Our AD in the news conference flat out stated that since this happened so quickly, we literlly are just beginning to make calls to fill the required 3 home FBS games in 2018 and the five FBS home games moving forward. It is true that we don't have much leverage. But we prepared financially to make this happen.

And for the record, our attendance will be just fine. We usually average around 18k playing a horrible schedule of Presbyterians, Monmouths and Charleston Southerns. We will definitely pull our weight. In the newser, our Chancellor indicated that a long-delayed stadium expansion to 35k could occur as early as Late November since we already have the plans and the cash. Hopefully we work some home-and-home deals with you all but recognize the challenge we are facing.

(02-16-2017 06:01 PM)airtroop Wrote:  

(02-16-2017 05:05 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(02-16-2017 04:52 PM)SpaceRaider Wrote:  Well since they got a waiver, what's to stop others?

They have far deeper pockets than most FCS schools.

Unlike most FCS programs, Liberty can afford FBS ball today, maybe even as an independent, but I just don't think it will work logistically.

Again, what reason does any program, especially a P5, have to go to Lynchburg? Especially on a home and home?

I'm not particularly interested in playing them, but if they call us for a home and home, we counter with a 2-1 and they say yes, I think we'd at least have to consider it.

I suppose if Liberty wants to pay the ULM's and NMSU's of the world for paycheck games, maybe they could make it work, but their deeper pockets are literally their only asset.

Shhheeesh, they could probably have a higher athletic budget than Alabama if they wanted to. Hell, they could probably easily afford to schedule a home game with Bama if they wanted to. Just one of a few reasons they never received an invite from the SBC.

It'll be interesting to see how big they invest from the start. I think most P5 teams will be hesitant to go to Lynchburg at first.

(02-16-2017 06:01 PM)airtroop Wrote:  

(02-16-2017 05:05 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(02-16-2017 04:52 PM)SpaceRaider Wrote:  Well since they got a waiver, what's to stop others?

They have far deeper pockets than most FCS schools.

Unlike most FCS programs, Liberty can afford FBS ball today, maybe even as an independent, but I just don't think it will work logistically.

Again, what reason does any program, especially a P5, have to go to Lynchburg? Especially on a home and home?

I'm not particularly interested in playing them, but if they call us for a home and home, we counter with a 2-1 and they say yes, I think we'd at least have to consider it.

I suppose if Liberty wants to pay the ULM's and NMSU's of the world for paycheck games, maybe they could make it work, but their deeper pockets are literally their only asset.

Shhheeesh, they could probably have a higher athletic budget than Alabama if they wanted to. Hell, they could probably easily afford to schedule a home game with Bama if they wanted to. Just one of a few reasons they never received an invite from the SBC.

Give Creflo Dollar and Joel Osteen honorary degrees(aren't all Liberty degrees honorary?) and fundraising roles and you're probably right.

We don't have illusions of P5 teams coming into Lynchburg anytime soon. But we certainly hope to some day after stadium expansion. G5s and the other Indies are our realistic goals right now.

(02-16-2017 06:06 PM)SlyFox Wrote:  Our AD in the news conference flat out stated that since this happened so quickly, we literlly are just beginning to make calls to fill the required 3 home FBS games in 2018 and the five FBS home games moving forward. It is true that we don't have much leverage. But we prepared financially to make this happen.

And for the record, our attendance will be just fine. We usually average around 18k playing a horrible schedule of Presbyterians, Monmouths and Charleston Southerns. We will definitely pull our weight. In the newser, our Chancellor indicated that a long-delayed stadium expansion to 35k could occur as early as Late November since we already have the plans and the cash. Hopefully we work some home-and-home deals with you all but recognize the challenge we are facing.

Building to 35k now would be a mistake.

MTPiKapp - Neither Creflo or Joel are Liberty type folks. But I see you working. Actually Liberty puhes back against donors these day because they tend to expect influence in exchange for their dollars. Liberty generates plenty fo revenue without asking for assistance from little old ladies.

(02-16-2017 06:08 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  Building to 35k now would be a mistake.

I can't argue at this point. The 19k stadium setup we have now has been inadequte for us at the FCS level. We could just add the second deck ont he visitors side for 6k more to get to 25k right away before we add the additional 10k.

I hope that Marshall never and I mean never signs a 1-1 with the Falwell Cult that tries to pass themselves off as a university. Besides the right winged people that actually go to Lynchburg, VA, Liberty is nothing more than an OnLine degree mill.

(02-16-2017 06:09 PM)SlyFox Wrote:  MTPiKapp - Neither Creflo or Joel are Liberty type folks. But I see you working. Actually Liberty puhes back against donors these day because they tend to expect influence in exchange for their dollars. Liberty generates plenty fo revenue without asking for assistance from little old ladies.

Was matching the hyperbole of the suggestion that yiu guys could have a Bama like budget.

Falwell needs no help in the bad PR business.

(02-16-2017 04:43 PM)BeagleUSM Wrote:  Any school that doesn't average 20k a game needs to be booted from FBS. If you're in FCS and don't hit that number (basically only Montana and JMU), you need to stay FCS

Any school that doesn't average 40k needs to be booted from FBS...




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(02-16-2017 04:50 PM)techdawg88 Wrote:  I don't believe you can enter FBS football as an Indy

They just did...lol

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(02-16-2017 06:11 PM)SlyFox Wrote:  

(02-16-2017 06:08 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  Building to 35k now would be a mistake.

I can't argue at this point. The 19k stadium setup we have now has been inadequte for us at the FCS level. We could just add the second deck ont he visitors side for 6k more to get to 25k right away before we add the additional 10k.

Unless you sign a marquee home opener for 2018, 19k might be enough, 25k is definitely plenty.

(02-16-2017 06:20 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(02-16-2017 06:11 PM)SlyFox Wrote:  

(02-16-2017 06:08 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  Building to 35k now would be a mistake.

I can't argue at this point. The 19k stadium setup we have now has been inadequte for us at the FCS level. We could just add the second deck ont he visitors side for 6k more to get to 25k right away before we add the additional 10k.

Unless you sign a marquee home opener for 2018, 19k might be enough, 25k is definitely plenty.

They have pretty good support. They got 21K last year in a game against Charlston Southern. But I agree 25K should be plenty

We spill onto hillsides over 20k and have done that regularly the past few years. I suspect it will wind up being 25k for 2018 opener and 35k in the following years. I suspect the euphoria of the moment led our chancellor to start talking 35k right away.

(02-16-2017 06:32 PM)SlyFox Wrote:  We spill onto hillsides over 20k and have done that regularly the past few years. I suspect it will wind up being 25k for 2018 opener and 35k in the following years. I suspect the euphoria of the moment led our chancellor to start talking 35k right away.

When we expanded almost two two decades ago there was a lot of excitement. We've hit ~99% capacity once and only been above 80% a handful of times.

As college football crowds are shrinking all over the place, now is not the time for a "Field of Dreams" approach.

I hear you. We are actually looking at building a smaller hoops arena for just such a scenario. But when you have the resources and are feeling your oats, you tend to go big.

(02-16-2017 04:35 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  If they want to go the Indy route, financed by their 7 million online students and the NCAA is okay with that, more power to em.

They will be every bit of the also ran at the FBS level as they have been at the FCS level.

Geez.....why so bitter? Why not wish them well? I hope they make it.

(02-16-2017 04:43 PM)BeagleUSM Wrote:  Any school that doesn't average 20k a game needs to be booted from FBS. If you're in FCS and don't hit that number (basically only Montana and JMU), you need to stay FCS

.....there goes the neighborhood.

(02-16-2017 05:11 PM)Saint3333 Wrote:  

(02-16-2017 05:05 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  but their deeper pockets are literally their only asset.

If you're going have only one asset, that's a good one.

Exactly. I can't see how Liberty can fail. Obviously some people on this board have gotten their feelings hurt. The fact is, Liberty DOESN'T NEED us.

Liberty is private school, so they don't have to worry about state cuts or pissed off politicians. They also don't have to fight other state schools for an ever-decreasing piece of the government pie (like we have to do at LA Tech).

Since they are a true independent, Liberty also doesn't have to deliberately destroy their mens BB RPI by playing conference schools that are guaranteed to drag them down. Liberty also doesn't have to waste trips to places that have zero football fans, and make a visiting CUSA fan say "why the hell are these people in our conference?".

Furthermore, as a religious school --who I assume has their own TV network-- Liberty has more potential fans and donors than any CUSA fan's school on this forum. And that's just for starters. Their first phone call should be to BYU.

This is going to be much, much easier for Liberty to accomplish than many of you think. And kind of fun to watch.

My knee jerk reaction is I kind of hope we don't schedule with them, especially not any 1 for 1s. I don't see the point in supporting that school by putting them on the schedule. Our AD was complimentary of them because they were FCS, I'm not sure we are going to be in a rush to schedule them. And with our schedule pretty full for the next 5 years, we probably don't have room for them anyway. I'd rather keep scheduling VT and UVA even if it means 2 more losses on the schedule.

They want to be BYU east. Good luck to them, but I would rather not help them get there. Just my 2 cents.