BIG wants all FCS games off the schedule

[Paytonlives]

Cue the move up talk in 3... 2... 1...

I've said this before... UM had better get their doo doo together. If the wait too long the train will leave them with the 3rd tier.

Not gonna say UM should move up, but a quick question.

Do UM fans want to be alligned with Idaho State, Western Washington, Portland State & Southern Utah
or
Wyoming, BYU, Utah State, Colorado State, Nevada and UNLV?

As of today UM can still answer that question how they see fit. But there will VERY SOON come a day when this question will be answered for them.

What do you mean the Griz can answer that question how they see fit? The Mountain West is not going to add a school from the Big Sky Conference. If the conference expands again, it will be because BYU wants in and from there, they will add Tulsa and/or Houston if it were to want out of the leftovers of the Big East.

There really is not a viable move-up option for Montana, one because the WAC is essentially dead and two no other conference is going to want to add the Griz because the TV market is essentially non-existent and that drives expansion. (look at Tulane being added to the Big East.)

This "break-up" has been in the works for 15+ years. The big 60 to 70 want it all and don't really give a crap about the rest. However the only way to make a break is to get the "others" to agree. And the only way to do that is to give the second tier (Wyoming, BYU, CSU (ect)) a bone. I would guess that bone is a playoff system for them as the bowls are money losers for MOST schools. That leaves the FCS as a third tier and even more desolate and with a playoff system THAT NO ONE will follow AT ALL.

BTW... Why are all the top FCS schools leaving or at least discussing a move to FBS? I believe they see the writing on the wall that I expressed above.

I totally disagree with your statement that the MWC is not going to add a school from the Big Sky. Remember, the discussion is not just football. The MWC is looking for schools that have strong "other" sports programs. UM's basketball (men's and women's) is nearly as good as any MWC team. Also, the MWC still wants regional teams. Therefor UM fits the bill in many ways.

I would bet you that if UM gave the MWC a call, the call would be returned and negotiations would start.

I really hope UM has some leadership in this... but I doubt it. Whether UM wants to move to another conference or not... there is one absolute truth. As Michael Ray Richardson said "This ship (Big Sky) be sinkin'"

 

[kemajic]

I've said this before... UM had better get their doo doo together. If the wait too long the train will leave them with the 3rd tier.

Not gonna say UM should move up, but a quick question.

Do UM fans want to be alligned with Idaho State, Western Washington, Portland State & Southern Utah
or
Wyoming, BYU, Utah State, Colorado State, Nevada and UNLV?

As of today UM can still answer that question how they see fit. But there will VERY SOON come a day when this question will be answered for them.

What do you mean the Griz can answer that question how they see fit? The Mountain West is not going to add a school from the Big Sky Conference. If the conference expands again, it will be because BYU wants in and from there, they will add Tulsa and/or Houston if it were to want out of the leftovers of the Big East.

There really is not a viable move-up option for Montana, one because the WAC is essentially dead and two no other conference is going to want to add the Griz because the TV market is essentially non-existent and that drives expansion. (look at Tulane being added to the Big East.)

Agree; that train left some time ago; at one time Montana had options; not today. Montana is not a victim; it has chosen its path of status quo over fortitude, creativity and risk. UM admin has no concern about the Grizzly prestige or brand, only its cash flow. Their assumption that it is sustainable in the emerging FCS world is very questionable.

 

[Jerry Punch]

What reason do the big schools have to play FCS teams anyway? The risk reward is obvious, no matter how you view the moving up situation. Either a decent but not great team (Iowa, for example) invites Montana in for a warm up and blows them out or loses in embarrassment and it ruins their season. A win is counted for bowl eligibility and it shouldn't be, just like a D2 game isn't counted for playoffs in the FCS. The reward is a controlled scrimmage. The risk is an embarrassing loss. Why not just bring in Idaho or any other WAC team and blow them out, get the D1 win, and call it good? That's what we can aspire to, right Kem?

 

[Bisonation]

Wisconsin refused to schedule NDSU, Minnesota lost to NDSU twice and jerry Kill said "thank god we dont have NDSU scheduled ever again" with 18 starters from Minn/Wisc, this is a pre emptive strike and upgrading their walk on programs in our opinion.

Futhermore, this move should make NDSU, Montana, UNI seriously look at the Mountain West tomorrow and start making the phone calls.

 

[GrizBacker04]

Cue the move up talk in 3... 2... 1...

I've said this before... UM had better get their doo doo together. If the wait too long the train will leave them with the 3rd tier.

Not gonna say UM should move up, but a quick question.

Do UM fans want to be alligned with Idaho State, Western Washington, Portland State & Southern Utah
or
Wyoming, BYU, Utah State, Colorado State, Nevada and UNLV?

As of today UM can still answer that question how they see fit. But there will VERY SOON come a day when this question will be answered for them.

What do you mean the Griz can answer that question how they see fit? The Mountain West is not going to add a school from the Big Sky Conference. If the conference expands again, it will be because BYU wants in and from there, they will add Tulsa and/or Houston if it were to want out of the leftovers of the Big East.

There really is not a viable move-up option for Montana, one because the WAC is essentially dead and two no other conference is going to want to add the Griz because the TV market is essentially non-existent and that drives expansion. (look at Tulane being added to the Big East.)

This "break-up" has been in the works for 15+ years. The big 60 to 70 want it all and don't really give a crap about the rest. However the only way to make a break is to get the "others" to agree. And the only way to do that is to give the second tier (Wyoming, BYU, CSU (ect)) a bone. I would guess that bone is a playoff system for them as the bowls are money losers for MOST schools. That leaves the FCS as a third tier and even more desolate and with a playoff system THAT NO ONE will follow AT ALL.

BTW... Why are all the top FCS schools leaving or at least discussing a move to FBS? I believe they see the writing on the wall that I expressed above.

I totally disagree with your statement that the MWC is not going to add a school from the Big Sky. Remember, the discussion is not just football. The MWC is looking for schools that have strong "other" sports programs. UM's basketball (men's and women's) is nearly as good as any MWC team. Also, the MWC still wants regional teams. Therefor UM fits the bill in many ways.

I would bet you that if UM gave the MWC a call, the call would be returned and negotiations would start.

I really hope UM has some leadership in this... but I doubt it. Whether UM wants to move to another conference or not... there is one absolute truth. As Michael Ray Richardson said "This ship (Big Sky) be sinkin'"

Don't disagree that things are moving to a power 4 or so, and really, it may come to a point where the power leagues just break away from the NCAA completely. Other east coast FCS schools are moving up because they have conferences to join, Montana does not.

Unless schools leave MW, such as schools joining PAC-12 or Big-12, no way a Big Sky school makes that jump with league as is. You mention other Griz sports, and majority of those sports would be bottom or near bottom in all, while hoops would be middle of pack at best right now. Montana does nothing for recruiting, nothing for TV, academically not as good (one thing that kept Boise out of MW so long was poor academics) and yes, expansion is all about football and TV money. Tulsa, BYU, Rice, UTEP, etc. all more attractive to MW than UM.

I love UM, received my degree from UM and am a season ticket holder. Just the reality of the situation.

 

[GrizBacker04]

Wisconsin refused to schedule NDSU, Minnesota lost to NDSU twice and jerry Kill said "thank god we dont have NDSU scheduled ever again" with 18 starters from Minn/Wisc, this is a pre emptive strike and upgrading their walk on programs in our opinion.

Futhermore, this move should make NDSU, Montana, UNI seriously look at the Mountain West tomorrow and start making the phone calls.

MW would have no need or interest in returning that call. Sorry, just the way it is. Perhaps Sun Belt...

 

[billings_poke]

Wisconsin refused to schedule NDSU, Minnesota lost to NDSU twice and jerry Kill said "thank god we dont have NDSU scheduled ever again" with 18 starters from Minn/Wisc, this is a pre emptive strike and upgrading their walk on programs in our opinion.

Futhermore, this move should make NDSU, Montana, UNI seriously look at the Mountain West tomorrow and start making the phone calls.

MW would have no need or interest in returning that call. Sorry, just the way it is. Perhaps Sun Belt...

I don't see NDSU or Northern Iowa getting a call from the MWC either in any scenario

The top teams have already broken away. Many don't see it and are still looking for it when, in fact, it is almost over with. They are not leaving the NCAA or creating some new division though. They are just taking most of the TV money and limiting any shot at the top post season games and the NCAA is changing its rules to keep them in the fold. Appy State sees it coming to be sure

 

[WyomingGrizFan]

Kinda funny considering NDSU has hosed Minnesota more than once, and Cal Poly was a missed FG away from booting Wisconsin in the ass. And probably others I've forgotten. Also, Rutgers has played 6 FCS teams in 5 years.

Fixed it for ya.

 

[Jerry Punch]

I don't know what is so devastating about this. Outside of NDSU, what teams from the FCS can legitimately compete on a yearly basis with the best of the Big 10? I haven't seen very many successfully do it other than on rare occasions. One of the only reasons the games are played is for money anyway, and even then, that financial gain is not worth the risk of injury and an 0-1 start to the season.

I do think that FBS teams should not be able to count FCS wins toward bowl eligibility. It is one more pretend win towards a total of 6 that get marginal teams into a marginal bowl where, like everyone wants nowadays, they get a "trophy."

 

[GrizBacker04]

I don't know what is so devastating about this. Outside of NDSU, what teams from the FCS can legitimately compete on a yearly basis with the best of the Big 10? I haven't seen very many successfully do it other than on rare occasions. One of the only reasons the games are played is for money anyway, and even then, that financial gain is not worth the risk of injury and an 0-1 start to the season.

I do think that FBS teams should not be able to count FCS wins toward bowl eligibility. It is one more pretend win towards a total of 6 that get marginal teams into a marginal bowl where, like everyone wants nowadays, they get a "trophy."

What is hurtful is this takes away a major source of revenue from FCS schools. 99% of all FCS schools schedule a game a year with a FBS school to help with their finances. For a lot of schools, a check for $500,000 is a huge boost to their budget. You say that the game is not worth it because of the risk of injury, but for many programs, that risk is certainly worth it because of the money paid in return. I would venture to guess that $500,000 to some schools is almost half, if not more, of what they make in season-ticket sales. Also, it helps some in recruiting to where you can say to a kid "you will get to play one game a year in front of a huge crowd, against a great opponent, and hopefully we can win." Not having FBS teams schedule FCS teams in the future, if this is a growing trend, will certainly have a negative impact on the FCS.

 

[Jerry Punch]

I think you are right that it may hurt the less competetive FCS programs of the world, but I don't think it hurts UM or MSU. The Cats were supposed to play at Oregon last year. And for what? The budget boost? They didn't need it, and instead got a home and home with Stephen F. Austin. In my opinion, finances aside, the win they had over SFA was much more valuable than the shredding they would have taken at Oregon.

 

[ISUguy]

I think you are right that it may hurt the less competetive FCS programs of the world, but I don't think it hurts UM or MSU. The Cats were supposed to play at Oregon last year. And for what? The budget boost? They didn't need it, and instead got a home and home with Stephen F. Austin. In my opinion, finances aside, the win they had over SFA was much more valuable than the shredding they would have taken at Oregon.

Every Big Sky School but Montana and MSU (including tri-champions Eastern Washington and Cal Poly) played at least one money game against an FBS school last season, and six schools -- including tri-champion EWU -- played 2 such games. To say it's only the "less competetive (sic)" FCS programs that depend on money games is obviously inaccurate.

As noted above, the B1G is going to at least 9 conference games in the future (maybe as many as 10), and has its own television network it must supply with product. Those are the two main drivers for the league moving away from FCS games. If all the other FBS leagues eventually follow suit -- 80 percent of the FCS programs, including much of the Big Sky, will be hurt.

And yes, that does impact the Montana schools because, even as "special" as you all are, the fact the Big Sky is one of the most competitive leagues in FCS raises your stock and makes you more marketable as well. I know many of you aspire to the MWC and, frankly, it would not surprise me to see both you and MSU in that league at some future date. But in the meantime, your marketability to an FBS league like the MWC is at least in part dependent on how you perform right now, and if the Big Sky is not a competitive league, your perceived performance goes down as well.

 

[GrizLA]

I think it would be great for FCS schools to play each other. I see the enthusiasm UM fans have for scheduling Appalachian State and vice versa as a good thing. Rivalries influence attendance...but, for the FCS schools that need a body bag game to pay their costs, perhaps it is time to rethink their objectives. The race for money and pay per view games is a loser over the long haul for most schools. In LA, it has come to exactly that. Pac 10 now has their own pay per view channel. The Lakers have their own. Removing bloc purchases by corporations and law offices, the attendance for both is down and interest falling. True, there is more to do here, but the facts are, level playing fields with same level of competition might revive some programs. One thing is certain, change is coming quickly. Even this year, I read where UM athletic budget has been cut $135,000...that is a lot for a smaller school with winning a winning tradition in mens' and womens' sports.

 

[Bisonation]

The latest scheduling debacle has to push NDSU to the fbs along win big ten protocol.

We would love to see NDSU and Montana make the pitch to mountain west. Both have good basketball programs and Olympic sports

 

[billings_poke]

The latest scheduling debacle has to push NDSU to the fbs along win big ten protocol.

We would love to see NDSU and Montana make the pitch to mountain west. Both have good basketball programs and Olympic sports

Best call the MAC for NDSU. The Que for the MWC is much more to the south