Liberty in the CAA

[ToTheLeft]

Simple poll question... where would LU rank in the CAA? I understand that a poll will be marred by homers on both sides, but we'll see how it goes...

The things to think about for this question:

Where would the current LU squad rank?
Based on budget, coaching, depth, facilities, where would they rank in a few short years of being in the CAA?

I have allowed you to pick 2 options, if you feel like you're split between two options.

[Col Hogan]

Right now...middle of the pack...

I can't put them with W&M or "Nova...I reckon JMU is better as is Delaware...

Above URI/Towson...

[93henfan]

I agree with the Col. Probably above Towson and URI, but tough to say for sure since they don't have much SOS to go off.

[bandl]

What those two yahoos said. Middle of the pack, but the typical CAA slate will be extremely tough to handle at first. I see them having a few losing seasons to begin with. Then we'd see how strong of a program Liberty really is and if they can still recruit and adapt.

[Col Hogan]

Yahoo??? You best smile when you say that...

[93henfan]

I was looking back and the only recent CAA encounter for Liberty was a two touchdown loss to a 6-5 (4-4 CAA) JMU team last year on Liberty's own field. That would lend credence to the top of the bottom third of the CAA placement, though using one game as a baseline is obviously inadequate.

[GannonFan]

Yup, better than URI and Towson, but not as good as everyone else. Maybe like a Maine.

[93henfan]

Maybe like a Maine.

Can't wait for the response.

[LeadBolt]

OK, I struggle with this one. I feel two of the catagories have significant overlap, middle of the pack and top half near a playoff contender.

In the CAA, middle of the pack is a contender to make the playoffs. I believe Liberty is a contender to make the playoffs and middle of the pack in the CAA.

I just don't see much difference between 2nd and 8th in the CAA this year. The difference may comedown to a couple of odd bounces. I could see Liberty between 4th and 8th, depending upon how those bounces go.

[Col Hogan]

OK, I struggle with this one. I feel two of the catagories have significant overlap, middle of the pack and top half near a playoff contender.

In the CAA, middle of the pack is a contender to make the playoffs. I believe Liberty is a contender to make the playoffs and middle of the pack in the CAA.

I just don't see much difference between 2nd and 8th in the CAA this year. The difference may comedown to a couple of odd bounces. I could see Liberty between 4th and 8th, depending upon how those bounces go.

I'd say 4th & 8th....but you make a good point...

[ToTheLeft]

Appreciate the honest replies. That's pretty much where I put us, too, except maybe closer to the top half of the middle of the pack than the bottom.

[93henfan]

Appreciate the honest replies. That's pretty much where I put us, too, except maybe closer to the top half of the middle of the pack than the bottom.

Like Leadbolt said, that's the margin of error in a CAA season. A 7-4 at large isn't that far away from a 5-6 team that would be considered the bottom of the middle of the pack.

It's not a conference where you have one or two tough conference games. You have to be ready every week because any team can beat you, not in the cliche sense, but quite literally.

[89Hen]

I was looking back and the only recent CAA encounter for Liberty was a two touchdown loss to a 6-5 (4-4 CAA) JMU team last year on Liberty's own field. That would lend credence to the top of the bottom third of the CAA placement, though using one game as a baseline is obviously inadequate.

Tough to base everything on one game, but at the same time, you'd be foolish to ignore it. Liberty would most likely be a 4-4 to 2-6 team in the CAA depending on who they played.

[Saint3333]

Facility and fan support - top third

On the field results 6th or 7th for 2010.

[Go...gate]

I believe they would be competitive.

[jcmanson]

Facility and fan support - top third

And this is why I think, given 3 years, we'd be top 3rd.

[93henfan]

There seem to be a ton of "Liberty in the CAA" what-if threads from Liberty posters. Is this the power of suggestion at work?

I think I'll start posting some "Delaware in the Big East" threads if this starts to work. The Villanova fans have already started.

I'm monitoring the situation closely.

[jcmanson]

There seem to be a ton of "Liberty in the CAA" what-if threads from Liberty posters. Is this the power of suggestion at work?

There's no doubt we want out of the Big South. The CAA would be a great fit for us with all the in-state teams.

But this thread is in response to one on our board where one of our board members said a friend of a friend of a friend who works with a friend that knows someone that works for the CAA said LU has been mentioned as possibly joining the CAA.

[ToTheLeft]

There seem to be a ton of "Liberty in the CAA" what-if threads from Liberty posters. Is this the power of suggestion at work?

There's no doubt we want out of the Big South. The CAA would be a great fit for us with all the in-state teams.

But this thread is in response to one on our board where one of our board members said a friend of a friend of a friend who works with a friend that knows someone that works for the CAA said LU has been mentioned as possibly joining the CAA.

Which lead to a discussion of "Our coach is better than any CAA coach" and "Our facilities..." and "We'd make the playoffs".... etc.

Just wanted an outsiders perspective.

[bandl]

Too bad we can't see how they would do with a schedule even marginally more difficult than what they have right now. It's tough to say how they'd do with a tough schedule week in and week out (i.e. CAA), not a schedule where you only have a handful of tough games with the majority of your games being against cupcakes. Have a few consecutive losing seasons, like what would most likely happen if they transfer to the CAA, then whose to say their fanbase sticks around (it's easy to cheer for the big dog in a lesser division).

[jcmanson]

Too bad we can't see how they would do with a schedule even marginally more difficult than what they have right now. It's tough to say how they'd do with a tough schedule week in and week out (i.e. CAA), not a schedule where you only have a handful of tough games with the majority of your games being against cupcakes. Have a few consecutive losing seasons, like what would most likely happen if they transfer to the CAA, then whose to say their fanbase sticks around (it's easy to cheer for the big dog in a lesser division).

Great points. If we make the playoffs this year then we can begin to see where we may stack up against the CAA.

[rogers3]

Too bad we can't see how they would do with a schedule even marginally more difficult than what they have right now. It's tough to say how they'd do with a tough schedule week in and week out (i.e. CAA), not a schedule where you only have a handful of tough games with the majority of your games being against cupcakes. Have a few consecutive losing seasons, like what would most likely happen if they transfer to the CAA, then whose to say their fanbase sticks around (it's easy to cheer for the big dog in a lesser division).

True enough- who wants to watch a team lose week in and week out! I could see a season of growing pains, for sure. Of course, those who have followed JMU for a while know that a fan base can be built even if there are lean years. I had to put LU as just above URI and Towson to the middle of the pack. If we can keep Rocco around, I think that the program will continue to develop and could be competitive in the CAA. The better CAA teams are a combination of good players and great coaching. Rocco is a really good coach, he is one the players want to follow, and he, along with his staff, does a great job of conditioning his team for the tough games. That being said, I don't think that LU would have too difficult of a job prepping for tougher opponents every week.

It would be really neat to have so many great FCS venues so close together in one conference. Just out of curiosity, what is the status of Delaware's expansion? Being in VA, I hear more about Bridgeforth than any other CAA facility.

[Silenoz]

Currently middle of the pack. Over a ten year range, I bet they could move into the top half contenders. In the CAA they could certainly (continue to) build a program, they already have better support than most of the teams.

[∞∞∞]

But this thread is in response to one on our board where one of our board members said a friend of a friend of a friend who works with a friend that knows someone that works for the CAA said LU has been mentioned as possibly joining the CAA.

Don't take me wrong, I would LOVE for LU to join the CAA from an athletic perspective, but I don't see how our schools would choose to associate with Liberty's values. Conferences are more than just athletics (ex. Colonial Academic Alliance).

[ccd494]

The thing with the CAA is that after its recent retrenchment, who ISN"T a top half contender? URI and Towson are the only two teams you could say "I came back from the future and guess who won the CAA in 2011!" and I would be shocked.

Obviously there are a few teams that are the perennial class of the conference, but on a year to year basis Maine, or UMass, or really anyone could have a championship season.

I think this season, 8 of 10 teams would be disappointed if they weren't in the playoffs. What other conference can say that?