Couple of questions

Why all the anomosity toward the UI? UI is the only 1A school that will schedule a home and home with the Griz, and that is because the school and it's fans and alums want to keep the great rivalry going? Idaho has nothing to gain and all to lose by playing these games, yet because of the above reasons, they chose to continue. As soon as boise state hit the 1A ranks they put the Griz in their rearview mirror. As a matter of fact I remember the bsu AD mentioning that he was glad that they will never again have to take a road trip to Missoula.

Here's another question: Do you think UM will go 1A and if so when? I notice that some fans are getting tired the schedules and maybe the team is getting complacent with always being the big fish in the small pond. I say Montana could easily make the move to 1A. You have a decent stadium and a great fan following. Right now you could probably make a run at the WAC, SBC or even the MWC. What's the hold up? :-?

In regards to your 2 Questions...

Animosity towards ANY opponent is just football nature, hell, sports in general. Hate 'em when you're playing them... respect them later (maybe). It just gets the fans and teams riled up and fired up before the game.

As to your questions about the move to 1A... look what it's done for the Vandals. Enough said, but if you need more reasons to NOT move up, read through many of these posts... it's discussed at length!

I would think that the Griz are situated a bit better than the Vandals are for the move. Like I said, you have a decent stadium that can be expanded, and I've heard that it will be expanded, and you already get close to 20,000 fans to your games which would easily meet the D1A requirements. The west could really use a couple more D1A teams in the mix. Word has that Portland State is clamoring about getting to D1A status soon; any validity to that?

I heard that Portland State wanted to move up, but I think that may be a ways off. That is one team that may be a tough team in Big Sky but would be a door mat in 1A, except it may do better than Idaho.

Montana if it does it right, should be able to move up and be successful. That is if they bide their time and not move up immediately. But right now, there are changes that are occuring in 1A that becomes effective in 2004. Also, there has been talk of splitting 1A up. While that is happening, doesn't even make sense to move up yet. The changes that are coming into affect in 2004 may just weed some of the lower level schools out of 1A so that dividing 1A up may not be needed. Sun Belt conference is loaded with schools that won't qualify for 1A in 2004 as it stood last year. Whether those schools can get their act together, that conference may not exist. You have to have 6 teams in a conference at a minimum to qualify for a bowl game. Mountain West and WAC are the only two conferences that Griz should be interested in and according to UM AD Hogan, WAC isn't interested. Mountain West also has 8 teams and may require another team to join along with Montana. So this is a barrier to moving up.

Plus, quite a few fans do not want Griz to move up because they like the playoff system.

And then there is the money. With the extra fund raising I am seeing here, I think it is a possibility that Griz can be successful. But it does rely on Griz maintaining and expanding it's growth and success.