Sun Belt acknowledges talking to Liberty

[Harry]

Sun Belt Commissioner Karl Benson said he has had conversations with Liberty regarding their interest in joining the Sun Belt.

He declined to provide any details of their conversations.

The Sun Belt, Georgia States home conference officially on July 1, currently has 11 football-playing schools. The conference reached 12 with the recent additions of Georgia Southern and Appalachian State in all sports, and Idaho and New Mexico State in football only. However, Western Kentucky then announced that it was leaving the Sun Belt to join Conference USA.

The Sun Belt is trying to solve two issues: reaching 12 football-playing members so that it can host a championship game in 2014, and trying to have 12 basketball-playing members. Adding New Mexico State in all sports, for example, would solve the basketball issue, but wouldnt solve the football issue.

Adding Liberty again not a done deal and based upon the wording of Benson's answer, perhaps a one-sided conversation -- would solve both.

read more: http://www.ajc.com/weblogs/georgia-state-sports/2013/apr/11/sun-belt-acknowledges-talking-liberty/

[Arkstfan]

Rumor mill says JMU is very interested in FBS but doesn't want to start transition until 2014, meaning they won't play a league schedule until 2015 and won't be bowl eligible until 2016. There has been some Missouri State talk as well but they have similar timeline issues.

So basically you have one group saying just add whomever will start transition NOW so there can be a title game in 2014 vs. those pointing out that a JMU or Missouri State is worth the wait, which gets answered with, "Well we can add a Liberty, Jax State, type of school today to get to 12 and if both those are interested we can then go to 14."

[letsgiveacheer]

Liberty's founder, Jerry Falwell, always said he wanted he wanted their football program to be known as the "Notre Dame of the Protestants".

With Sun Belt membership, they get one step closer.

[Stix]

Two days in a row, the title of this thread had me thinking it was about the Liberty Bowl.

[Harry]

Two days in a row, the title of this thread had me thinking it was about the Liberty Bowl.

[Rudy]

Hey, Karl, if I start a college, can my team be in the Sun Belt?

[10Eagle10]

maybe the Sun Belt should go all the way up to NY and add Army as football only, while extending an all sports invite to NMSU

[oldguystudent]

How many days since Karl last called UNT?

[VideoEagle]

How many days since Karl last called UNT?

About 5 minutes ago. "Don't ya'll want to come back? The CUSA you are in isn't what you signed up for? Lot's of the posters on GMG.com think it's terrible. You should come back."

[laxtonto]

Brent Thibodeaux ‏@BrentThibodeaux 2h

From what I'm hearing, neither #SunBelt commissioner Karl Benson or anyone on his staff will be on the #Liberty campus this week.

Edited April 16, 2013 by laxtonto

[untjim1995]

This is just one more story that reinforces to me that a reclassifcation of FBS will get done sooner rather than later. No way that Liberty should be playing football at the same level, in theory, as the AQs. The AQs and their media buddies didn't like it when the number of FBS schools got in the 100s. We are going to be working on getting close to 130 real soon. The future 1-AA regrouping is going to happen.

[foutsrouts]

This is just one more story that reinforces to me that a reclassifcation of FBS will get done sooner rather than later. No way that Liberty should be playing football at the same level, in theory, as the AQs. The AQs and their media buddies didn't like it when the number of FBS schools got in the 100s. We are going to be working on getting close to 130 real soon. The future 1-AA regrouping is going to happen.

I agree. The more schools that move up the worse it is for us, and the only way we can gain any separation is to flat out win. Liberty and Alabama in the same classification? Ain't gonna last.