(02-04-2018 02:17 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  

(02-04-2018 01:23 PM)Soobahk40050 Wrote:  One thing not mentioned here:

Enrollment numbers

Liberty 110,000 (assuming this includes online, but means $$$)

Grand Canyon 71,000

UCF 69,000

FIU 60,000

Given time each of these has a chance.

Liberty's on campus enrollment....15,000 students.
Grand Canyon Education, Incorporated's on campus enrollment...19,500 of which many are non-traditional

Liberty is not going to be the next Notre Dame. They're not going to be the next BYU either. They're just going to spend 400 million bucks in 10 years to be a sub-Sun Belt level program. They're not getting in a conference. They're not going to have a bowl agreement. They also have a bad football coach that doesn't appear to be retained based upon wins and losses. BYU, which 'won' a friggin' national championship has significant problems staying relevant as an indy. And they, like LU, supposedly claim the loyalty of a large national fanbase (but BYU actually retains some of that claimed support). Liberty will face the same problems. Heck, a couple of bowls collapse and LU might be in a position where even if they cobble together 7 or so wins, that they'll end up staying home. Its instructive that conferences from the Southern Conference, to the Colonial, to the Sun Belt have zero interest in adding them. And what happens if in 2021 or so, there's a change in the student loan program that cuts off access to the loan program in the case of higher than average defaults in distance learning programs by major or study field? Or the NCAA introduces a non-discrimination policy? Sure, lightning could strike. But they'll always have to spend (a LOT) more for less. Not sure that it is really going to work out in the long run.

Grand Canyon Education, Incorporated is stuck in the worst D1 conference for a reason. Their basketball is actually credible at a lower mid-major level. But scheduling is a problem. Terrible scheduling = very bad opportunities to get a NCAA bid. And the WAC could end up falling apart and GCEI could end up with no access to the NCAA dance. And watch out for stricter default rate scrutiny on long distance learning too.

Sure,

UCF and FIU...yep, those have a shot. UCF much more so than FIU. The problem with FIU is that they have a greater non-traditional enrollment and they have a large student population that doesn't come from a football heritage. And then there's the Dolphins and Da U.

"UCF and FIU...yep, those have a shot. UCF much more so than FIU. The problem with FIU is that they have a greater non-traditional enrollment and they have a large student population that doesn't come from a football heritage. And then there's the Dolphins and Da U."

Ummmm...no. Miami is football crazy. It just happens to be HS, Hurricanes, Dolphins and Gators.

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