A Split Big Sky Conference?

[grizindabox]

why do people think it must be a geographical split to form divisions......

For the same reason we have a BB tournament in Reno no one attends: because it saves the broke athletic departments in this conference a few bucks.

I just don't see schools like UM/MSU/EWU willing to give up games in Cali....I could see a divisional split for football that is not based entirely on geography....

 

[SWeberCat02]

There are two things that AREN'T going to happen: a separate FBS conference, and kicking out a current member(s). Good chance the conference will split into two football divisions, and slight chance that the conference splits into two separate FCS conferences (this only makes sense if another playoff auto-bid could be obtained, something that is far from a sure thing). Have no idea what happens if another school (NMSU) is added. The conference is already too big and 15 is much worse.

 

[GrizPDX]

You don't see the motivation to move up to FBS football for them? They've won the last 5 National Championships. They ride their momentum into the FBS, make a huge improvement in financials with a new TV deal and get paid much more for OOC guarantee games and home and homes.

Are you suggesting that NDSU hooking it's wagon to UM is a step towards FBS...... :roll:

I'm saying that it's an option for them moving forward. FCS money is finite, it's limited, and they can only grow so much by staying in FCS. There are pieces of a move to FBS that they would enjoy and pieces that make sense for them to stay in FCS. Money will always be a driver behind these types of situations, and I don't know enough about NDSU to say whether a move to FBS would pencil out to them or not, but a move would include:

-Increased TV revenue
-Bowl money
-Guarantee games are worth more
-Increased scholarships and Title IX requirements are additional cost

If the BSC is going to have an 8 team group moving up to FBS, NDSU needs to be the top target for a new conference.

That is where your entire arguments fails....that ain't going to happen....

Even your argument on Twitter to Schmidt is flawed. You're fooling yourself if you think the MVC is a better option for NDSU to eventually end up the in Big XII. No P5 conference is going to reach out to an FCS school to make the jump immediately. They need the time to grow athletically, grow programs and stay competitive in an FBS environment. It's the same reason that no school that has moved up from FCS to FBS jumped immediately to a big time conference. Boise State and Nevada started in the WAC to then move up to the MWC. Appalachian State and Georgia Southern joined the Sun Belt. You don't get to decide it's time to move up and immediately join a P5 conference. A lower level FBS division like the idea I support provides that opportunity for them to eventually make a move to the Big XII while staying in the MVC will mean just that, staying in the MVC.

 

[grizindabox]

Are you suggesting that NDSU hooking it's wagon to UM is a step towards FBS...... :roll:

I'm saying that it's an option for them moving forward. FCS money is finite, it's limited, and they can only grow so much by staying in FCS. There are pieces of a move to FBS that they would enjoy and pieces that make sense for them to stay in FCS. Money will always be a driver behind these types of situations, and I don't know enough about NDSU to say whether a move to FBS would pencil out to them or not, but a move would include:

-Increased TV revenue
-Bowl money
-Guarantee games are worth more
-Increased scholarships and Title IX requirements are additional cost

If the BSC is going to have an 8 team group moving up to FBS, NDSU needs to be the top target for a new conference.

That is where your entire arguments fails....that ain't going to happen....

Even your argument on Twitter to Schmidt is flawed. You're fooling yourself if you think the MVC is a better option for NDSU to eventually end up the in Big XII. No P5 conference is going to reach out to an FCS school to make the jump immediately. They need the time to grow athletically, grow programs and stay competitive in an FBS environment. It's the same reason that no school that has moved up from FCS to FBS jumped immediately to a big time conference. Boise State and Nevada started in the WAC to then move up to the MWC. Appalachian State and Georgia Southern joined the Sun Belt. You don't get to decide it's time to move up and immediately join a P5 conference. A lower level FBS division like the idea I support provides that opportunity for them to eventually make a move to the Big XII while staying in the MVC will mean just that, staying in the MVC.

I never said NDSU has a path to the Big XII...what I said was that a FCS conference with UM/MSU/Idaho/ and maybe NMSU is a lateral move at best for NDSU as compared to the MVC....if they really want to move to FBS than they need to look into a current lower tier FBS Conference....that has zero to do with UM...

 

[onrasekt]

Ask the Big Ten why they disbanded Legends and Leaders after what 2 years.
I assume it was hard to create excitement and too much travel, but there is no solution to the travel problem in the BSC so it could work

 

[GrizPDX]

I'm saying that it's an option for them moving forward. FCS money is finite, it's limited, and they can only grow so much by staying in FCS. There are pieces of a move to FBS that they would enjoy and pieces that make sense for them to stay in FCS. Money will always be a driver behind these types of situations, and I don't know enough about NDSU to say whether a move to FBS would pencil out to them or not, but a move would include:

-Increased TV revenue
-Bowl money
-Guarantee games are worth more
-Increased scholarships and Title IX requirements are additional cost

If the BSC is going to have an 8 team group moving up to FBS, NDSU needs to be the top target for a new conference.

That is where your entire arguments fails....that ain't going to happen....

Even your argument on Twitter to Schmidt is flawed. You're fooling yourself if you think the MVC is a better option for NDSU to eventually end up the in Big XII. No P5 conference is going to reach out to an FCS school to make the jump immediately. They need the time to grow athletically, grow programs and stay competitive in an FBS environment. It's the same reason that no school that has moved up from FCS to FBS jumped immediately to a big time conference. Boise State and Nevada started in the WAC to then move up to the MWC. Appalachian State and Georgia Southern joined the Sun Belt. You don't get to decide it's time to move up and immediately join a P5 conference. A lower level FBS division like the idea I support provides that opportunity for them to eventually make a move to the Big XII while staying in the MVC will mean just that, staying in the MVC.

I never said NDSU has a path to the Big XII...what I said was that a FCS conference with UM/MSU/Idaho/ and maybe NMSU is a lateral move at best for NDSU as compared to the MVC....if they really want to move to FBS than they need to look into a current lower tier FBS Conference....that has zero to do with UM...

That's where we have a disconnect then. I'm talking about branching off existing BSC schools to start a FBS conference for football. Reaching out to NDSU now for an FCS invite makes zero sense and doesn't benefit anybody.

 

[grizindabox]

That is where your entire arguments fails....that ain't going to happen....

Even your argument on Twitter to Schmidt is flawed. You're fooling yourself if you think the MVC is a better option for NDSU to eventually end up the in Big XII. No P5 conference is going to reach out to an FCS school to make the jump immediately. They need the time to grow athletically, grow programs and stay competitive in an FBS environment. It's the same reason that no school that has moved up from FCS to FBS jumped immediately to a big time conference. Boise State and Nevada started in the WAC to then move up to the MWC. Appalachian State and Georgia Southern joined the Sun Belt. You don't get to decide it's time to move up and immediately join a P5 conference. A lower level FBS division like the idea I support provides that opportunity for them to eventually make a move to the Big XII while staying in the MVC will mean just that, staying in the MVC.

I never said NDSU has a path to the Big XII...what I said was that a FCS conference with UM/MSU/Idaho/ and maybe NMSU is a lateral move at best for NDSU as compared to the MVC....if they really want to move to FBS than they need to look into a current lower tier FBS Conference....that has zero to do with UM...

That's where we have a disconnect then. I'm talking about branching off existing BSC schools to start a FBS conference for football. Reaching out to NDSU now for an FCS invite makes zero sense and doesn't benefit anybody.

No disconnect....this premise is flawed because the odds of existing BSC schools branching off to start a FBS conference is a nonstarter.....not gonna happen....this is why I said your argument fails....

 

[dbackjon]

I would split it into Flagship/Research Universities and regional/Community Schools:

FRU:
UM
MSU
UI
ISU
UND
Cal Poly
UCD
(NMSU)

RCS:
EWU
PSU
UNC
WSU
SUU
NAU
Sac State
(Central Washington)

NAU is much closer to a Research University than a regional School

 

[dbackjon]

I just don't see the motivation for NDSU to make that move....lateral at best.....the MVC is just as strong or stronger....

You don't see the motivation to move up to FBS football for them? They've won the last 5 National Championships. They ride their momentum into the FBS, make a huge improvement in financials with a new TV deal and get paid much more for OOC guarantee games and home and homes.

Are you suggesting that NDSU hooking it's wagon to UM is a step towards FBS...... :roll:

I'm saying that it's an option for them moving forward. FCS money is finite, it's limited, and they can only grow so much by staying in FCS. There are pieces of a move to FBS that they would enjoy and pieces that make sense for them to stay in FCS. Money will always be a driver behind these types of situations, and I don't know enough about NDSU to say whether a move to FBS would pencil out to them or not, but a move would include:

-Increased TV revenue
-Bowl money
-Guarantee games are worth more
-Increased scholarships and Title IX requirements are additional cost

If the BSC is going to have an 8 team group moving up to FBS, NDSU needs to be the top target for a new conference.

And yet with all that, Idaho still had a Budget half the size of the average MWC team.

TV Revenue for the G5 schools is DECLINING - the C-USA had their revenue cut by more than half
Bowls are a crap-shoot - some years, make money, others, not so much. There is a moratorium on new bowls, so the new conference would have to try to muscle into an existing one.
Guarantee Games are worth more, yes.

Don't forget you will need to add sports, as well as add FCOA ($1 Million/year) to be anywhere close.

And, you don't want to do an Idaho - the bare minimum to get FBS. You are realistically needing $10 Million/year of new revenue to have a shot at being successful.

 

[MT Jack]

NAU is much closer to a Research University than a regional School

You aren't going to win this argument on here, dback. It's all about that "directional" word at the beginning of NAU's name. Anything with "northern", "southern", "eastern" or "western" attached to it is inherently inferior.

I'm not saying that NAU is Ivy League material but all it took was a few Friday/Saturday nights in downtown Missoula (I had a fun time....don't get me wrong) and walking out of Wa-Griz Stadium with 3 drunken college kids getting up in my middle-aged business to realize it isn't Ivy League there either.

 

[EverettGriz]

NAU is much closer to a Research University than a regional School

You aren't going to win this argument on here, dback. It's all about that "directional" word at the beginning of NAU's name. Anything with "northern", "southern", "eastern" or "western" attached to it is inherently inferior.

I'm not saying that NAU is Ivy League material but all it took was a few Friday/Saturday nights in downtown Missoula (I had a fun time....don't get me wrong) and walking out of Wa-Griz Stadium with 3 drunken college kids getting up in my middle-aged business to realize it isn't Ivy League there either.

I think the conversation has less to do with the quality of the education, and more with the level of support of those universities' athletic programs from the general members of their respective states.