(04-18-2014 07:35 AM)CajunExpress Wrote:  There is zero upside to UMASS. They are looking for safe harbor without payment.

As much as I abhor the thought of Liberty, they bring so much more to the table. Facilities pretty good, Television, all sports, and a desire to grow the conference,footprint.

And plus their record of success playing in FCS championships over the past decade.

Quote: The preference for all logical, smart people is to stand pat at this time, but if they are hell bent on dilution then Liberty is the best candidate short and long term.

For UMass, though, the Sunbelt doesn't have to move now to bring UMass in for a 2015 CCG, since UMass is an FBS school, so the Sunbelt can wait and see what happens to the rules with CCG's (which could, after all, be relaxing the division round robin requirement without relaxing the 12-school requirement), and still move to add UMass in 2015 is they decide to.

So having an available FBS school sitting out there trying to sort out its future makes it even easier to punt on expansion this go around.