Liberty going FBS too?

[Cocky]

Conference announcement in April.
Recruiting season is funny in its on way.

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2012/01/briarwoods_canon_smith_chooses.html

[Apphole]

Liberty has 3x the athletic budget of any other future FBS transfer. They are an absolute shoe in for the FBS.

[Cocky]

Which conference are they joining (or announcing) in April?

[Saint3333]

Maybe it's a conference that doesn't exist... yet.

[whitey]

Or maybe they are just telling kids want they want to hear.

[ninerID]

Or maybe they are just telling kids want they want to hear.

that's my guess, but Saint's guess is more fun.

[danefan]

The writing is on the wall...when it happens is another story.

While recruits make some "interesting" comments some times, this quote seems to have detailed information, even with timing.


Liberty is in the process of moving to Division I-A after years in I-AA.

"They're negotiating conferences and they'll announce that in April," Smith said. "They want to build a tradition there.


But I don't think its a question that Liberty is moving on eventually.

[eaglemachine]

Liberty has 3x the athletic budget of any other future FBS transfer. They are an absolute shoe in for the FBS.

yet never can seem to make it to the playoffs...

[danefan]

yet never can seem to make it to the playoffs...

Irrelevant when it comes to deciding whether to move up or not.

[DFW HOYA]

Recruits (and reporters) often miss the intracacies of conference alignments. Another example:

"I think I have the talent to play Division I-A, and Monmouth was a great fit for me.’’
http://www.nj.com/times-sports/index.ssf/2012/01/mercer_county_football_stars_o.html

[Wildcat80]

Jerry Falwell was always envious of Notre Dame......not quite there yet.

[MplsBison]

Jerry Falwell was always envious of Notre Dame......not quite there yet.

Jesus likes catholics better anyway

[Apphole]

Maybe it's a conference that doesn't exist... yet.

I was wondering who would occupy the private sector of our new conference!;)

[danefan]

Recruits (and reporters) often miss the intracacies of conference alignments. Another example:

"I think I have the talent to play Division I-A, and Monmouth was a great fit for me.’’
http://www.nj.com/times-sports/index.ssf/2012/01/mercer_county_football_stars_o.html

I know from firsthand experience that in some cases its the reporters taking down the quotes that don't know what they're talking about.

I wouldn't at all be surprised if this kid said....""I think I have the talent to play Division I, and Monmouth was a great fit for me."

[henfan]

NCAA Division I bylaws would not permit Liberty to reclassify its football program without an invitation from an EXISTING FBS conference.

[darell1976]

NCAA Division I bylaws would not permit Liberty to reclassify its football program without an invitation from an EXISTING FBS conference.

What about being a FBS Independent?

[asumike83]

What about being a FBS Independent?

Don't believe that is allowed for a team transitioning from FCS but I could be wrong.

[danefan]

Don't believe that is allowed for a team transitioning from FCS but I could be wrong.

You are correct. No longer allowed. You must be invited to an existing FBS conference.

[DFW HOYA]

You are correct. No longer allowed. You must be invited to an existing FBS conference.

The WAC might invite anyone if things get much worse.

[darell1976]

Would C-USA be a good fit for them? Although it would make it 13 teams.

[danefan]

The WAC might invite anyone if things get much worse.

Liberty is probably a good pick up for some of these far flung conferences. $$$$$ and fan support.

[TheRevSFA]

The WAC might invite anyone if things get much worse.

The WAC would take a football team from NJIT at this point.

[darell1976]

The WAC would take a football team from NJIT at this point.

Don't tell Lakes that, he would've had NDSU's bags packed already.

[Apphole]

I don't believe there is a rule forbidding the formation of a new FBS conference. The rule is against FCS teams going FBS independent.

This new conference talk has been talked about behind the scenes for a while now. And I don't mean message boards.

[danefan]

I don't believe there is a rule forbidding the formation of a new FBS conference. The rule is against FCS teams going FBS independent.

This new conference talk has been talked about behind the scenes for a while now. And I don't mean message boards.

There was an interpretation discussed at the Division I Football Summit last year I think that forming a new conference wasn't sufficient unless it was formed by primarily FBS schools.

[Seawolf97]

The Flames will go FBS one of these days but not anytime soon. StonyBrook has the same ambition but dont expect an announcement this April. But if the the Flames can pull it off in the next 3-5 years more power to them.

[Mr. C]

Maybe it's a conference that doesn't exist... yet.

Cannot do that without NCAA legislation. That one is DOA.

[Saint3333]

Has the rule ever been challenged?

[Mr. C]

I don't believe there is a rule forbidding the formation of a new FBS conference. The rule is against FCS teams going FBS independent.

This new conference talk has been talked about behind the scenes for a while now. And I don't mean message boards.

Yes there is. Tom Yeager was told at the first FCS summit by the No. 2 guy of the NCAA that a conference like the CAA could not move in its entirety to FBS. And a new conference would require NCAA by-law changes, which the BCS conferences would never vote for. There is not as much to these "talks behind the scenes" as you would like to think.

[Mr. C]

Has the rule ever been challenged?

Such a thing would require a pretty huge law suit and I'm not sure the schools involved would want to rattle the cages that would need to be rattled. Remember that the NCAA is a "voluntary" organization. The membership makes the rules.

[Mr. C]

The WAC would take a football team from NJIT at this point.

The WAC and Conference USA is exploring combining forces. The WAC isn't currently casting its net quite as far as it was a few months ago.

[frozennorth]

Would C-USA be a good fit for them? Although it would make it 13 teams.

c-usa lost 3 schools to the big least, houston, smu and ucf

[Mr. C]

What about being a FBS Independent?

No longer allowed for transitioning teams.

[Mr. C]

I know from firsthand experience that in some cases its the reporters taking down the quotes that don't know what they're talking about.

I wouldn't at all be surprised if this kid said....""I think I have the talent to play Division I, and Monmouth was a great fit for me."

So who misquoted you, Dane?

[ngineer]

The writing is on the wall...when it happens is another story.

While recruits make some "interesting" comments some times, this quote seems to have detailed information, even with timing.



But I don't think its a question that Liberty is moving on eventually.

Falwell always said he wanted Liberty to be come the "Notre Dame of the Protestants"...xrolleyesxxrolleyesx

[chazg]

The WAC and Conference USA is exploring combining forces. The WAC isn't currently casting its net quite as far as it was a few months ago.

The MWC and CUSA are looking at a merger. The WAC is still looking for an 8th member and UTA could announce football soon.

[Jackman]

Has the rule ever been challenged?

No, but it's been in effect for only six months.

[mgbison]

If you are gonna suck in fcs, what's the difference if you suck in fbs. Is probably beneficial for some crappy fcs teams to move up to fbs. At least in the fbs they have a chance of being in some crappy bowl game, where in the fcs they have no chance of making it through 4 playoff games.

[Twentysix]

If the budget can be sustained off increased conference revenue/bowl payouts, I mostly agree with your line of thinking mgbison.

[Mr. C]

The MWC and CUSA are looking at a merger. The WAC is still looking for an 8th member and UTA could announce football soon.

Combining forces and looking at a merger are the same thing. And the fact is that the WAC isn't in the desperate place it was last year.

[Wildcat80]

If you are gonna suck in fcs, what's the difference if you suck in fbs. Is probably beneficial for some crappy fcs teams to move up to fbs. At least in the fbs they have a chance of being in some crappy bowl game, where in the fcs they have no chance of making it through 4 playoff games.

Uhhh...the first difference is losing millions more dollars......and losing more if you end up in that crappy bowl game...

[Dane96]

Combining forces and looking at a merger are the same thing. And the fact is that the WAC isn't in the desperate place it was last year.

Ummm...not exactly. They can combine forces in many different efforts (scheduling, marketing, refs, etc.) but who actually absorbs liability is a whole other story.

My guess is this mass merger ends up becoming merely a mutual agreement to schedule and share costs if...and ONLY if...the big boy conferences don't grow any larger into super conferences. If they turn into super conferences...a full merger of C-USA and the WAC would be prudent.

[danefan]

So who misquoted you, Dane?

I was misquoted a number of times during my high school days, including a couple of articles about my recruitment.

Nothing major or tht hurt my recruiting,but little slips that most people probably wouldn't have caugh just like this one.

[Tribe4SF]

Liberty's recruiting seems to be down this year. To date they have not a single commit from the top 100 in Virginia.

[whitey]

Liberty's recruiting seems to be down this year. To date they have not a single commit from the top 100 in Virginia.

I think that's because ODU signed 1 - 100. j/k

[SumItUp]

Liberty's recruiting seems to be down this year. To date they have not a single commit from the top 100 in Virginia.

Based on Virginia recruits, I agree that it does appear that way. In hindsight, it appears that Rocco knew he was on the way out the door after this season. He expected a playoff run with his senior class that could be parlayed into a FBS head coaching gig. In early December, there were only one or two verbal commits. By far, that was the lowest during his tenure. Coach Turner Gill is recruiting on a national scale and is focusing on kids that want to be at Liberty. Based on the early commitments, we are optimistic that that this could be Liberty's best recruiting class.