Big Sky's next move

[ElrodGrizzly]

Yes. And coaches (and everyone else) hated it then, and they'll hate it now because it's awkward.

So, I ask the question again: why force an awkward situation by taking two bad programs when you should have only taken one bad program?

I'm not saying this is the right move, but hypothetically putting myself in the BSC shoes I can see two reasons.

1) There is constant talk of the Montana teams leaving. This provides a buffer to help them get ahead if the marquee schools leave. It would be harder to attract teams to the Big Sky Conference after a couple of the money makers are gone, so this lets them get ahead of that possibility rather than be under the gun in a couple of years if we bounce.

2) The believe adding San Diego will happen for 2026

 

[Griz til I die]

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and predict that there's still more additions/subtractions to come for full time members. I feel like you don't add SUU unless there's something else going on in the background. Monday is June 30 which is usually the last day to notify conferences that you're leaving to go somewhere else. I think Monday has the potential to be a really interesting day across all of College Athletics.

Edit: Remember how I mentioned earlier today that San Diego's AD randomly started following me on Twitter yesterday? I just noticed that Big Sky Deputy AD Dan Satter is following USD's AD on Twitter. Does this mean anything? I have no idea. Just might be something worth keeping an eye on.

 

[Mick Belker]

As Sac State shows, you shouldn't leave without having a home. Which other bush league would you want Montana to try and join?

Good point.
It just seems Wistrcil is hell bent on some unknown mission. He just issues a press announcement, not taking credit for the move? If you noticed the Pilot of your next flight in the Airport Lounge, wearing a Rising Sun headband and drinking a ceremonial cup of sake with some shady characters, would YOU get on the plane?

 

[Griz til I die]

Wistrcill confirmed in a radio interview today that we’re moving to a 9 game conference schedule in 2026. Also claims we’re done with expansion for now but I’m not sure I believe him.

 

[kemajic]

Good point.
It just seems Wistrcil is hell bent on some unknown mission. He just issues a press announcement, not taking credit for the move? If you noticed the Pilot of your next flight in the Airport Lounge, wearing a Rising Sun headband and drinking a ceremonial cup of sake with some shady characters, would YOU get on the plane?

Wistrcil is and has always been a meathead.

 

[GriznMN]

Rivalries create conferences and the better the rivalries, the better the conference. This is why it's my opinion that the BSC added SUU and UT at the same time.

Griz - Scats
EWU - Idaho
PSU - ??
ISU - Weber
UNC - NAU ??
SUU - UT

IMO, the best expansion for the BSC in the future would be to have teams from Oregon/Southern Washington, Southern Wyoming/Colorado, and Arizona/Southern Nevada join the conference to create geographical rivalaries with PSU, UNC, and NAU.

 

[EverettGriz]

Rivalries create conferences and the better the rivalries, the better the conference. This is why it's my opinion that the BSC added SUU and UT at the same time.

Griz - Scats
EWU - Idaho
PSU - ??
ISU - Weber
UNC - NAU ??
SUU - UT

IMO, the best expansion for the BSC in the future would be to have teams from Oregon/Southern Washington, Southern Wyoming/Colorado, and Arizona/Southern Nevada join the conference to create geographical rivalaries with PSU, UNC, and NAU.

Good programs make conferences.

 

[GriznMN]

Good programs make conferences.

Both are true - good/great programs make conferences and good/great rivalries make conferences. Big Ten has Michigan/Ohio State/Penn State as their good/great football programs and Northwestern, Illinois (except relatively recently), Wisconsin, Indiana (except recently), Michigan State, Minnesota, and Nebraska have not been good football schools for the Big Ten. Yet the rivalries between Minnesota and Iowa/Wisconsin, Northwestern and Illinois/Michigan, Indiana and Purdue/Michigan State/Illinois and Purdue and Indiana/Illinois, Michigan State and Michigan/Indiana, Nebraska and Iowa/Minnesota, Illinois and Northwestern/Indiana/Purdue make the conference stronger.

 

[alabamagrizzly]

I'm not saying this is the right move, but hypothetically putting myself in the BSC shoes I can see two reasons.

1) There is constant talk of the Montana teams leaving. This provides a buffer to help them get ahead if the marquee schools leave. It would be harder to attract teams to the Big Sky Conference after a couple of the money makers are gone, so this lets them get ahead of that possibility rather than be under the gun in a couple of years if we bounce.

2) The believe adding San Diego will happen for 2026

Imagine the BS with the Montanas and Idaho out. NAU might finally reign.

 

[Griz Addict]

North Dakota came in 8th in the MVFC and beat both the Griz and Idaho St last year... think about that. 8th... beat 2 big sky teams and only had 2 wins in the MVFC... yall trying to act like MVFC is just as bad but really their schedules are just a lot tougher.

Overall
	W		L			W		L
	7	–	1			14	–	2
	7	–	1			12	–	3
	7	–	1			11	–	3
	6	–	2			10	–	4
	6	–	2			8	–	4
	3	–	5			4	–	8
	3	–	5			4	–	8
	2	–	6			5	–	7
	2	–	6			4	–	8
	1	–	7			3	–	9
	0	–	8			1	–	11

[th]

Team​

[/th]​

[td]

No. 1 North Dakota State +^​

[/td]​

[td]

No. 3 South Dakota State +^​

[/td]​

[td]

No. 4 South Dakota +^​

[/td]​

[td]

No. 11 Illinois State ^​

[/td]​

[td]

Missouri State *​

[/td]​

[td]

Youngstown State​

[/td]​

[td]

Indiana State​

[/td]​

[td]

North Dakota​

[/td]​

[td]

Southern Illinois​

[/td]​

[td]

Northern Iowa​

[/td]​

[td]

Murray State​

[/td]​

​

 

[HelenaHandBasket]

North Dakota came in 8th in the MVFC and beat both the Griz and Idaho St last year... think about that. 8th... beat 2 big sky teams and only had 2 wins in the MVFC... yall trying to act like MVFC is just as bad but really their schedules are just a lot tougher.

​

Overall
	W		L			W		L
	7	–	1			14	–	2
	7	–	1			12	–	3
	7	–	1			11	–	3
	6	–	2			10	–	4
	6	–	2			8	–	4
	3	–	5			4	–	8
	3	–	5			4	–	8
	2	–	6			5	–	7
	2	–	6			4	–	8
	1	–	7			3	–	9
	0	–	8			1	–	11

[th]
Team

[/th]
[td]
No. 1 North Dakota State +^

[/td]
[td]
No. 3 South Dakota State +^

[/td]
[td]
No. 4 South Dakota +^

[/td]
[td]
No. 11 Illinois State ^

[/td]
[td]
Missouri State *

[/td]
[td]
Youngstown State

[/td]
[td]
Indiana State

[/td]
[td]
North Dakota

[/td]
[td]
Southern Illinois

[/td]
[td]
Northern Iowa

[/td]
[td]
Murray State

[/td]​

​

Those bottom 6 teams most likely finish in the bottom of the BSC....think about that.

 

[Griz Addict]

Those bottom 6 teams most likely finish in the bottom of the BSC....think about that.

Yeah no... lmao ND would be a top 5 team. The only teams that are consistently bad are Indiana St and Murray. Big Sky consistently bad teams are UNC, ISU, NAU(95% of the time they suck), PSU, Cal Poly, Sac sucked most years besides the last few. Weber was decent for a tiny bit but, mostly very mediocre to bad. EwU has sucked ass the last couple years as well and now we are adding bottom dwellers Utah Tech and SUU? Wtf... also UC Davis has been mediocre besides maybe the last 2 years. Even the Griz haven't been that great the last 10 years besides since Bobby has been back and really we have had only a couple good years.

Just because its a top 5 fcs conf doesn't mean its good. FCS in general is extremely watered down and hot garbage.

 

[Griz Addict]

Those bottom 6 teams most likely finish in the bottom of the BSC....think about that.

Those bottom 6 would roll our bottom 6 and it wouldn't be close.

 

[HelenaHandBasket]

Those bottom 6 would roll our bottom 6 and it wouldn't be close.

Yeah no... lmao ND would be a top 5 team. The only teams that are consistently bad are Indiana St and Murray. Big Sky consistently bad teams are UNC, ISU, NAU(95% of the time they suck), PSU, Cal Poly, Sac sucked most years besides the last few. Weber was decent for a tiny bit but, mostly very mediocre to bad. EwU has sucked ass the last couple years as well and now we are adding bottom dwellers Utah Tech and SUU? Wtf... also UC Davis has been mediocre besides maybe the last 2 years. Even the Griz haven't been that great the last 10 years besides since Bobby has been back and really we have had only a couple good years.

Just because its a top 5 fcs conf doesn't mean its good. FCS in general is extremely watered down and hot garbage.

Sure thing pard.

 

[GriznMN]

Yeah no... lmao ND would be a top 5 team. The only teams that are consistently bad are Indiana St and Murray. Big Sky consistently bad teams are UNC, ISU, NAU(95% of the time they suck), PSU, Cal Poly, Sac sucked most years besides the last few. Weber was decent for a tiny bit but, mostly very mediocre to bad. EwU has sucked ass the last couple years as well and now we are adding bottom dwellers Utah Tech and SUU? Wtf... also UC Davis has been mediocre besides maybe the last 2 years. Even the Griz haven't been that great the last 10 years besides since Bobby has been back and really we have had only a couple good years.

Just because its a top 5 fcs conf doesn't mean its good. FCS in general is extremely watered down and hot garbage.

UND was in the BSC from 2012 to 2017 and their best finish was #2 in 2016 and their average finish was #8; so like the bottom of the BSC.

 

[uofmman1122]

Yeah no... lmao ND would be a top 5 team. The only teams that are consistently bad are Indiana St and Murray. Big Sky consistently bad teams are UNC, ISU, NAU(95% of the time they suck), PSU, Cal Poly, Sac sucked most years besides the last few. Weber was decent for a tiny bit but, mostly very mediocre to bad. EwU has sucked ass the last couple years as well and now we are adding bottom dwellers Utah Tech and SUU? Wtf... also UC Davis has been mediocre besides maybe the last 2 years. Even the Griz haven't been that great the last 10 years besides since Bobby has been back and really we have had only a couple good years.

Just because its a top 5 fcs conf doesn't mean its good. FCS in general is extremely watered down and hot garbage.

You're glazing a team that is 6-23 and has beaten only one team with a winning record on the road since 2019, even during some of their "good" seasons.

UND is very good at home. They proved it in 2023 when they beat the pants off NDSU.

They are horrible on the road.

They'd just as easily lose to the bottom of the big sky outside the Alerus Center as they have been beating good teams inside it.

The MVFC and Big Sky, especially recently, have been pretty much the exact same top heavy conferences with horrible teams in their bottom half, it's just that the MVFC has the two best recent programs in FCS in it.

 

[EverettGriz]

Both conferences have some bad teams.


The difference is, unlike the bsc, the Mo Valley doesn't consistently and constantly make decisions to favor those shitty teams at the expense of their top programs. That is uniquely bsc. #bsc.

 

[Ut-Grizfan]

Both conferences have some bad teams.


The difference is, unlike the bsc, the Mo Valley doesn't consistently and constantly make decisions to favor those shitty teams at the expense of their top programs. That is uniquely bsc. #bsc.

I'm surprised both Montana schools haven't approached the Comissioner and said knock this crap off and throw our weight around a bit more.

 

[Wolf777]

I'm surprised both Montana schools haven't approached the Comissioner and said knock this crap off and throw our weight around a bit more.

Why would they? It may dilute the product, but it makes their job easier.

 

[Ut-Grizfan]

Why would they. It may dilute the product, but it makes their job easier.

We shouldn't have to constantly rotate one of our rivals to bail out other Conference members, we should have MSU and Idaho bare minimum every season on the schedule.