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Ohio Football Topic
Topic: Liberty making the jump to FBS
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C Money
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Posted: 2/17/2017 8:24 AM
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http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/18700117/...

Interesting that the Sun Belt told them "no" and they decided to move up anyway.
OUcats82
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Posted: 2/17/2017 8:47 AM
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My guess is they thought it would be best to be immediately available if and when potential conference suitors come calling. If someone gets plucked to another conference there is a domino effect that results in other shifts usually.

The current membership of the Sun Belt is made up entirely of public universities. Liberty being a private, religious and arguably controversial school are possibly the reasons the Sun Belt passed on them.

If this UConn back to the Big East happens hopefully the AAC tells them to take a hike for football too. They will likely want to pick up another school to take their place to keep membership even at 12/2 6 team divisions (for football at least as Navy is football only).

AAC grabs say a C-USA school (which they have done before), C-USA grabs a Sun Belt and there's Liberty waiting by the phone.

Not saying they are interested as I have no idea about their long term plans but it wouldn't be the first time a conference did a 180 after being poached with a team and telling them "well, you aren't half bad now!"

The Flames have played games against the MAC. I want to say Kent State has played them a few times in recent years?
OU_Country
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Posted: 2/17/2017 8:52 AM
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OUcats82 wrote:expand_more
If this UConn back to the Big East happens hopefully the AAC tells them to take a hike for football too. They will likely want to pick up another school to take their place to keep membership even at 12/2 6 team divisions (for football at least as Navy is football only).

Adding to that, I hope the MAC has moved past allowing a school for football only.
OUcats82
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Posted: 2/17/2017 8:58 AM
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OU_Country wrote:expand_more
If this UConn back to the Big East happens hopefully the AAC tells them to take a hike for football too. They will likely want to pick up another school to take their place to keep membership even at 12/2 6 team divisions (for football at least as Navy is football only).

Adding to that, I hope the MAC has moved past allowing a school for football only.
Me too!
Pataskala
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Posted: 2/17/2017 9:28 AM
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Interesting that their AD left Baylor during the sex scandal. Maybe he wasn't involved, but the mud usually splatters.

They have 14,000 on-campus students but 100,000 online. Wonder if they charge the online students to get video streams of sporting events and have them on the scoreboard video to add to the attendance. :)

Can't see them staying independent very long. They may be looking beyond Sun Belt. They only have a 19,000-seat stadium but I'm sure money's not an issue if they want to expand. They might easily move into CUSA if one its teams gets plucked in the next expansion or if it wants to add a 16th team. CUSA doesn't currently have any religious schools in its membership, but it did in the past.
OU_Country
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Posted: 2/17/2017 9:45 AM
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I'd argue that the trend in FBS stadiums will make the 19,000 seats more than enough. Spaces for large groups, luxury/club level areas is probably more important and useful for revenue.
C Money
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Posted: 2/17/2017 10:16 AM
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Pataskala wrote:expand_more
Can't see them staying independent very long. They may be looking beyond Sun Belt. They only have a 19,000-seat stadium but I'm sure money's not an issue if they want to expand. They might easily move into CUSA if one its teams gets plucked in the next expansion or if it wants to add a 16th team. CUSA doesn't currently have any religious schools in its membership, but it did in the past.
TBH, if the MAC was hell bent on expansion, I wouldn't mind expanding into Virginia. But I like the current 12 team set up just fine (unless we're serious about dumping EMU for attendance woes, b/c I'd swap Liberty for Ypsi State Community College in a heartbeat).

I agree that CUSA is probably the ultimate landing spot. CUSA has that weird 13 team set up right now, but they'd have to kick an East team to the West to get a 7/7 team balance in their divisions. MTSU is probably the best candidate for that, but you'd leave WKU on an island a bit. Lynchburg is probably far enough from Norfolk that ODU wouldn't gripe too much about a second Virginia school in the leage.
OUcats82
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Posted: 2/17/2017 10:31 AM
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C Money wrote:expand_more
Can't see them staying independent very long. They may be looking beyond Sun Belt. They only have a 19,000-seat stadium but I'm sure money's not an issue if they want to expand. They might easily move into CUSA if one its teams gets plucked in the next expansion or if it wants to add a 16th team. CUSA doesn't currently have any religious schools in its membership, but it did in the past.
TBH, if the MAC was hell bent on expansion, I wouldn't mind expanding into Virginia. But I like the current 12 team set up just fine (unless we're serious about dumping EMU for attendance woes, b/c I'd swap Liberty for Ypsi State Community College in a heartbeat).

I agree that CUSA is probably the ultimate landing spot. CUSA has that weird 13 team set up right now, but they'd have to kick an East team to the West to get a 7/7 team balance in their divisions. MTSU is probably the best candidate for that, but you'd leave WKU on an island a bit. Lynchburg is probably far enough from Norfolk that ODU wouldn't gripe too much about a second Virginia school in the leage.
C-USA wouldn't shock me, either. If I am the AD at Old Dominion I would probably welcome a fellow school in the commonwealth if for no other reason than bottom line. A 3.5 hour trip to Lynchburg, possibly replacing a flight to a school further west a few times a year can't hurt. Also a chance to develop a rivalry or at least attract visitors to football, basketball etc. would be more realistic. Liberty would instantly become the closest campus to ODU. Marshall would have a campus closer, too.

With Rice already being a member, private status wouldn't necessarily be a deal breaker. C-USA is kind of a melting pot.
GoCats105
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Posted: 2/17/2017 11:21 AM
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And who said Turner Gill wouldn't coach in FBS again? ;)
Ohio69
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Posted: 2/17/2017 11:29 AM
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Wonder how Liberty will handle all the anti-football, anti-athletics protests of students and faculty.
C Money
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Posted: 2/18/2017 8:50 AM
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C Money wrote:expand_more
CUSA has that weird 13 team set up right now, but they'd have to kick an East team to the West to get a 7/7 team balance in their divisions.
I forgot that UAB is coming back, so CUSA will already be at 14. Liberty might have to wait a couple years.
davepi2
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Posted: 2/18/2017 8:50 AM
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Ohio69 wrote:expand_more
Wonder how Liberty will handle all the anti-football, anti-athletics protests of students and faculty.
Students at schools like Liberty(a protestant university) are not allowed to protest. They will be kicked out if they do.
The Optimist
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Posted: 2/18/2017 12:43 PM
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C Money wrote:expand_more
(unless we're serious about dumping EMU for attendance woes, b/c I'd swap Liberty for Ypsi State Community College in a heartbeat).

+1

#DeportEMU
perimeterpost
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Posted: 2/18/2017 9:13 PM
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The Optimist wrote:expand_more
(unless we're serious about dumping EMU for attendance woes, b/c I'd swap Liberty for Ypsi State Community College in a heartbeat).

+1

#DeportEMU
I'll take EMU's attendance problems over a "university" that teaches religion in science class. would be disgraceful to be associated with that school in any way.
OhioCatFan
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Posted: 2/18/2017 9:47 PM
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perimeterpost wrote:expand_more
(unless we're serious about dumping EMU for attendance woes, b/c I'd swap Liberty for Ypsi State Community College in a heartbeat).

+1

#DeportEMU
I'll take EMU's attendance problems over a "university" that teaches religion in science class. would be disgraceful to be associated with that school in any way.
A different perspective:

https://tinyurl.com/h28unzl
Jeff McKinney
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Posted: 2/18/2017 9:53 PM
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davepi2 wrote:expand_more
Wonder how Liberty will handle all the anti-football, anti-athletics protests of students and faculty.
Students at schools like Liberty(a protestant university) are not allowed to protest. They will be kicked out if they do.
I dunno...a large group of Liberty students protested the Liberty presidents endorsement of candidate Trump and I don't think they got kicked out.
cc-cat
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Posted: 2/18/2017 10:35 PM
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Pataskala wrote:expand_more
Interesting that their AD left Baylor during the sex scandal. Maybe he wasn't involved, but the mud usually splatters.
He was right in the middle of it as the emails are now showing. That mess is going to get much worse and he and Briles are going to be in the middle of it. Not sure Liberty cares. Falwell certainly does not care.
perimeterpost
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Posted: 2/18/2017 11:04 PM
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OhioCatFan wrote:expand_more
(unless we're serious about dumping EMU for attendance woes, b/c I'd swap Liberty for Ypsi State Community College in a heartbeat).

+1

#DeportEMU
I'll take EMU's attendance problems over a "university" that teaches religion in science class. would be disgraceful to be associated with that school in any way.
A different perspective:

https://tinyurl.com/h28unzl

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1te01rfEF0g
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