OT: Liberty U. moving up to FBS... | The Boneyard

OT: Liberty U. moving up to FBS...

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Heard on Sirius-XM at 10:30 the announcement that Falwell's college is moving up to FBS. Will play last season in FCS in 2017, play as transitional FBS team in 2018. Speculation is that ultimate goal is to join the Sun Belt Conference.
 
For the life of me, I can't comprehend how this makes any sense whatsoever. What is the incentive for these FCS schools to move up to the Sun Belt, MAC, Conf USA, etc?
 
Jimmy Serrano said:
For the life of me, I can't comprehend how this makes any sense whatsoever. What is the incentive for these FCS schools to move up to the Sun Belt, MAC, Conf USA, etc?
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Angling for a p5 invite.
 
Jimmy Serrano said:
For the life of me, I can't comprehend how this makes any sense whatsoever. What is the incentive for these FCS schools to move up to the Sun Belt, MAC, Conf USA, etc?
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Well ...

We - collectively - have pointed out frequently that FCS is a Loser. Of course, we come at this from a UConn - Yankee Conference perspective.

At least in FBS, you can more easily schedule FBS big names & take your beating for $600-900k. For this Christian school (not unlike Boston College's reasoning) there is the Brand positioning of loudly getting Liberty (JERRY FALWELL) on National news - where they don't get today. They'll play Baylor this coming year (yeah - I know. Very Christian) and have played Michigan and Kansas not long ago. Scholarships ? I bet they gave a source from their mission for souls that finds 85 easily after being at 63. As a Private, no one answers to the dollars being yanked from academic Capital improvenents towards glossing locker rooms. Not long ago, they had 3100 bodies attend a FCS playoff game & I'm gonna bet that 15,000 can come see them meet even Sunbelt teams with a nudge. I don't know Lynchburg's population; but I bet they - like ND & BYU - have a ready made affinity fan base built over the life of the Falwell phenomenon. There is some TV income coming their way.

FCS? App State. Georgia Southern. Coastal Carolina. Georgia State. UTSA. They are still arriving in FBS. There seems to be a handful on the verge. My guess is Liberty has far more Value Add to gain from the higher league than the 3rd thru 5th State U. Or the 12th school in Texas to advance.

What we have is a tier hierarchy.

I think there is far more separation occurring from Michigan & Alabama ... To Iowa or Mississippi State. Cartels screw up. This one will provide change over time. As a UConn fan, this disruption hopefully provides us a way forward that works.
 
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Liberty U - located in VA.. Turner Gill is the Head Coach.. They're currently in a higher tier FCS conference in the Big South...

A no brainer... ODU did it... now Liberty...
 
ktuck911 said:
Liberty U - located in VA.. Turner Gill is the Head Coach.. They're currently in a higher tier FCS conference in the Big South...

A no brainer... ODU did it... now Liberty...
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If you want to triple your financial losses in football? Sure it's a no brainer.
 
Oh I don't know that you triple your losses. Back when we upgraded UConn and we were pretty average for 1AA, lost about $5 million a year on football. That number is bigger for fcs now. UMass was losing only a couple of million more in their first few 1A years than they lost in 1AA too, so I imagine it's the same fore LibU. By the way they also have national distribution of their games sort of like Raycom used to do for the ACC though obviously not as big time.
 
Jimmy Serrano said:
If you want to triple your financial losses in football? Sure it's a no brainer.
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I agree with freescooter's comments.. they won't lose as much...

You also gotta take into account the climate they play in... which is why I compared their situation to ODU's... Warmer climate area and football rich state of VA... Kids would be more prone to go there and play FBS football ..... Just seems to make sense for them....
 
ktuck911 said:
I agree with freescooter's comments.. they won't lose as much...

You also gotta take into account the climate they play in... which is why I compared their situation to ODU's... Warmer climate area and football rich state of VA... Kids would be more prone to go there and play FBS football ..... Just seems to make sense for them....
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I flippantly threw out the triple your losses comment. Its likely not that much. But they will lose millions more and for what?
 
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Jimmy Serrano said:
Thoughts and prayers.
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I'm serious though. Same reason that BYU puts volleyball on it's network.

They want the exposure to their school and it's mission - the money is nothing to them.
 
Didn't they just hire someone either suuuper shady or already with a bad track record to a high profile position in the AD?
 
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They have a huge push for more online students and to make the university more main stream.
The campus is beautiful and as someone else said they have the money to make the investment.
 
whaler11 said:
I'm serious though. Same reason that BYU puts volleyball on it's network.

They want the exposure to their school and it's mission - the money is nothing to them.
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It's about God and Evangelical Christianity but don't kid yourself, it's about money too! They want National exposure to expand their brand to attract Christian students from across America.

Liberty is the largest private university in America. Liberty' endowment is One Billion plus. For comparison, UCONN'S is 377 Million.

It has rapidly grown thanks to a massive influx of online students. According to the AFT Data Center, Liberty had an enrollment of nearly 50,000 students, making it the largest private school in the country, but over three-quarters were distance students. The school’s growth is tied to its ability to recruit online or distance students who can get federal aid. It’s in fine financial shape now. Liberty’s endowment is over a billion dollars!

I actually agree with Whaler on this, except for the fact that the money is nothing to them. This is a business like anything else.
 
Confident Carl said:
It's about God and Evangelical Christianity but don't kid yourself, it's about money too! They want National exposure to expand their brand to attract Christian students from across America.

Liberty is the largest private university in America. Liberty' endowment is One Billion plus. For comparison, UCONN'S is 377 Million.

It has rapidly grown thanks to a massive influx of online students. According to the AFT Data Center, Liberty had an enrollment of nearly 50,000 students, making it the largest private school in the country, but over three-quarters were distance students. The school’s growth is tied to its ability to recruit online or distance students who can get federal aid. It’s in fine financial shape now. Liberty’s endowment is over a billion dollars!

I actually agree with Whaler on this, except for the fact that the money is nothing to them. This is a business like anything else.
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I meant the marginal money to add football.

Obviously money in general is the entire point.
 
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That school has risen from a backwater bible thumping school to being an accredited school in the 1980s. In 30 years it has become a major university with national reach. This is part of the evangelization mission. A slick FBS program just makes them more accessible and they are sitting in fertile recruiting grounds. Not my cup of tea, but they have deep pockets backed by folks bought into the vision. The money they will lose is chalked up to marketing and outreach. It's not about the money. It's about soft ROI.
 
The more the merrier. Who cares what their motivation is. Give them a couple years to get the football program going then schedule them for a week one cup cake win. If they are FBS it's got to look better than playing Maine or Holy Cross.
 
weyuo said:
The more the merrier. Who cares what their motivation is. Give them a couple years to get the football program going then schedule them for a week one cup cake win. If they are FBS it's got to look better than playing Maine or Holy Cross.
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Been there, done that. But I imagine they'd put up a better fight than they did 13 years ago.

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