[bluejacket]

From CBS Sports (http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootbal ... ling-rifle):
"In another twist to the saga surrounding the first major college football program cut in two decades, anonymous UAB football boosters paid $20,000 to help California-based consultant OSKR complete its study. UAB, which has another consultant currently working on a study, now has a 156-page report from OSKR's Daniel Rascher and Andy Schwarz in the public domain that may serve as another voice in the contentious debate."

[rmiller1959]

"...OSKR doesn't view athletic scholarship costs as a cost..."

How does that work, exactly? If tuition pays for a service (education), and you give someone a scholarship allowing them to receive that service for free, isn't that a cost to the service provider? I'm not an accountant, but some of their assumptions don't make sense to me.

[ATrain]

This is Al-Jazeera America, but IF this is true, I can't help but think of what this may mean for UL-L and UL-M.

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2 ... uptcy.html

[bluejacket]

It is true. Louisiana has far too many public universities and the state needs to contract them into a more manageable number. The LSU system has 4 campuses, 2 health sciences centers, and law school. The Southern University system has 3 campuses and a law school. The University of Louisiana system has 9 universities. For comparison, Oregon (which has a slightly smaller population than Louisiana) has 7 public universities plus 1 health & science university.

[JK37]

Instead of a cost, maybe they're calling it a discount. At the very least, it's a deferred cost. For every bed that a football player occupies for free, the university loses the potential income of that bed being occupied by a NARP (non-athletic regular person).

[alabama24]

Professors don't teach for free.

[bluejacket]

http://www.foxsports.com/college-footba ... ngs-042715

[Purple Haize]

Professors don't teach for free.

But it's a ministry.....

[alabama24]

Professors don't teach for free.

But it's a ministry.....

We are talking about UAB.

[bluejacket]

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootbal ... t-football

[rmiller1959]

"Based on the information I heard today," Bowlsby said, "I think we are at a disadvantage not playing a (conference) championship game."

"And I think if the rule changes, we'll probably give very serious consideration to having a (championship game)," Bowlsby said.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nc ... /26603175/

And what if the rule doesn't change?

[jlread]

I'm aware that LU isn't going independent (Atleast not anytime soon). But it's fun to dream big!! Could Liberty be the first college to make a deal with Amazon Prime or Netflix sports channel!!?!?!? It would be much easier for an independent to make such a deal. Plus the current landscape shows how difficult/impossible it would be to become a Notre Dame. Maybe Netflix could bridge that gap.


http://m.reviewjournal.com/sports/footb ... ege-sports

[TIMSCAR20]

Just got a notification that Birmingham is planning on deciding the fate of football by June 1st.

[bluejacket]

Membership topics big at SBC meetings
Tim Buckley, Louisiana 7:23 p.m. CDT May 16, 2015


(Photo: Paul Kieu/The Advertiser)

Membership matters are expected to be a hot topic of discussion when, starting Sunday, presidents and athletic directors of Sun Belt Conference schools hold their annual spring meetings.

The league – to which UL belongs – currently has 11 football-playing programs, including football-only members New Mexico State and Idaho.

It also has 11 basketball-playing members, including two that don’t field football teams, Texas-Arlington and Arkansas-Little Rock.

“I think the league is going to have serious discussions (this week) about expansion,” UL athletic director Scott Farmer said.

Click Here for Full Story

[01LUGrad]

“There’s no real FCS power out there anymore – except, of course, North Dakota State, which isn’t in our footprint,” he said. “There’s no Georgia Southern and there’s no App.

“There’s no power team,” Farmer added, “that we can add that would make the conference better.”

No way. Everyone knows that continued on-field/court success has absolutely nothing to do with a conference finding value in your institution!

[SuperJon]

Not a single mention of Liberty in that article.

[Neo]

Observant...

[Sly Fox]

Of course it was written based on an interview with the leader of the alleged Anti-Liberty coalition.

[Neo]

Maybe Liberty has now joined the anti-Sun Belt coalition...

[ATrain]

Or maybe Liberty is just out of the running until an anti-Liberty school receives an invite to C-USA OR the budget situation in LA forces UL-M/UL-L to take drastic measures that may very well range beyond the scope of athletics.

[Sly Fox]

The Sun Belt spring meetings are over ...

Men's Basketball Scheduling Policy
The conference approved a policy that a $50,000 fine would be imposed for any member institution that schedules more than two non-Division I men's basketball games.

Football Championship Game
There was continued discussion on if the conference should have a Football Championship game with various opinions expressed. The conference office has been asked to continue to explore the potential impact of the game from both a competition standpoint and a financial perspective.

Sun Belt Conference Membership and Expansion
The conference increased its entry fee for future members to two million dollars from one million dollars. Conference members also voted to increase the exit fee for any departing member to 2.5 million if less than 12 to 15 months notice is given and two million dollars if more than 15 months notice is given.

Additional discussion did include the potential for additional membership and expansion, but Sun Belt officials will not have further comment on the subject.

Click Here for Full Release

[alabama24]

Think the raising of the entry fee is "we don't like liberty, but at least we'll get some money out of 'em?"

I can't see why you would raise the entry fee if you were "desperate for anyone but liberty "

Also, what is with the "less than 12-15" months thing? Why not just "less than 15 months?"

[CinciFlame]

I find it disheartening that Coastal was mentioned by name along with EKU. Neither school has any business playing FBS football. EKU had 1,800 fans for a home playoff game last year. Coastal is years away from being FBS ready. From the outside looking in, it appears it's anyone but Liberty.

[SuperJon]

From the outside looking in, it appears it's anyone but Liberty.

It's always been anyone but Liberty.

[BJWilliams]

These people probably would rather have a root canal and a prostate exam simultaneously than extend an invite to "those darn Christians at Liberty"