A new conference?

[The_Real_Chief]

Can we just kick Idaho State out of the Big Sky? They suck at pretty much everything

 

[get'em_griz]

Can we just kick Idaho State out of the Big Sky? They suck at pretty much everything

Northern Colorado should be kicked out way before Idaho State ever does.

 

[The_Real_Chief]

Can we just kick Idaho State out of the Big Sky? They suck at pretty much everything

Northern Colorado should be kicked out way before Idaho State ever does.

Kick em both out, they both suck

 

[SWeberCat02]

Can we just kick Idaho State out of the Big Sky? They suck at pretty much everything

Northern Colorado should be kicked out way before Idaho State ever does.

While I agree that ISU sucks, at least they are a charter member and have history in the league. UNC, on the other hand, should have never been invited. And unfortunately that mistake can't be undone. Part of the conference's problem is that it's too damn big, both geographically and in numbers. I'm sure UM fans won't like it, but I've always liked the idea of a smaller conference with traditionally and geographically connected schools. In my view that would include NAU, SUU, WSU, ISU, UI, EWU, UM, and MSU.

 

[wsucatfan]

Can we just kick Idaho State out of the Big Sky? They suck at pretty much everything

Northern Colorado should be kicked out way before Idaho State ever does.

While I agree that ISU sucks, at least they are a charter member and have history in the league. UNC, on the other hand, should have never been invited. And unfortunately that mistake can't be undone. Part of the conference's problem is that it's too damn big, both geographically and in numbers. I'm sure UM fans won't like it, but I've always liked the idea of a smaller conference with traditionally and geographically connected schools. In my view that would include NAU, SUU, WSU, ISU, UI, EWU, UM, and MSU.

Ya lost me at ISU... there are plenty of teams to kick out of the BSC. Nowadays conference affiliation is more important than rivalries. If a new conference were to be created the goal would be to improve football/basketball. I would only keep the bare minimum (5? to get the NCAA auto bid) from the BSC and neither ISU or UNC would be in.

 

[UMGriz75]

Part of the conference's problem is that it's too damn big, both geographically and in numbers. I'm sure UM fans won't like it, but I've always liked the idea of a smaller conference with traditionally and geographically connected schools. In my view that would include NAU, SUU, WSU, ISU, UI, EWU, UM, and MSU.

The Montana schools have always been at somewhat step-children conference-wise, mainly because of "distance." In the really old days, UM would even play high school teams and "independent" teams. Transportation was by bus or train and that was about it.

Other conferences existed around successive concentric circles around the major population areas, Seattle/Portland, Minneapolis/St Paul, Denver/'SLC, and the edges of those circles extended so influentially that Montana was originally a member of what is now the PAC 12, and the "Agricultural College of the State of Montana" originally was in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. UM was just a tad too far from the RMAC schools, and MSU just a tad too far from the Pac12 schools.

The Skyline conference came into existence because transportation made feasible the larger schools of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference leaving and forming a better, more competitive conference. The formation of the Big Sky Conference in 1963 really tried to address the transportation and cost issues of the very geographically diverse Skyline conference. Since then, the geographical logic of the original Big Sky has once again disappeared, in some part because of cheap air fares.

 

[violin]

NDSU likes their footprint to the east because that's where they recruit. Not saying they would not do this, but this would make recruiting harder for them. And remember every conference has doormats. If you put together 8-10 good schools, some will finish at the bottom of the conference.

 

[citygriz]

This is a tired old subject, like talking about the love-of-your-life that got away 20 years ago. That for us was the old WAC, which means today we'd be in the Mountain West Conference. That would have kept us in touch with so many old rivals-Utah State, Wyoming, Colorado State and New Mexico, not to mention ex-Big Sky rivals, Boise State and Nevada. It would have kept us in touch with key recruiting areas, In the Bay Area and San Diego, and would have introduced Las Vegas as a fun place for our fan base. But that old love is gone. A football decision.

Rats.

 

[SWeberCat02]

I agree this is rather meaningless and tired talk by some fans, but it's still fun to discuss. My question is this: Does anyone in the conference, either at the schools or conference offices, actually see the problem many of us as fans see, namely the terrible state of men's basketball? If they do they don't seem to be doing much about it. Why doesn't someone step up and become a leader and try to grow some support for doing something to fix the problem? For example, just one part of the problem is lackluster basketball facilities (I'm talking to you Sac St, UNC, PSU, and ISU). How about telling them to upgrade their facilities or find an new conference. I remember Temple being kicked out of the the Big East and UMass being kicked out of the MAC. It does happen.

 

[grizzlyjournal]

If student population were used as one factor in determining conference affiliation (as is done elsewhere), the schools mentioned within this thread would be ranked (roughly) as follows:
1. Sacramento State -- 29,350
2. Portland State -- 28,300
3. Weber State -- 24,048
4. New Mexico State -- 17,700
5. Idaho State -- 15,600
6. Montana State -- 15,294
7. University of North Dakota -- 14,951
8. North Dakota State -- 14,516
9. Wyoming -- 12,700
10. South Dakota State -- 12,725
11. Eastern Washington -- 12,125
12. Northern Iowa -- 11,928
13. Idaho -- 11,534
14. University of South Dakota -- 10,285
15. University of Montana -- 9,448

 

[AllWeatherFan]

But that old love is gone.

Actually, she's not gone. But don't get the idea she's any better than the one you ended up with. She's worse. Way worse. And that's a fact, Jack Kerouac.

 

[get'em_griz]

If student population were used as one factor in determining conference affiliation (as is done elsewhere), the schools mentioned within this thread would be ranked (roughly) as follows:
1. Sacramento State -- 29,350
2. Portland State -- 28,300
3. Weber State -- 24,048
4. New Mexico State -- 17,700
5. Idaho State -- 15,600
6. Montana State -- 15,294
7. University of North Dakota -- 14,951
8. North Dakota State -- 14,516
9. Wyoming -- 12,700
10. South Dakota State -- 12,725
11. Eastern Washington -- 12,125
12. Northern Iowa -- 11,928
13. Idaho -- 11,534
14. University of South Dakota -- 10,285
15. University of Montana -- 9,448

Montana's attendance is 9,448 now?! :? Wow. I remember back in the late 2000s when it was pushing close to 16,000.

 

[SWeberCat02]

If student population were used as one factor in determining conference affiliation (as is done elsewhere), the schools mentioned within this thread would be ranked (roughly) as follows:
1. Sacramento State -- 29,350
2. Portland State -- 28,300
3. Weber State -- 24,048
4. New Mexico State -- 17,700
5. Idaho State -- 15,600
6. Montana State -- 15,294
7. University of North Dakota -- 14,951
8. North Dakota State -- 14,516
9. Wyoming -- 12,700
10. South Dakota State -- 12,725
11. Eastern Washington -- 12,125
12. Northern Iowa -- 11,928
13. Idaho -- 11,534
14. University of South Dakota -- 10,285
15. University of Montana -- 9,448

Montana's attendance is 9,448 now?! :? Wow. I remember back in the late 2000s when it was pushing close to 16,000.

This article says it's 13,358 for Fall 2015

http://missoulian.com/news/local/fall-enrollment-down-percent-at-university-of-montana/article_f7b26996-da36-5bda-9533-0c550b9e306e.html

 

[citygriz]

But that old love is gone.

Actually, she's not gone. But don't get the idea she's any better than the one you ended up with. She's worse. Way worse. And that's a fact, Jack Kerouac.

Well, that crazy Wac-ky young gal has done pretty well for herself. Came into some money (TV), gets a lot of invites to The Dance and hangs her hat in Las Vegas, San Diego and the Bay Area while we're in Reno begging the biggest little broad in town for a 16-job. And dammit, Hammett, that's the truth.

 

[UMGriz75]

But that old love is gone.

Actually, she's not gone. But don't get the idea she's any better than the one you ended up with. She's worse. Way worse. And that's a fact, Jack Kerouac.

Well, that crazy Wac-ky young gal has done pretty well for herself. Came into some money (TV), gets a lot of invites to The Dance and hangs her hat in Las Vegas, San Diego and the Bay Area while we're in Reno begging the biggest little broad in town for a 16-job. And dammit, Hammett, that's the truth.

"She was smart. She was beautiful. Her voice was a soft angel. Her eyes could either pierce steel, or melt it, depending on her mood. And she had a gun."

 

[AZGrizFan]

Ozzie....we probably will not be invited to join a conference like Mountain West until we reach out to them and indicate we would be interested. Do you think that will happen with our current administration and the BOR?

It already has, Spanks.

Say what? :shock: