- January 23rd, 2015, 9:43 pm
#475173
If Liberty was consistently around 150 in RPI in men's basketball (like in 2009) and consistently making deep runs in the FCS playoffs, the entire conversation surrounding Liberty and realignment would be different. No one has changed conferences because of a strong baseball program. Strong men's basketball programs have helped cause realignment. There are a lot of factors that go into changing conferences. But it is critical for Liberty (especially given the other off the field challenges that we has to overcome) to have the football and men's basketball programs as strong as possible. Right now, football and baseball are not hurting us on the field. Men's basketball is.
ATrain wrote:We weren't 350/351 (or did we finally reach 351?) until this season...and men's basketball has only been an afterthought in conference realignment in this century following 1. Media Markets and 2. Football. Neither the B1G, SEC, PAC-12 or ACC were considering Kansas (a top men's bball program) when it looked like the Big 12 was about to be picked apart or any of the non-Big East football schools. A top men's bball program didn't help UConn either...Not to derail this thread. Media markets and football are unquestionably the two major players in realignment, but men's basketball is a severely underrated player. Kansas was considered for the Big Ten. A major reason for that is their men's basketball. A major reason that UConn is in every realignment conversation is because of their basketball programs. UConn will not move to a P5 conference strictly because of them but they are certainly not getting hurt by them either. The Big East and Atlantic 10 are doing very well after realignment. The Big East is projected by some analysts to get 7 teams in the tournament (tied for the most and the same as the ACC and Big XII). The A-10 is probably going to get as many bids as the American. Realignment goes beyond the power conferences and beyond strictly markets and football.
If Liberty was consistently around 150 in RPI in men's basketball (like in 2009) and consistently making deep runs in the FCS playoffs, the entire conversation surrounding Liberty and realignment would be different. No one has changed conferences because of a strong baseball program. Strong men's basketball programs have helped cause realignment. There are a lot of factors that go into changing conferences. But it is critical for Liberty (especially given the other off the field challenges that we has to overcome) to have the football and men's basketball programs as strong as possible. Right now, football and baseball are not hurting us on the field. Men's basketball is.
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