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Post by LUconn on Feb 3, 2005 12:50:51 GMT -5
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Post by LUconn on Feb 3, 2005 13:00:51 GMT -5
Ohhh what I wouldn't give to be here www.caasports.com/ ODU is 10-1 and looking to nab a good seed. We were with them all the way. We would start out in the middle of the pack here. Not to mention close rivals galore. I can dream can't I? |
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Post by Sly Fox on Feb 3, 2005 13:06:44 GMT -5
I don't think it is that much of a dream. The scenario laid out in the Big South thread on the General Board has some viability.
The Colonial is not a panacea. But it would certainly be a step in the right direction.
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Post by eddantes on Feb 3, 2005 15:44:57 GMT -5
I never understood why people thought the Big South was a mid-major team anyway. We're not. Check out conference rankings, and it's usually 28th out of 32 (including independants).
The only reason people say the Big South is mid-major is because we haven't invented the phrase "lousy-major"
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Post by LUconn on Feb 3, 2005 16:12:31 GMT -5
Ed, did you notice your buddy over in the Football recruits thread?
To continute to go along with this dilutsion I took a look at the A10 football league, while it is almost perfect for us, they're set up in a 12 team league already. I'm sure they wouldn't want a 7th in the South. Maybe if Villanova upgrades to D1 football, or someone else gets out of that league.
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Post by PAmedic on Feb 3, 2005 16:22:15 GMT -5
I've seen quite a bit of 'Nova over the years, and they've really only been good in I-AA lately. That and they really don't draw the fan base for football in the Philly area that would be required to step up. But I DO agree w/ you, A-10 football would be a good fit. (+ I'd get to see LU at the "away" games!)
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Post by PAmedic on Feb 3, 2005 16:24:53 GMT -5
sorry- shoulda posted this over in the football thread.
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Post by Yohan on Feb 3, 2005 16:27:14 GMT -5
Speaking of conferences, someone keeps talking about the 1-A fallouts. Do we know if there exist any future 1-A dropouts who would be a geographical fit for the Big South? Would a 1-A dropout actually consider the Big South? Perhaps if 3 or 4 decided to join us at the same time to create a respectable conference?
I'm searching for the relevance of these 1-A castaways.
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Post by PAmedic on Feb 3, 2005 16:31:52 GMT -5
yeah, that's Sly's big thing- he's posted previously that due to changing criteria- many schools "on the bubble", as it were, would be forced to step down to 1-AA. Don't know enough about this to speculate, but would guess that depending on WHY they can't hack it in the big time would affect which conference(s) are an option. My guess is any school in that situation would prefer SOME conference affiliation over going independant. (Revenue stream issues?)
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Post by eddantes on Feb 3, 2005 16:38:16 GMT -5
I don't know if I should be insulted or honored when I see someone trying to steal my identity.
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Post by Sly Fox on Feb 3, 2005 17:44:31 GMT -5
I'm the one referring to the I-A fallouts. I don't think any of them would consider for a split second joining the Big South except for a bandaid for a season or two. My premise is that when they start dropping, there will be a scramble for realignment with some new leagues coming into being (and some old ones completely reorganizing). These schools would clearly be stronger institutions in general than what we are surrounded by in the Big South.
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Post by PAmedic on Feb 3, 2005 19:44:15 GMT -5
thats' sorta what I was getting at Sly- a "band-aid" as you put it is preferable to them getting hung out to dry as a 1-AA Independant, which just MAY be worse than the Big South! Remember how bad WE wanted a conf affililation, ANY affiliation just a few years ago?
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Post by V88 on Feb 7, 2005 18:58:17 GMT -5
Doing some searches and found an article about the Colonial Athletic Association adding football en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonial_Athletic_Association. The conference would include the five members that play football in the A-10 and Northeastern, which is joining the Colonial. That would give the CAA the required 6 football members. Apparently the existing schools contracts with the A-10 ends in 2006 and those teams would form the new conference by 07. Not to be repetitive, but Liberty needs to be pursuing this conference even if it is a daunting task to win over some of the college presidents. Any thoughts on this? |
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Post by Sly Fox on Feb 7, 2005 22:02:54 GMT -5
I think our chances of winning over Colonial school presidents is exponentially higher than those in the A-10 for the previously mentioned emphasis on Catholicism in the A-10.
I like this train of thinking. But I have a feeling there are going to be many different scenarios beginning to unfold in the next year as another major round of realignment kicks in.
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Post by PittLU on Feb 11, 2005 12:41:04 GMT -5
I have to chime in.....
Being a huge Big East fan, a major conference re-alignment is coming. With the addition of Louisville, Cincinnati, South Florida, Marquette, and Depaul in basketball, the founding members of the Big East that are basketball only schools are going to need some place to fall. They will be forced out, and the logical place for them to fall is going to be the A-10 with the other traditional Catholic schools (which should make one heck of an east-west basketball conference that will be on par with the big boys).
The CAA is the most logical step for Liberty. There is no Catholic hierarchy like the A-10, and the natural rivalries abound. I have to say that for Liberty sports - the CAA would be a panacea. There is no way that Liberty can or ever will reach a true Division IA status due to the albatros of football and our location smack dab between VT and UVA, displaced fan base and small market.
The CAA offers us a very competitive DIAA football conference, a better market for our men's b-ball program that is returning to respectablity and a true test of the "greatness" of our women's b-ball team. Plus, you get better respect (b-ball)when seeding takes place since some CAA teams have made legitimate runs in the past. Plus, your displaced alumni from the northeast and mid-atlantic will have a chance to see live performances that can generate into renewed interest and ultimately garner support for the athletic programs.
With that said, if you were the CAA, what benefits does Liberty bring to the table? .................................................
That is why we will never be in the CAA - we have way more to take than to offer.
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Post by eddantes on Feb 12, 2005 10:58:19 GMT -5
disagree. I think that the Big East is content to have a conference the way it is, instead of kicking out the non-football playing members.
The reason the Big East purged Conference USA was to create a basketball superpower (not unlike the Big South) because it realized that its days as a football BCS school were coming to an end.
It really wouldn't make sense for them to start booting quality teams like Seton Hall, Villanova and Georgetown just cause they don't play D-I football... The Big East doesn't care about that - they're just in it for hoops.
That being said, a leap to the CAA would make sense because they have five Virginia schools ... BUT it' won't happen. Why? Because the CAA already expanded to 12 teams, effective next season (with Georgia State and Northeastern filling the void). In response to that, the CAA released a six-year in-conference schedule for basketball, so it stands to reason that they won't be making any changes to its structure anytime soon.
The Southern conference is the only one in which it makes sense to move to. They can accomodate our basketball team and our lousy football team and it makes sense regionally. Is it a means to an end? Hardly. You're going to have to go from the SoCon to something else, something else (again) and then the ACC or SEC before you get respectability. ETA? 40 years, if it's done right. Which it won't.
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Post by PAmedic on Feb 13, 2005 12:22:00 GMT -5
Gee. just a TAD pessamistic boys (or REALISTIC!)
LUPitt, good to see ya back- we thought maybe you fell off the face of the earth!
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Post by Sly Fox on Feb 14, 2005 18:27:19 GMT -5
Ed --- There are buyouts written into the Colonial contracts that are simply there to make the conference some jack. No one believes all twelve schools will be in the league for the length of the deal. Its just putting a price on schools jumping ship (which they will at first legit opportunity ... i.e. your nearby friends at ODU).
I remain in the camp that believe its not worth the hassle to jump to the SoCon. I still feel realignment is going to open up some real possibilities.
As for the Big East, their raid of C-USA was more than a hoops move. They desperately needed Louisville & Cincy's football programs as well to temporarily stave off the BCS hounds. But this past fall's emarassing performance didn't help matters.
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