Liberty is now 2-0 vs. the Sun Belt Conference. Will this cause a change of heart amongst the SBC faithful in regards to whether or not we could compete in the league? Will ADs and school Presidents take notice? What will it take for LU to get a SBC invite? SURELY the Flames would be more competitive in the SBC than NMSU or Idaho...Not sure how anyone could debate that we don't bring more to conference than the Vandals.

Pipe dreams? or are people taking notice? 2-0 vs. the Belt. Forget FCS success - we've proven we can compete with the lower level of the SBC and with 22 fewer scholarships. Surely NMSU and Idaho would be winnable games right now as well. Dare I say we would win 3-4 games in the SBC, right now, as an FCS program with 63 scholarships? If that is not competing...what is?

Nope, that may silence some posters but not all. As for the AD's and up it's doubtful it would matter either. Going FBS has more to do with getting in good with the AD's/Prez's of the conference than just winning. I think winning helps but it's just one of many pillars.

The only way possible LU likely gets an SBC invite is if NMSU and Idaho don't get renewed, which seems they will not be renewed by the SBC. There seems to be a push from the Western group for western school(s) to fill the void. It's a safe bet one VA school will only be invited if any. And if the JMU admins can stop screwing up, which does not seem possible, while the FB teams continues to have success, JMU is the more appealing candidate from the Prez and admins that Curtis mentions. The FBS invite seems to include a lot of imagery appeal vs. facilities/attendance/FBS success/COA and more.

Several Sun Belt Conference members want nothing to do with Liberty. So Liberty to the SBC is a dead issue.

1) We are a well funded athletic department and University. That will only increase if we go FBS. Sun Belt schools don't want to compete against our resources. They are afraid they can't keep up and will become increasingly less competitive against us.

2) We are who we are... a conservative evangelical Christian school with the mission of training champions for Christ. That doctrine opposes many of the liberal views of modern day universities. There is no room for other viewpoints in academia other than political correct left viewpoints.

3) They are a bunch of public schools and want to keep the club as is.

We beat App State which is a quality win as far as G5 schools go. We also beat Georgia State who is currently "fighting" to shed the worst FBS football team that has been attached to them. We aren't a juggernaut. Not yet at least.

The Sun Belt is over us, let's get over them too. I know I'm going to butcher this phrase but bitterness/jealousy is like drinking poison and hoping that your enemy gets sick. It's best that we focus on the things we can control and not worry about those that we cannot.

(10-05-2015 09:52 PM)NewTimes Wrote:  The only way possible LU likely gets an SBC invite is if NMSU and Idaho don't get renewed, which seems they will not be renewed by the SBC. There seems to be a push from the Western group for western school(s) to fill the void. It's a safe bet one VA school will only be invited if any. And if the JMU admins can stop screwing up, which does not seem possible, while the FB teams continues to have success, JMU is the more appealing candidate from the Prez and admins that Curtis mentions. The FBS invite seems to include a lot of imagery appeal vs. facilities/attendance/FBS success/COA and more.

The big boy version of the good ol boy system.

I'm even betting if we won the national champ in FCS FB it would be minimized. Not that it isn't a big deal but I can see posters saying the FCS is watered down and it doesn't mean as much as it use too. I disagree but for the people actively looking to make LU look unready for FBS it's an easy thing to say. It's always going to be something is really my message.

(10-06-2015 05:36 PM)Curtisc83 Wrote:  I'm even betting if we won the national champ in FCS FB it would be minimized. Not that it isn't a big deal but I can see posters saying the FCS is watered down and it doesn't mean as much as it use too. I disagree but for the people actively looking to make LU look unready for FBS it's an easy thing to say. It's always going to be something is really my message.

I agree and I think our best bet to go FBS is to improve men's basketball to be a perennial NCAA tournament competitor. CUSA is already at 14 schools (assuming UAB isn't kicked out). The Sun Belt and MAC are at 12. They already do/can host a football conference championship game. For them to expand further and get more money for the conference, it has to be worth it meaning new markets/audience and excellent money sports.

Liberty's football would have to improve so much further in order to be good enough to constantly fight (much more to win) the access bowl slot for the G5 compared to the level the basketball team would have to improve to be a yearly qualifier for the NCAA tournament. The Sun Belt and MAC are one-bid leagues while CUSA is close to a two-bid league. If we could push either over the top to get another bid we are suddenly very valuable in a tangible way.

(10-05-2015 09:52 PM)NewTimes Wrote:  The only way possible LU likely gets an SBC invite is if NMSU and Idaho don't get renewed, which seems they will not be renewed by the SBC. There seems to be a push from the Western group for western school(s) to fill the void. It's a safe bet one VA school will only be invited if any. And if the JMU admins can stop screwing up, which does not seem possible, while the FB teams continues to have success, JMU is the more appealing candidate from the Prez and admins that Curtis mentions. The FBS invite seems to include a lot of imagery appeal vs. facilities/attendance/FBS success/COA and more.

JMU will not take a sun belt invite. It might take a CUSA invite or a MAC invite if any at all.

(10-13-2015 10:17 AM)voss749 Wrote:  

(10-05-2015 09:52 PM)NewTimes Wrote:  The only way possible LU likely gets an SBC invite is if NMSU and Idaho don't get renewed, which seems they will not be renewed by the SBC. There seems to be a push from the Western group for western school(s) to fill the void. It's a safe bet one VA school will only be invited if any. And if the JMU admins can stop screwing up, which does not seem possible, while the FB teams continues to have success, JMU is the more appealing candidate from the Prez and admins that Curtis mentions. The FBS invite seems to include a lot of imagery appeal vs. facilities/attendance/FBS success/COA and more.

JMU will not take a sun belt invite. It might take a CUSA invite or a MAC invite if any at all.

I believe that was true in the past and it may be different now. But supposedly JMU offended many of the SBC schools with the snub so likely their are bruised egos. If JMU humbly approached the SBC, there could be a change of heart. Lots of supporter grumbling about JMU's perpetual CAA membership, lack of COA funding, and direction of the program, which has to be frustrating for fans, especially with their success this year.

JMU is out of the sunbelts league academically. Academically they are on par with the ACC. The MAC would be a more natural home for JMU as MAC has previously had Marshall as a member. Liberty would be fine in either the sun belt or c-usa (if JMU refuses a c-usa offer)