT meeting is just a formality.