Southern Miss is a lock for the Sun Belt. It seems as if Marshall has tried to lure in JMU and Liberty to keep CUSA intact. But JMU wants to go to the Sun Belt and is enticed by the ESPN deal.

Ultimately, this looks like Marshall has hitched its wagon to JMU and ODU on the Sun Belt.

Why?

And if we are hitching a ride to the Sun Belt, why are we not trying to bring WKU and Liberty? Those are far superior options than JMU and ODU to me...

What is the appeal of JMU and ODU over Western and Liberty?

Or further, why JMU over Western in general?

Western to me is a much better program with proven athletics..

(10-21-2021 09:35 AM)rileylives Wrote:  Or further, why JMU over Western in general?

Western to me is a much better program with proven athletics..

Do we have to go over Liberty again? Not a real school that plays by a different set of rules. Diploma mill disguised as a fundamentalist Christian university. Zero academic reputation or standards. Baylor, ND, BYU, TCU, and SMU are all real universities with academic standards in place. Liberty is NOTHING like those other schools.

And JMU seems like a compromise because maybe Western doesn't have enough support due to... reasons.

The Virginia schools are well supported, have good facilities, have large budgets, relatively close to Marshall, and at least ODU is in big recruiting territory.

Marshall wants proximity as a security blanket if it joins the Belt. Marshall, ODU, JMU, SMU added to the Belt is one of the best possible scenarios that could have played out for Marshall. If we turn this down to join up with Liberty and stay with UTEP and FIU (no offense guys), we are dumb and deserve the fate we'll get. Joining the Belt with these other 4 is a slam dunk result.

Is it just about proximity? And is ODU closer to Marshall than WKU?

(10-21-2021 09:41 AM)BKTopper Wrote:  Is it just about proximity? And is ODU closer to Marshall than WKU?

Hell no.

Western is about a four to four and a half hour drive from huntington. ODU is nearly an 8 hour drive from Huntington.

(10-21-2021 09:41 AM)Superanjario Wrote:  

(10-21-2021 09:35 AM)rileylives Wrote:  Or further, why JMU over Western in general?

Western to me is a much better program with proven athletics..

Do we have to go over Liberty again? Not a real school that plays by a different set of rules. Diploma mill disguised as a fundamentalist Christian university. Zero academic reputation or standards. Baylor, ND, BYU, TCU, and SMU are all real universities with academic standards in place. Liberty is NOTHING like those other schools.

And JMU seems like a compromise because maybe Western doesn't have enough support due to... reasons.

The Virginia schools are well supported, have good facilities, have large budgets, relatively close to Marshall, and at least ODU is in big recruiting territory.

Marshall wants proximity as a security blanket if it joins the Belt. Marshall, ODU, JMU, SMU added to the Belt is one of the best possible scenarios that could have played out for Marshall. If we turn this down to join up with Liberty and stay with UTEP and FIU (no offense guys), we are dumb and deserve the fate we'll get. Joining the Belt with these other 4 is a slam dunk result.

I'm sorry, but we're just leaving a lot on the table without liberty. I am astounded that people are hung up on things that have nothing whatsoever to do with athletics.

(10-21-2021 09:41 AM)BKTopper Wrote:  Is it just about proximity? And is ODU closer to Marshall than WKU?

WKU is actually closer. But obviously Norfolk is east while Bowling Green is west of us. We also have historically gotten much more talent out of VA than KY, but I don't know how much, if any, impact that has. Personally I'd rather have WKU over either ODU or JMU, but it doesn't appear out administration agrees, at least not as ODU is concerned. I too feel that JMU is a compromise with the Sun Belt who seem reluctant to bring back former members. So in that case JMU is probably a decent choice, and much better for Marshall than schools that aren't as geographically good for us.

(10-21-2021 09:59 AM)rileylives Wrote:  

(10-21-2021 09:41 AM)Superanjario Wrote:  

(10-21-2021 09:35 AM)rileylives Wrote:  Or further, why JMU over Western in general?

Western to me is a much better program with proven athletics..

Do we have to go over Liberty again? Not a real school that plays by a different set of rules. Diploma mill disguised as a fundamentalist Christian university. Zero academic reputation or standards. Baylor, ND, BYU, TCU, and SMU are all real universities with academic standards in place. Liberty is NOTHING like those other schools.

And JMU seems like a compromise because maybe Western doesn't have enough support due to... reasons.

The Virginia schools are well supported, have good facilities, have large budgets, relatively close to Marshall, and at least ODU is in big recruiting territory.

Marshall wants proximity as a security blanket if it joins the Belt. Marshall, ODU, JMU, SMU added to the Belt is one of the best possible scenarios that could have played out for Marshall. If we turn this down to join up with Liberty and stay with UTEP and FIU (no offense guys), we are dumb and deserve the fate we'll get. Joining the Belt with these other 4 is a slam dunk result.

I'm sorry, but we're just leaving a lot on the table without liberty. I am astounded that people are hung up on things that have nothing whatsoever to do with athletics.

They can use their lack of regulatory oversight and online mill for advantages in athletics. You let them in, you can't get them out. It's a terrible long-term move. Also, it's not like they are THAT good at anything or in THAT good of a market.

I will be LIVID if Marshall agrees to bend to Liberty and remain in this mishmash of crap spread all over the United States.

(10-21-2021 10:01 AM)Superanjario Wrote:  

(10-21-2021 09:59 AM)rileylives Wrote:  

(10-21-2021 09:41 AM)Superanjario Wrote:  

(10-21-2021 09:35 AM)rileylives Wrote:  Or further, why JMU over Western in general?

Western to me is a much better program with proven athletics..

Do we have to go over Liberty again? Not a real school that plays by a different set of rules. Diploma mill disguised as a fundamentalist Christian university. Zero academic reputation or standards. Baylor, ND, BYU, TCU, and SMU are all real universities with academic standards in place. Liberty is NOTHING like those other schools.

And JMU seems like a compromise because maybe Western doesn't have enough support due to... reasons.

The Virginia schools are well supported, have good facilities, have large budgets, relatively close to Marshall, and at least ODU is in big recruiting territory.

Marshall wants proximity as a security blanket if it joins the Belt. Marshall, ODU, JMU, SMU added to the Belt is one of the best possible scenarios that could have played out for Marshall. If we turn this down to join up with Liberty and stay with UTEP and FIU (no offense guys), we are dumb and deserve the fate we'll get. Joining the Belt with these other 4 is a slam dunk result.

I'm sorry, but we're just leaving a lot on the table without liberty. I am astounded that people are hung up on things that have nothing whatsoever to do with athletics.

They can use their lack of regulatory oversight and online mill for advantages in athletics. You let them in, you can't get them out. It's a terrible long-term move. Also, it's not like they are THAT good at anything or in THAT good of a market.

I will be LIVID if Marshall agrees to bend to Liberty and remain in this mishmash of crap spread all over the United States.

Thank you for your opinion, that's what I asked for my brother's opinions. I'll just say I 100% disagree with that take, but whatever.

(10-21-2021 10:01 AM)Superanjario Wrote:  They can use their lack of regulatory oversight and online mill for advantages in athletics. You let them in, you can't get them out. It's a terrible long-term move. Also, it's not like they are THAT good at anything or in THAT good of a market.

I will be LIVID if Marshall agrees to bend to Liberty and remain in this mishmash of crap spread all over the United States.

Libery's record the last 5 years in bball
23-6
23-6
30-4
29-7
22-15

and their 4 years in football (2-0 in bowl games)
5-2
10-1 (finished nationally ranked)
8-5
6-6

I continue to be astounded at the people that do not see liberty's upside.

If you don't like them, that's a natural heel, conferences need rivals.

(10-21-2021 10:20 AM)topper1296 Wrote:  

(10-21-2021 10:01 AM)Superanjario Wrote:  They can use their lack of regulatory oversight and online mill for advantages in athletics. You let them in, you can't get them out. It's a terrible long-term move. Also, it's not like they are THAT good at anything or in THAT good of a market.

I will be LIVID if Marshall agrees to bend to Liberty and remain in this mishmash of crap spread all over the United States.

Libery's record the last 5 years in bball
23-6
23-6
30-4
29-7
22-15

and their 4 years in football (2-0 in bowl games)
5-2
10-1 (finished nationally ranked)
8-5
6-6

So?

(10-21-2021 10:24 AM)rileylives Wrote:  I continue to be astounded at the people that do not see liberty's upside.

If you don't like them, that's a natural heel, conferences need rivals.

I don't really have a strong opinion either way and if Liberty is eventually in the same conference as us it won't really change anything for me. However I think you may be underestimating the fact that Liberty is playing by a different set of rules than Marshall or ODU, money wise. And money is everything. My hope would be that their money would be used to improve everything in the conference, but not sure why Liberty would do that.

(10-21-2021 09:59 AM)rileylives Wrote:  

(10-21-2021 09:41 AM)Superanjario Wrote:  

(10-21-2021 09:35 AM)rileylives Wrote:  Or further, why JMU over Western in general?

Western to me is a much better program with proven athletics..

Do we have to go over Liberty again? Not a real school that plays by a different set of rules. Diploma mill disguised as a fundamentalist Christian university. Zero academic reputation or standards. Baylor, ND, BYU, TCU, and SMU are all real universities with academic standards in place. Liberty is NOTHING like those other schools.

And JMU seems like a compromise because maybe Western doesn't have enough support due to... reasons.

The Virginia schools are well supported, have good facilities, have large budgets, relatively close to Marshall, and at least ODU is in big recruiting territory.

Marshall wants proximity as a security blanket if it joins the Belt. Marshall, ODU, JMU, SMU added to the Belt is one of the best possible scenarios that could have played out for Marshall. If we turn this down to join up with Liberty and stay with UTEP and FIU (no offense guys), we are dumb and deserve the fate we'll get. Joining the Belt with these other 4 is a slam dunk result.

I'm sorry, but we're just leaving a lot on the table without liberty. I am astounded that people are hung up on things that have nothing whatsoever to do with athletics.

They can use their lack of regulatory oversight and online mill for advantages in athletics. You let them in, you can't get them out. It's a terrible long-term move. Also, it's not like they are THAT good at anything or in THAT good of a market.

I will be LIVID if Marshall agrees to bend to Liberty and remain in this mishmash of crap spread all over the United States.

I would rathe it be La Tech and WKU, but La Tech has made a lot of enemies in the Belt. Don’t know why you would take either ODU or JMU over WKU.

(10-21-2021 09:34 AM)rileylives Wrote:  Southern Miss is a lock for the Sun Belt. It seems as if Marshall has tried to lure in JMU and Liberty to keep CUSA intact. But JMU wants to go to the Sun Belt and is enticed by the ESPN deal.

Ultimately, this looks like Marshall has hitched its wagon to JMU and ODU on the Sun Belt.

Why?

And if we are hitching a ride to the Sun Belt, why are we not trying to bring WKU and Liberty? Those are far superior options than JMU and ODU to me...

What is the appeal of JMU and ODU over Western and Liberty?

Where did you see this report (in bold)? Or is it just conjecture? This is all moving so fast maybe I missed it. My sense, which admittedly is conjecture, was the opposite. That JMU is all in on CUSA if it stays intact and comes with Liberty, but aren't sure if they can make the Belt work financially. And the long pole for Liberty is approval. What isn't clear is if Southern Miss is blocking the approval and if their departure gives Liberty the votes.

Maybe cuz SB doesn't want any schools back that left. I don't know just my assumption.

If Liberty didn’t have the baggage they would have been invited to the AAC when UCONN left and we wouldn’t be having this convo. As far as the other three? IDK, I have all the respect for WKU. Athletically speaking they should be added before Marshall as well but thier are other considerations. I’m increasingly convinced ESPN is dictating all of these moves anyway.

(10-21-2021 10:47 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  

(10-21-2021 09:34 AM)rileylives Wrote:  Southern Miss is a lock for the Sun Belt. It seems as if Marshall has tried to lure in JMU and Liberty to keep CUSA intact. But JMU wants to go to the Sun Belt and is enticed by the ESPN deal.

Ultimately, this looks like Marshall has hitched its wagon to JMU and ODU on the Sun Belt.

Why?

And if we are hitching a ride to the Sun Belt, why are we not trying to bring WKU and Liberty? Those are far superior options than JMU and ODU to me...

What is the appeal of JMU and ODU over Western and Liberty?

Where did you see this report (in bold)? Or is it just conjecture? This is all moving so fast maybe I missed it. My sense, which admittedly is conjecture, was the opposite. That JMU is all in on CUSA if it stays intact and comes with Liberty, but aren't sure if they can make the Belt work financially. And the long pole for Liberty is approval. What isn't clear is if Southern Miss is blocking the approval and if their departure gives Liberty the votes.

This is as close as you get

https://richmond.com/sports/college/jmu-...64aee.html

In an effort to retain ODU and Marshall, C-USA is attempting to lure JMU and football independent Liberty. But C-USA is expected to lose six of its current members to the American Athletic Conference and, perhaps as important, its television exposure is inferior to the Sun Belt’s.

Liberty is an online degree mill with discriminatory practices. They actually spend more money on athletics than they do on classroom instruction per hour.

And yes they play by a different set of rules than the rest of us. Just like most private schools do. Even Rice plays by a different set of rules, they have just never read the instructions.