[rtb72]

I believe NC A&T would bring more fans to Williams Stadium than JMU or ODU. I know they'd bring more than ODU brought.
NC A&T has softball. ODU does not.

CUSA officials did a site visit to Jacksonville State today.

Really???

[jimflamesfan]

They did. It was on of JSU's affiliated Twitter pages thar CUSA officials were at JSU.

[tyndal23]

Our competition to be the top g5 and earn a cfp/ny6 appearance is way easier than trying to be an at large against a bunch of P5s. Especially with Houston, UCF and Cincinnati going to the big 12 we really only need to compete against teams like Memphis, smu, app St, Louisiana and Boise st which are all beatable teams for us.

If everyone in your conference is bottom 15 SOS, you better have one heck of a non con-schedule.

All but 2 of our P5s on the schedule after 2025 are in the first 4 weeks of the season where our nonconference games would be. If we were to run the table with the 2 P5s per season on our schedule we would be the top G5.

Wrong. A lot of teams play 2 P5 and have much harder conference schedules. Also, all P5’s schedule non con staggered, providing an opening for non con game outside of first 4 weeks. ( how we get to play Ole Miss in November ). All this talk of “ too hard to schedule” as an Indie is BS. We act like we are the first Indie in history to fill a 12 game Indie schedule. Factor in $ we can afford to “ take less or pay more” and scheduling difficulty is a moot point. You want to spend the next 12 years waiting for next realignment in CUSA to move up one slot to 4th best G5 for another decade? Or, as BYU Light as an independent keeping all your revenue, recruiting much higher and moving to front of G5 line when next realignment occurs ? I know which door I would choose.

[LUaddict]

[Ill flame]

We are both in agreement that independence is better than c-usa even though c-usa has some clear advantages. Of the teams I mentioned above that we would be primarily competing against for top g5 only boise st regularly plays 2 P5s. We can play a non conference schedule of 2 P5s, 1 top G5 and a fcs school. That's strong enough to be the top G5 if we run the table and we could still win a conference championship in a down year.

[tyndal23]

We are both in agreement that independence is better than c-usa even though c-usa has some clear advantages. Of the teams I mentioned above that we would be primarily competing against for top g5 only boise st regularly plays 2 P5s. We can play a non conference schedule of 2 P5s, 1 top G5 and a fcs school. That's strong enough to be the top G5 if we run the table and we could still win a conference championship in a down year.

FIU, La Tech, UTEP, NMSU, LU and FCS schools. IF MTSU and WKU stay ( they won’t ) - the pig gets slightly cuter.
Yes, you get a Conference Champ game - positive
Yes, you get a make believe shot at Playoff Spot. ( you still get that as Indie - and anyone can see PFC weighs SOS dramatically more than polls ). - so Indie even with 12 games getting the 12th playoff spot is more realistic than worst G5 Conference beating out AAC or MWC or Sunbelt Champ. So even it if happens 1 year, it isn’t a Program Builder from all other angles.

What happens when we win CUSA for a decade and same issues we have now that we have with a sunbelt and others are still the same ? Rich private religious school in a bad tv market ? All we have done is prove little, slowly lose our local and national fan base, limit our growth and budgets and run through multiple head coaches.

Talking about FCS schools who will travel well for 1 game a year to Lynchburg ( what a joke ). Our big regional conference rival is hopefully NC A&T ?

Recruiting ? Don’t get me started.

TV revenue won’t even cover an FCS buy game.

Some fans being slightly excited about Sunbelt or AAC I can see, but this is a bad joke.

[jimflamesfan]

I tried to check. I think I have this right This year, other than LU there were only a baker's dozen of non power 5 schools that play at least 2 P5s. The list is as follows:
Georgia State
ULM
Kent State
Central Michigan
Western Michigan
Boise State
Nevada
Cincinatti
Temple
Tulane
Tulsa
UCF
Army

So realistically, which of those might be undefeated or 1 loss...Boise State, UCF, Cincinatti?

If LU plays in CUSA and runs the table in a scenario like III Flame listed above with 2 P5s, a good G5, and an FCS...I think LU has a good chance in that scenario.

[jimflamesfan]

Over time, being the favorite team to win an fbs conference each year could make us like a Gonzaga like team football wise and sets us up well for realignment in the future.

[Kricket]

This lines up with Dodd's report:

There has been some hesitancy on the part of at least one of the schools leaving for the MAC due to travel concerns, according to sources. As it stands, the MAC spans from Buffalo, New York, to DeKalb, Illinois -- a distance of more than 600 miles.
https://www.cbssports.com/college-footb ... alignment/

[ballah09]

If the rumors are true that NDSU are one of the 30 teams that contacted CUSA about joining then we hit gold. Their upside is a lot better than JMU and Appy. We can have a little BYU/Boise type rivalry.

[Racenut]

Over time, being the favorite team to win an fbs conference each year could make us like a Gonzaga like team football wise and sets us up well for realignment in the future.

Top level football athletes are almost NEVER going to come to a team in this conference. Going 8-3 and getting curbstomped in your p-5/g-5 games will not turn us into the Gonzaga of football programs. Basketball is a whole different animal. 1 or 2 great players can make a great basketball team. Nearly impossible in football. Look at the MAC game on TV last night. It looked like high school athletes!

[Kricket]

Reading the Sun Belt board. There is consensus on a few things.

1. We're very evil and they hate us . That's a given.

2. They seem to think we're bribing our way into the C-USA. They're pretty dumb if they think we need to bribe our way into that mess.

3. They think we will slaughter every team in the C-USA and control the conference like Texas did the Big 12.

https://csnbbs.com/thread-934091-page-10.html

I feel like there is a lot of Liberty Derangement Syndrome going on.

[rmiller1959]

3. They think we will slaughter every team in the C-USA and control the conference like Texas did the Big 12.

They must not follow a lot of Big 12 football. Texas hasn't won a Big 12 championship since 2009 when Mack Brown was the head coach and Colt McCoy was the starting quarterback. They won only three Big 12 titles in the history of the league, compared to 14 for Oklahoma. They may both be marquee names, but on the field, it's Boomer Sooner.

My alma mater has no Big 12 titles to its name and lost this year to Texas 70-35 and Oklahoma 52-21 - but I'm not bitter! Maybe when those two teams leave - good riddance!

[Sly Fox]

Belt fans have felt this way about us for a very long time. They look at our over-the-top budget and facilities and took consolation that a whacked-out school like ours could never attract the talent needed to be competitive with a league like theirs. So how has that worked out for them? Like the MAC, they are made up of small regional public schools and we are not likely to ever be included in their club. The AAC is made up of primarily large urban publics and it will be difficult for us to be considered a peer with them as well. That's why we we sit where we sit. We are an outlier in the FBS world and I do like the idea of us embracing that role.

In response to the discussion above let me point out a few things. We are much less likely to get an at large bid to the expanded playoff than we are to snare a spot reserved for the top G5 champion. This is a primary driver for hy we were looking hard at these leagues in this latest round of realignment. If we never thought the playoffs would ever be in reach for us then we would be content in Indy bliss. Coach Freeze & Malik have opened our eyes to the possibilities and now we have to factor this into our decision-making.

As for the idea that Liberty might be the one pulling the strings if we enter into this new endeavor, I think there is some validity. We possess all of the leverage right now and our influence will be significant. I suspect we would have an outsized vote on expansion targets and media contracts much like the Horns have possessed in their XII experience. We don't need sweetening of the pot in media deals like UT, OU & Boise State have managed. But I suspect we will want some influence a la Austin. Pulling strings does not guarantee chanpionships as rmiller1959 points out.

I continue to be fascinated by the resistance of SHSU & JSU folks to the idea of FBS classification. JMU fans for years were resistant to giving up the FCS playoffs in exchange for some random bowl. The small-mindedness of that perspective is stunning to those of us ho do not look back on the FCS days with any heart pangs. But I get the Sam folks still being giddy of being the biggest fish in a puddle. The more I have looked into Jacksonville State's facilities the more I can see they have invested well over the past decade. Facilities-wise they would be fine moving up. Their budget is lacking but not far behind La Tech.

Sam is the one that makes little sense. They recently brought on the longtime president of the Houston Texans who quit over a philosophical dispute with ownership as a part-time prof and consultant for their athletic department. My guess is he is likely a big infuence on getting administrators motivated to pursue this opportunity. Once again, it would be REALLY convenient for me to have Sam in the league with us. But honestly I see it as a potential disaster for the school. The just opened up a med school similar to ours that they promised to the state thy would have financially solvent within four years. That comes up next year and the pandemic has them swimming in red ink. I have no idea where the money to improve facilities will come from shy of a massive donation from an wealthy alum. The folks on KatFans.com are nearly unaimous in their opposition to making the move now. Most suggest they ride out the WAC until the next round in a decade or so. That makes zero sense to me but the few who support moving up seem embarassed to admit it. Crazy.

It appears Missouri State had decided they would prefer to stick with the Missouri Valley Conference and sit out on this FBS opportunity. So if Sam doesn't step alongside Jacksonville State the next likely options would be NDSU/SDSU as a travel pair or possibly Chattanooga and/or Eastern Kentucky. Chatty has shown little interest in stepping up to the FBS but has been public about considering the idea. They probably are closest to being ready outside of North Dakota State. And even the Bisondome really is not up to FBS standards. EKU just missed out on the Belt when Coastal got the call and have expressed interests in getting up to the FBS level to be on WKU's level. So that is essentially what Commish Judy is considering in options for FCS call-ups. Her office claims they had 30 schools inquire. If so, I am not guessing many are viable including NC A&T.

[ballcoach15]

Missouri State would be good addition.

[Geraldos Mustache]

Simple question.

What would Hugh Freeze advise Liberty to do?

[Sly Fox]

I feel confident that he has Ian's ear. That said, Ian is the right person to be leading this exploration of options.

Once again, I do not believe it is inevitable that we join CUSA. If WKU & MTSU were to stay, I believe we are likely in the league. If they are gone as expected based on the upcoming MAC presidents' vote following the unanimous suggestion of their ADs then we have to give serious thought as to whether this is our best path forward.

[ballcoach15]

I guarantee Coach and AD have talked.

[Geraldos Mustache]

I guarantee Coach and AD have talked.

Of course they have.
You think Ian and Hugh don't talk?

[alabama24]

If WKU & MTSU were to stay, I believe we are likely in the league.

What is the actual status of ODU and Marshall?

[Sly Fox]

Nothing official for Marshall but they are essentially gone-sies. ODU & JMU are waiting on the legislature to approve their move.

[Geraldos Mustache]

Pipe dream, but I wish there were a way to create a new regional conference comprised of Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky and North Carolina schools.

The idea of a conference with schools in New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Virginia is just silly IMO.

[ballcoach15]

I guarantee Coach and AD have talked.

Of course they have.
You think Ian and Hugh don't talk?

Some people seem to think AD and Coach should report publicly everything taking place behind "closed doors", relating to conference expansion.

[Sly Fox]

Pipe dream, but I wish there were a way to create a new regional conference comprised of Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky and North Carolina schools.

The idea of a conference with schools in New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Virginia is just silly IMO.

It is simply a result of circumstances. And let the record show that we actually benefit from having a presence in the states you mention save perhaps New Mexico. The Gulf Coast states are where the majority of our Evangelical prospects are located these days. We have the budget and the interest in markets that most schools wouldn't value.

[rmiller1959]

3. They think we will slaughter every team in the C-USA and control the conference like Texas did the Big 12.

They must not follow a lot of Big 12 football. Texas hasn't won a Big 12 championship since 2009 when Mack Brown was the head coach and Colt McCoy was the starting quarterback. They won only three Big 12 titles in the history of the league, compared to 14 for Oklahoma. They may both be marquee names, but on the field, it's Boomer Sooner.

My alma mater has no Big 12 titles to its name and lost this year to Texas 70-35 and Oklahoma 52-21 - but I'm not bitter! Maybe when those two teams leave - good riddance!

After reading Sly's commentary, I think I get what the posters meant by LU controlling the conference as Texas did. They are thinking about off-the-field actions like the Longhorn Network and essentially forcing the Big 12 to accede to their demands in exchange for the favor of their presence. In that respect, I can see LU holding the cards in C-USA when it comes to TV contracts, potential conference invitations, and such.

Texas still didn't dominate anything on the field in the Big 12 - except for my alma mater!