You guys are some of the lamest pussies ever. First you whine because you can't play NDSU every year, but then complain about switching conferences that would do that because it makes you uncomfortable.
Answering some questions: if Idaho, EWU and the bob kitties move too, how is that conference out of your Geography? Guess you are wedded to NAU, SUU, and Sac St?
The proposed conference would be stellar academically and research wise, the stuff that Presidents get wet dreams about. It has t-shirts fans too, unlike most of the Big Sky. This is many ways exceeds the MWC, especially academically. And it doesn't have the cheap ass schools you so fondly want. Everybody has good facilities except EWU and Idaho. The MWC is just way out of your price range.
Montana can pay for the name Big Sky if it so important to you. The Big Sky has gotten used to handouts and being nursed by the Griz. Switching names would not be an issue.
Unlike the Big Sky, this would be a normal conference without nazi-like requirements on sports. Denver has been to recent Final Fours in men's hockey, men's soccer, and men's lacrosse. Big Sky schools used to bitch that non-football schools didn't have expenses and therefore dominate mbb. That is a garbage argument as the Dakotas have dominated mbb there. That argument kept Denver and Seattle out of the old Big Sky.
UND has been constantly improving since we switched coaches. We were young last year with a sophomore dominated team and we are just getting better.
It's a conference that actually has the capability to go FBS. The Sun Belt has a few non-fb schools, so don't come up with that lame argument again.
The rest of the Big Sky doesn't offer any media enticements, but the remaining Summit does, The Sac St, Portland St, Northridge St expansion wasted an opportunity to go east more than 20 years ago. Those schools made the Big Sky weaker, not stronger, but that appears to be eGriz's motive.
The other Dakotas now realize that the MVC doesn't want anything to do with them, as the MVC added Valpo and Murray St was a finalist. The egos of the other Dakotas really took a hit because they were spat in the face and their MVC dreams are dead. The Horizon and MVC will have nothing to do with them as they want bus leagues, so the best thing would be to withdraw fb to their own league. The Dakotas need allied schools and the MVFC can be knocked down to size because the other Dakotas now realize they are just being used for football and nothing else. It's as if NDSU and SDSU showed the MVFC is mighty fine time and went all the way, but didn't even get a dinner out of the deal and were denied meeting the MVC parents. The new Summit could be a northwest MAC, very stable and academic credentials to boot, but you will go on whining about the big sky as you always do.
Travel costs would'nt be more expensive unless you insist on bussing to Sac St, Portland St, NAU, SUU and UNC.
Face it, you're just afraid to wander into the vicious wilderness of the Plains, which birthed many of your forebears.
No Dakota, South Dakota Montana, Idaho and Washington share much of their history and settlement. Denying that is denying history, which it appears you don't know.
Billings now becomes the practical center of the conference, which can host conference tournaments if you actually negotiate them in.
I trust your regents and Presidents have much better sense than this board.
There is enough core teams in the now Big Sky to carry on by themselves. Only now, there would have to fend for themselves and not have a Grizzly sow teats nursing them.
Amen.
