Add one team to the Big South Conference. Do not alter the equation when it comes to figuring a champion.

Liberty, which made a program U-turn that resulted in its first conference title last season, is favored to repeat in the estimation of coaches and media.

This after the Flames were 0-4 in the conference in 2005. They went 2-2 in Danny Rocco's first season in 2006, then 4-0 last year.

"We are right on schedule in terms of what we set out to do," Rocco said.

"What's the next step? We can easily say the next step is to get into the playoffs. But really the next step is to win our conference championship again. Then we'll start to build credibility and help our program in so many ways."

A new entry, Stony Brook, gives the Big South six teams as it tries to make a mark on the national scene. The league will receive an automatic bid in 2010 when the Football Championship Series playoffs are expanded from 16 to 20 teams.

Presbyterian is scheduled to become the league's seventh member by at least 2011.

Coastal Carolina, which ruled the league from 2004 to 2006 and received its only postseason invitation in '06, remains the biggest threat to Liberty.

The Chanticleers dropped to 3-1, 5-6 last year and lost wide receiver Jerome Simpson, a second-round NFL pick. But they have a lot of firstand second-team all-conference defenders, led by defensive back Marrio Norman and linebacker D.J. Rice, as well as several returnees from an inconsistent offense.

Gardner-Webb has been mired in a 5-6, 6-5 rut the past four seasons but returns most of its starters on both sides of the ball. The Bulldogs feature the league's preseason defensive player of the year, All-American linebacker Mario Brown, and a pair of three-time all-conference picks: offensive lineman Demario Deese and free safety Daniel Cooke.

Stony Brook is coming off a 6-5 season that included four losses to ranked teams. The Seawolves need a quarterback but have weapons in running back Conte Cuttino (940 yards) and receiver Lynell Suggs (75 catches, 926 yards).

Veteran college football coach Sparky Woods takes over at Virginia Military Institute (2-9), which has won six games in the past four years but made some strides last season.

"We'll be underdogs in all our games," he said.

Charleston Southern has all-conference receiver Dee Brown (69 catches, 898 yards) back from a 5-6 team but needs someone to get him the ball. The Buccaneers surrendered 34.4 points last year.