Liberty Backs Out of Opener with Lehigh

[ngineer]

Announced today in the Allentown (PA) Morning Call the Liberty has backed out of their contract with Lehigh to be the Mountain Hawk's home opener next year on September 6. What goes??? Lehigh kicked the Flames butt in Lynchburg in 2004 by a 34-16 score. I'd think they'd want to try some payback...I won't be surprised if Libert has gotten a 'payday' deal with some mediocre BCS school to be their opener...xsmhx

[LehighFan11]

Announced today in the Allentown (PA) Morning Call the Liberty has backed out of their contract with Lehigh to be the Mountain Hawk's home opener next year on September 6. What goes??? Lehigh kicked the Flames butt in Lynchburg in 2004 by a 34-16 score. I'd think they'd want to try some payback...I won't be surprised if Libert has gotten a 'payday' deal with some mediocre BCS school to be their opener...xsmhx

Yea i saw that. I want Lehigh to go out and schedule a big team though. Forget bring in some cupcake to get ready for 'Nova. Only way this team will grow is to test themselves, even if that means getting your buck kicked.

[Pards Rule]

I saw in the Lehigh program for the LC game you guys were playing Liberty the first game. Not anymore. Albany anyone? :)

[ngineer]

If they'll have us, I'd love for Sterrett to get a deal with Navy. They were dropped by UConn last year on a four year deal and had those open as of last year. We have either the opener on 9/6 or the regularly scheduled 'bye' on 9/20. However, it has to be a home game since we're away 9/13 at Villanova and 9/27 at Princeton (again?). We already have 6 away games scheduled, so that will limit us. I wouldn't mind playing Albany again. They've shown themselves to be very competitive with the PL and CAA in recent years.

[downbythebeach]

Play one of those PA NEC teams

[UAalum72]

I saw in the Lehigh program for the LC game you guys were playing Liberty the first game. Not anymore. Albany anyone? :)
Reportedly Albany's NC 2008 sked is full - UMass, Fordham, Hofstra, UNH, Delaware. Not official yet, tho

[whoanellie]

w/ Stoneybrook & Presbyterian joining the big-south (oxymoron) there may have been a scheduling issue there, just a guess.

[Dukie95]

I guess they've kept JMU on their schedule..?

[93BlueHen]

QUICK! Book Delaware State before ESPN calls you racist for not doing so.

[DFW HOYA]

If they'll have us, I'd love for Sterrett to get a deal with Navy. They were dropped by UConn last year on a four year deal and had those open as of last year.

Navy filled that opening for 2008 with Towson. The academies are no longer interested in games with schools that don't meet the 90% scholarship rule going forward.

I know it would drive the Lehigh folks up the wall to open with Monmouth or Stony Brook, but it wouldn't totally surprise me.

[Bogus Megapardus]

I hear the remaining MAAC schools have some "scheduling opportunities."

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Week 1: Marist

Week 3: Iona

And actually, I don't have ANY problem with that. Did I read right that folks want us to have a challenge? After the season we had? Are you INSANE?

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

Lehigh should schedule a softy to open the season next year. This team needs something to build confidence and 1-0 and start would certaintly help instead of once again battling uphill. Lehigh plays a strong enough schedule they could schedule a cupcake to open the season. Given the fact that Lehigh is going to be coming off a 5-6 record, scheduling Navy or a 1-A would be about the dumbest thing they could do.

[kardplayer]

Week 1: Marist

Week 3: Iona

And actually, I don't have ANY problem with that. Did I read right that folks want us to have a challenge? After the season we had? Are you INSANE?

That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever read on this site. If I ever see either team on the schedule, I'm cancelling my donations.

There are a ton of playoff or near-playoff caliber teams I'd love to see on the schedule instead.

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever read on this site. If I ever see either team on the schedule, I'm cancelling my donations.

There are a ton of playoff or near-playoff caliber teams I'd love to see on the schedule instead.

I don't agree with scheduling both Marist and Iona but i understand it. Marist to open up gives the Hawks a great chance to work the bugs out before Villanova. Lehigh did have St. Mary's and Albany in '03 who were pretty bad. Cancelling your donation would be about as ignorant as you could get. Lehigh needs to get the ball rolling and scheduling a couple softies for one year i believe is acceptable. Lehigh plays a very competitive schedule each year but has also been burned a couple of times but schools backing out on them.

[ngineer]

The third week of the season is a scheduled open date, and I think Coen would like to keep that between Villanova and Princeton. Therefore, while bringing Marist in certainly won't spin the turnstiles, with a new QB at the helm a game against the Red Foxes would likely be the right move. Lafayette opened this past year with them, and it certainly didn't hurt them! We have rarely 'scheduled down' for our OOC games, but this time I think the timing is right.

[Seawolf97]

Navy filled that opening for 2008 with Towson. The academies are no longer interested in games with schools that don't meet the 90% scholarship rule going forward.

I know it would drive the Lehigh folks up the wall to open with Monmouth or Stony Brook, but it wouldn't totally surprise me.

I dont know about Stonybrook. We open at home on 8/30 against Colgate, followed by Elon on the 6th at Stonybrook and we are at Brown on the 20th. Not sure about 9/13 or 9/27 but we do have Hofstra at home and should have Maine on the road before Big South conference play begins.

[Husky Alum]

Northeastern only has 11 games scheduled in a 12 game season. We weren't actively looking for a 12th.

Not sure if the dates mesh.

[AZGrizFan]

Reportedly Albany's NC 2008 sked is full - UMass, Fordham, Hofstra, UNH, Delaware. Not official yet, tho

Holy schneikeys! Go 3-2 against that lineup and win the conference and they're a shoe-in!

[Franks Tanks]

Lehigh cant open with Marist they are our opening game whipping boy--find your own.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Hellllloooooooooooooo Iona!

Seriously, I like the idea of playing Northeastern or Stony Brook the other open weekend. My preference would be: open with Iona, follow with SB, then take on Villanova and an open date. Tricky part is, both teams would have to come to Goodman since we only have four home games.

Incidentally, the entire tentative home schedule of Lehigh is posted on my blog (left hand side):

http://lehighfootballnation.blogspot.com

[kardplayer]

I don't agree with scheduling both Marist and Iona but i understand it. Marist to open up gives the Hawks a great chance to work the bugs out before Villanova. Lehigh did have St. Mary's and Albany in '03 who were pretty bad. Cancelling your donation would be about as ignorant as you could get. Lehigh needs to get the ball rolling and scheduling a couple softies for one year i believe is acceptable. Lehigh plays a very competitive schedule each year but has also been burned a couple of times but schools backing out on them.

Lehigh needs to schedule harder, not easier. Games against tough competition make teams better - both for the players to understand what it takes to be a great team, and to show the coaches where the weaknesses are - even if they lose the games themselves. They don't need to open with App State or Montana, but they shouldn't open with a non-schollie either.

[LehighFan11]

Lehigh needs to schedule harder, not easier. Games against tough competition make teams better - both for the players to understand what it takes to be a great team, and to show the coaches where the weaknesses are - even if they lose the games themselves. They don't need to open with App State or Montana, but they shouldn't open with a non-schollie either.

I completely agree. Scheduling Iona or Marist isn't going to help this program recover. Beating up on inferior competion is only going to provide a false sense of success. Lehigh needs to schedule some more CAA teams or an FBS team like Navy. Lehigh needs to get up for the game, prepare, excute, get hammered, know what it takes to beat high level teams and adjust accordingly. If Lehigh were to go say 7-4 beacuse they had 2 or 3 easily wins, they wouldn't make the playoffs. To make it back to where Lehigh used to be, they must schedule and hopefully someday beat good teams.

[th0m]

JMU also needs a 12th game, Liberty pushed back the series to 2009.

[aceinthehole]

Call CCSU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't know if we have that date available, but I think we are looking for one more opponent. We have already scheduled Delaware State and North Dakota State and would like another quality conference opponent.

[LehighFan11]

JMU also needs a 12th game, Liberty pushed back the series to 2009.

Sounds great. I would love for Lehigh to go down to JMU. Lehigh has the openings W1 and W3 i believe. When is JMU open?

[carney2]

I don't agree with scheduling both Marist and Iona

My read of the schedule says that Lehigh only needs one game to fill their plate with a full complement of 11, but that they have 3 dates with which to accomplish this: 8/30, 9/6 or 9/20. Is this correct?

If yes why is the discussion drifting to the scheduling of two games? Is 2008 another of those oddball 12 game years?

[Franks Tanks]

My read of the schedule says that Lehigh only needs one game to fill their plate with a full complement of 11, but that they have 3 dates with which to accomplish this: 8/30, 9/6 or 9/20. Is this correct?

If yes why is the discussion drifting to the scheduling of two games? Is 2008 another of those oddball 12 game years?

Arent teams now allowed to schedule 12 games every year if they choose to do so? Or is that only a FBS rule xrolleyesx

[th0m]

Sounds great. I would love for Lehigh to go down to JMU. Lehigh has the openings W1 and W3 i believe. When is JMU open?

Here's how it's currently looking:

8/30 at Duke
9/6 VS. APPALACHIAN STATE
9/13 VS. MASSACHUSETTS
9/20 at Virginia Military Institute
9/27 (might be a bye week)
10/4 at Maine
10/11 VS. HOFSTRA
10/18 (might be a bye week - JMU's Fall Break)
10/25 at Villanova
11/1 VS. DELAWARE
11/8 at Richmond
11/15 VS. WILLIAM & MARY
11/22 at Towson

I don't exactly know which dates are firm, I know the Duke, ASU, VMI and Delaware dates are.

[DetroitFlyer]

Lehigh needs to schedule harder, not easier. Games against tough competition make teams better - both for the players to understand what it takes to be a great team, and to show the coaches where the weaknesses are - even if they lose the games themselves. They don't need to open with App State or Montana, but they shouldn't open with a non-schollie either.

Yep, I completely understand why a PL team should not open up against a non-scholarship team.... It is simply too embarassing for you when your 2007 Champion LOST to a non-scholarship team! Talk about arrogant and snobby.... If ANY conference should appreciate the EXCELLENT football played in the "non-scholarship" ranks, it should be the PL! Iona is an above average, non-scholarship team that would give ANY team in the PL a very competitive game!xnonox

[LehighFan11]

Here's how it's currently looking:

8/30 at Duke
9/6 VS. APPALACHIAN STATE
9/13 VS. MASSACHUSETTS
9/20 at Virginia Military Institute
9/27 (might be a bye week)
10/4 at Maine
10/11 VS. HOFSTRA
10/18 (might be a bye week - JMU's Fall Break)
10/25 at Villanova
11/1 VS. DELAWARE
11/8 at Richmond
11/15 VS. WILLIAM & MARY
11/22 at Towson

I don't exactly know which dates are firm, I know the Duke, ASU, VMI and Delaware dates are.

Yea i dont think Lehigh has a bye 9/27 or 10/18. Too bad i would of liked a rematch!

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I completely agree. Scheduling Iona or Marist isn't going to help this program recover. Beating up on inferior competion is only going to provide a false sense of success. Lehigh needs to schedule some more CAA teams or an FBS team like Navy. Lehigh needs to get up for the game, prepare, excute, get hammered, know what it takes to beat high level teams and adjust accordingly. If Lehigh were to go say 7-4 beacuse they had 2 or 3 easily wins, they wouldn't make the playoffs. To make it back to where Lehigh used to be, they must schedule and hopefully someday beat good teams.

I prefer going 7-4 and beating two easy teams not making the playoffs and *beating Lafayette* than going on the road for six games including two potential beatdowns and LOSING to Lafayette.

I really don't see how throwing ourselves to JMU Week One is going to make this team better. More than ever these first few games need to be 1) HOME games and 2) games to allow the offense, which even the most breezy of optimists have to admit, needs some major infusion of confidence.

Lafayette broke in a new starter this year, and opened with Marist. Why is it so wrong if we go out and do the same thing? I really don't see any value in getting humiliated by a JMU week one, unless you want to hear the "boo birds" out earlier than ever calling for Coen's and Bokosky's/Clark's /Cisneros' head.

[LehighFan11]

I prefer going 7-4 and beating two easy teams not making the playoffs and *beating Lafayette* than going on the road for six games including two potential beatdowns and LOSING to Lafayette.

I really don't see how throwing ourselves to JMU Week One is going to make this team better. More than ever these first few games need to be 1) HOME games and 2) games to allow the offense, which even the most breezy of optimists have to admit, needs some major infusion of confidence.

Lafayette broke in a new starter this year, and opened with Marist. Why is it so wrong if we go out and do the same thing? I really don't see any value in getting humiliated by a JMU week one, unless you want to hear the "boo birds" out earlier than ever calling for Coen's and Bokosky's/Clark's /Cisneros' head.

Well, I dont think it is realistic to think Lehigh is going to really turn things around next year and come back to greatness. Lehigh alumni and fans need to be patient and let this team grow. A young team will grow by going on the road in hostile enviroments, playing well, and learning what it takes to win. No matter how bad Lehigh would play, everyone can't just call for Coen's or Bokosky's head. Also, I think challenging this young team early may lead to better results in Nov v. Lafayette. If Lehigh plays 2 or 3 teams better than Lafayette and maybe competes in one of them, they would learn how to play agaisnt better teams and maybe finally beat Lafayette. I agree about the confidence aspect of the situation. Confidence can be great for a young team. But, confidence can come from getting beat down at JMU if the coaches can show the players what they did right and how they are becoming better. The ideal situation in my mind would be to schedule Marist or Iona week 1 @ Lehigh, play @ Nova, and play @ another CAA team on 9/20. If they come through that stretch at 1-2 and atleast play with the CAA teams, i think that would be a good sign of progress.

[Franks Tanks]

Yep, I completely understand why a PL team should not open up against a non-scholarship team.... It is simply too embarassing for you when your 2007 Champion LOST to a non-scholarship team! Talk about arrogant and snobby.... If ANY conference should appreciate the EXCELLENT football played in the "non-scholarship" ranks, it should be the PL! Iona is an above average, non-scholarship team that would give ANY team in the PL a very competitive game!xnonox

Iona wouldnt compete all that well. They are similar to Marist and Lafayette barely broke a sweat when trouncing Marist this year.

[carney2]

Arent teams now allowed to schedule 12 games every year if they choose to do so? Or is that only a FBS rule xrolleyesx

It was FBS, and FBS only, last year - and every year in my memory except one. Remember, the FCS schools need to be finished the weekend before Thanksgiving because of the playoffs.

[th0m]

Yea i dont think Lehigh has a bye 9/27 or 10/18. Too bad i would of liked a rematch!

Too bad indeed. Although, even if JMU'd have a bye matching with you guys, they'd probably get a Liberty caliber squad (no offense to Liberty) rather than a Patriot team that can definitely sneak up and beat us. Other than the FBS game, JMU typically wants to beat up on its inner state teams rather than schedule up too much, the ASU home-home being an anomaly of course, and one that I think everybody in the FCS community can appreciate.

It does seem that at least some of the PL doesn't seem to shy away from CAA competition, look at Colgate, Holy Cross and Fordham (maybe I missed one).

[Dukie95]

Too bad indeed. Although, even if JMU'd have a bye matching with you guys, they'd probably get a Liberty caliber squad (no offense to Liberty) rather than a Patriot team that can definitely sneak up and beat us. Other than the FBS game, JMU typically wants to beat up on its inner state teams rather than schedule up too much, the ASU home-home being an anomaly of course, and one that I think everybody in the FCS community can appreciate.

It does seem that at least some of the PL doesn't seem to shy away from CAA competition, look at Colgate, Holy Cross and Fordham (maybe I missed one).

Yeah, JMU will have a brutal schedule next year, we need to find easy opponents.

If things pan out this weekend, JMU could face all four semi-final teams again next year, App St., UMass, UD, Richmond, plus FBS Duke.

Our schedule will be plenty tough without adding s team that can sneak up on us - which is why I'm glad our Liberty series was put off one year - I'd put them in that category of teams that can sneak up on us.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Hmmm... Wonder if our AD could pull this off:

8/30 at Duke (FBS)
9/6 IONA
9/13 at Villanova
9/20 OPEN
9/27 at Princeton
10/4 CORNELL
10/11 FORDHAM *
10/18 at Harvard
10/25 at Holy Cross *
11/1 at Georgetown *
11/8 COLGATE *
11/15 BUCKNELL *
11/22 at Lafayette #*

Maybe some FBS team, like Duke, Buffalo, Army, Navy? I'd love to play one of the Academies, and when Biddle goes to Duke, it will be a nice "rematch" sort of game with Biddle and his biggest rival in FCS (:D )

[travelinman67]

Lehigh needs to schedule harder, not easier. Games against tough competition make teams better - both for the players to understand what it takes to be a great team, and to show the coaches where the weaknesses are - even if they lose the games themselves. They don't need to open with App State or Montana, but they shouldn't open with a non-schollie either.


Hmmm... Wonder if our AD could pull this off:

8/30 at Duke (FBS)
9/6 IONA
9/13 at Villanova
9/20 OPEN
9/27 at Princeton
10/4 CORNELL
10/11 FORDHAM *
10/18 at Harvard
10/25 at Holy Cross *
11/1 at Georgetown *
11/8 COLGATE *
11/15 BUCKNELL *
11/22 at Lafayette #*

Maybe some FBS team, like Duke, Buffalo, Army, Navy? I'd love to play one of the Academies, and when Biddle goes to Duke, it will be a nice "rematch" sort of game with Biddle and his biggest rival in FCS (:D )

Right on, Kardplayer and LFN...now you're talkin. A team doesn't become great playing Nuns on Saturday. Tougher, not softer, scheduling is the key.

xcoffeex

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

Look at Lehigh's schedule from '98 until 2001. At the peak of Lehigh's run they weren't scheduling world beaters. They played a so-so Delaware team in '99 and a pretty good Wofford team in 2000. Other than that they played no-one of note. The Ivy League teams were much worse then. Lehigh was also playing dregs of Ivy's, Cornell, Columbia, Princeton and Dartmouth. Some of their other OOC opponents consisted of Monmouth, St. Mary's, and CCSU. The league was also terrible outside of Lehigh and Colgate. I still believe if Lehigh's '98-'01 teams played LU's schedules of the last couple years they would be 9-2.

[Dukie95]

Hmmm... Wonder if our AD could pull this off:

8/30 at Duke (FBS)


I think the Blue Devils will be too tired after playing JMU on that day to fit you in. ;)

[ngineer]

Sounds great. I would love for Lehigh to go down to JMU. Lehigh has the openings W1 and W3 i believe. When is JMU open?

Lehigh needs the home game..already have 6 away games and W2 is Villanova.

[ngineer]

Look at Lehigh's schedule from '98 until 2001. At the peak of Lehigh's run they weren't scheduling world beaters. They played a so-so Delaware team in '99 and a pretty good Wofford team in 2000. Other than that they played no-one of note. The Ivy League teams were much worse then. Lehigh was also playing dregs of Ivy's, Cornell, Columbia, Princeton and Dartmouth. Some of their other OOC opponents consisted of Monmouth, St. Mary's, and CCSU. The league was also terrible outside of Lehigh and Colgate. I still believe if Lehigh's '98-'01 teams played LU's schedules of the last couple years they would be 9-2.

Interesting observation...goes to the old adage "timing is everything"...That first great year of the "string" had several close calls with 'mediocre' teams: St Mary's 21-16; Columbia 20-19 (long fg to win at end of game)

[SuperJon]

JMU also needs a 12th game, Liberty pushed back the series to 2009.

Not quite. You guys were the ones to push it back (had a conflict of some sort, or you had an opportunity to take a game that week or something). We agreed to move it back as long as it started in Lynchburg and not at JMU.


As for Lehigh, this game has been off for months. This isn't any new news.

[IaaScribe]

I had this in a notebook back in August or something. Liberty and Lehigh will get the game done in Pa. at some point.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Look at Lehigh's schedule from '98 until 2001. At the peak of Lehigh's run they weren't scheduling world beaters. They played a so-so Delaware team in '99 and a pretty good Wofford team in 2000. Other than that they played no-one of note. The Ivy League teams were much worse then. Lehigh was also playing dregs of Ivy's, Cornell, Columbia, Princeton and Dartmouth. Some of their other OOC opponents consisted of Monmouth, St. Mary's, and CCSU. The league was also terrible outside of Lehigh and Colgate. I still believe if Lehigh's '98-'01 teams played LU's schedules of the last couple years they would be 9-2.

Wait a minute about that so-so Delaware team... that was a team that was a shoo-in for an at-large bid had they beaten us. That team was not that bad..... let's not go crazy here.

Wofford was a team on the rise in 2000, but yes, not nearly the team they are today. They were a middle-of-the-road SoCon at that time.

What has made the schedules so daunting in the past few years is how the Ivy League and Patriot League have changed competitively. I happen to think that Lehigh's schedule last year was the most challenging in recent memory. VMI was the easiest game on that schedule by far: with the PL getting better across the board, playing three Ivy Title contenders, and then adding Villanova - all without a bye week - that's brutal. I think you can point more towards the improvement in the Ivy and the improvement in the PL more as a factor than "weak OOC scheduling".

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Poking around, I see that Army (New Hampshire), Navy (Towson), Buffalo (Colgate) and Duke (JMU) already have dance cards filled with an FBS teams... drat.

BC (Rhode Island) and UConn (Hofstra) are taken too.

There are a few without (that I could find anyway):

Syracuse
Temple
Rutgers
Ohio
Toledo
Kent State

My personal choice of this bunch? Rutgers, of course.

[TheValleyRaider]

Poking around, I see that Army (New Hampshire), Navy (Towson), Buffalo (Colgate) and Duke (JMU) already have dance cards filled with an FBS teams... drat.

BC (Rhode Island) and UConn (Hofstra) are taken too.

There are a few without (that I could find anyway):

Syracuse
Temple
Rutgers
Ohio
Toledo
Kent State

My personal choice of this bunch? Rutgers, of course.

Buffalo got bumped from the Colgate schedule sometime during this past season. We're visiting Coastal Carolina instead. I'm guessing it was UB that dropped us. Probably found a better deal with an FBS school.

[LehighFan11]

Poking around, I see that Army (New Hampshire), Navy (Towson), Buffalo (Colgate) and Duke (JMU) already have dance cards filled with an FBS teams... drat.

BC (Rhode Island) and UConn (Hofstra) are taken too.

There are a few without (that I could find anyway):

Syracuse
Temple
Rutgers
Ohio
Toledo
Kent State

My personal choice of this bunch? Rutgers, of course.

I don't see Rutgers scheduling us because they are still hoping to compete for a BCS bowl game and play an FCS team greatly reduces those chances. Syracuse might be the best bet. Ohio, Toledo and Kent State might not even know who we are. Temple probably has all of their out of conference games scheduled.

[ngineer]

Hell, let's get JoePA to invite us to Happy Valley---they had Florida International last year and I think we could have given a better game. 15-20 years ago, or so, Penn State did invite Brown to play (Paterno's alma mater) at State College..;)

[YaleFootballFan]

Call CCSU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't know if we have that date available, but I think we are looking for one more opponent. We have already scheduled Delaware State and North Dakota State and would like another quality conference opponent.

I'd like to see this happen too. I think it would be good for the CCSU program, which has made great strides the last few years in improving its program.