Liberty went a perfect 13-0 prior to bowl season, dominating Conference USA and earning the Group of Five spot in a New Year’s Six Bowl.
The Flames ended the season with a 45-6 loss to Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl, and their standout quarterback Kaidon Salter was among a group of notable players to enter the transfer portal soon after the defeat.
Such is the life of a successful Group of Five program.
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Liberty isn’t the only Group of Five team in 2023 to have tremendous success, only for players and coaches to be poached by Power Five schools.
Troy won the Sun Belt, but head coach Jon Sumrall left for Tulane following the season. That was only after Willie Fritz, who found fantastic success leading the program, went to Houston. Following Sumrall’s departure, the Trojans have lost multiple key players in the transfer portal.
James Madison lost head coach Curt Cignetti – and a bunch of starting players via the portal – to Indiana. The Dukes will aim to be competitive again in 2024 despite losing a starting defensive end, defensive tackle, and multiple key linebackers. Even JMU’s quarterback, Jordan McCloud, remains in the portal. Several others, like the team’s top two running backs and leading receiver, either transferred or are in the portal.
Given the NIL opportunities at Power Five programs for top-tier talent, it’s easy to understand why Group of Five stars would look elsewhere during the offseason. There’s money available at Power Five programs that simply isn’t there at the Group of Five, even for schools like Liberty on solid financial footing.
It’s a massive challenge at the Group of Five level to keep your best players, even if you head into 2024 with College Football Playoff aspirations.
College Football Playoff Ceiling
The Group of Five will have access to the College Football Playoff in 2024, but Liberty’s situation highlights the gigantic challenges facing Group of Five programs. Some of the best Group of Five schools will have their pick of top FCS transfers, but for teams like Liberty, they’ll also be tasked with replacing stars like Salter on a nearly annual basis.
Roster retention has become one of the biggest challenges facing Group of Five schools. For Group of Five programs, the challenge of making the College Football Playoff is one thing. Sustaining success is another.
If your top players leave annually for Power Five paychecks, how can you compete? That’s the major question facing Group of Five programs in 2024.
Teams like JMU, Liberty, Troy, and Tulane will be tasked with attempting to reload following the loss of head coaches, key players, or both. Their challenge creates an opportunity for other Group of Five teams who may have played respectably in 2023, but not well enough to lose coaches or a majority of their players to Power Five money.
Heading into 2024, the Group of Five has more at stake than ever. The level also has more challenges than ever, as the transfer portal and NIL create a constantly shifting landscape.
As a result, the season should feature a wide open race for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Bennett Conlin is a college football contributor for HERO Sports, and he works full-time covering sports betting industry news and legislation for Sports Handle and US Bets.
