Can’t Compete at The Highest Level

[AZGrizFan]

Tell that to the band and the drill team putting on the halftime shows. Tell that to the families who would love to spend Christmas Break on the beach, taking in Disneyland or Disney World, tell that to the old college buddies who only get together two or three times a year, tell that to the old college teammates who get together for each and every game come hell or high water. There's more to a college football game than just the game. The tailgates that last over a week between games. I knew families who told their kids to not get married on the Georgia-Florida week because they wouldn't be there! And then the bowls.

A lot of bowl games are not on the beach. Boise, Dallas, Nashville, Tucson, El Paso, Charlotte, San Antonio, NYC, Houston, Memphis, Annapolis, Phoenix, Birmingham, Detroit, Montgomery, Shreveport, Frisco, Mobile, Albuquerque, Boston. And several around LA and not on the beach.

The 60,000 fans of the two teams that come to the Alamo Bowl each year sure seem to care deeply about how their team does. The players on the field sure seem to care deeply about whether they win or lose this “meaningless” bowl game. If you haven’t experienced a bowl game in person, I’m here to tell you you are missing out on a GREAT time. It’s every bit as exciting as the NC games, many with 4-5x the # of people/activities, etc.

 

[CatGrad-UMGradStu]

Tell that to the band and the drill team putting on the halftime shows. Tell that to the families who would love to spend Christmas Break on the beach, taking in Disneyland or Disney World, tell that to the old college buddies who only get together two or three times a year, tell that to the old college teammates who get together for each and every game come hell or high water. There's more to a college football game than just the game. The tailgates that last over a week between games. I knew families who told their kids to not get married on the Georgia-Florida week because they wouldn't be there! And then the bowls.

A lot of bowl games are not on the beach. Boise, Dallas, Nashville, Tucson, El Paso, Charlotte, San Antonio, NYC, Houston, Memphis, Annapolis, Phoenix, Birmingham, Detroit, Montgomery, Shreveport, Frisco, Mobile, Albuquerque, Boston. And several around LA and not on the beach.

Mere technicality and a geographic reinforcement of the point I tried to make, oh belligerent one! Yes, I realize the Super Bowl has been held in Detroit AND the Twin Cities.

Recall if you will when the I-AA National Championship games were held in Pocatello and Tacoma!!!! Those southern teams that were in the games raised holy hell about going out there. And you know God Damned good and well what I'm referring to! If memory serves me correctly, you wrote about going to the Rose Bowl. Was that the one Georgia was in for only the second time?

Who the hell moves north when they retire? Where did you go R.V.ing last winter? Fucking Saskatchewan? Shit, you may as well just went back to Wolf Point or Flaxville if you did! Plus, staying in Montana you won't have to put up with any Canucks!

More evidence? Pretend you're this guy who was raised in that cluster fuck shithole called Helena, Montana. Complete with Malfunction Junction. Where would any sensible human want to coach? Helena's full of politicians and lawyers and you know what 10,000 lawyers on the bottom of Flathead Lake is called: a good start.
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/34535454/bobby-petrino-returns-arkansas-faces-past

 

[3-7-77]

A ship is safe in harbor . . .
[/quote]

Interesting quote. The following ships were not safe in Harbor:
U.S.S. Maine, U.S.S. Arizona, U.S.S. Utah, U.S.S. Oklahoma...
A better analogy would be the U.S.S. Idaho, built it 1917, scrapped in 1947. Lasted 30 years. Kinda like the Vandal football program, successful at first, then a 22 year run with the big dogs...

"Idaho experienced its best years in football from 1985 to 1995, when it made the I-AA national playoffs in ten of 11 seasons with four different head coaches, reaching the semifinals twice. After 18 years in Division I-AA, Idaho returned to Division I-A competition (now called the FBS) in 1996 in the Big West.

Idaho rejoined the Sun Belt Conference in 2014 after a season as an independent in 2013, and eight seasons in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), which dropped football after the 2012 season. The Vandals were previously in the Sun Belt (also football only) from 2001 through 2004, after the Big West dropped football.

On August 18, 2012, Idaho was cleared to stay in the Football Bowl Subdivision as an independent[22] after the WAC announced it would drop football effective with the end of the 2012 season.[23] Idaho would only remain a football independent for the 2013 season; on March 27 of that year, the Sun Belt Conference announced that Idaho would return as a football-only member starting with the 2014 season.[24] Nearly two years later in 2016, the Sun Belt Conference announced via teleconference that neither the University of Idaho nor New Mexico State University would be renewed after the 2017 football season.[25] In 2018, Idaho resumed full membership in the Big Sky Conference, which participates in the Football Championship Subdivision.[26]" --Wiki

Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!

 

[Griz til I die]

I see long time MWC commissioner Craig Thompson announced his retirement today, effective December 31. I wonder if our current commissioner Tom Wistrcill would be interested in the job. That could lead to a potentially interesting trickle down effect.

 

[mthoopsfan]

A lot of bowl games are not on the beach. Boise, Dallas, Nashville, Tucson, El Paso, Charlotte, San Antonio, NYC, Houston, Memphis, Annapolis, Phoenix, Birmingham, Detroit, Montgomery, Shreveport, Frisco, Mobile, Albuquerque, Boston. And several around LA and not on the beach.

Mere technicality and a geographic reinforcement of the point I tried to make, oh belligerent one! Yes, I realize the Super Bowl has been held in Detroit AND the Twin Cities.

Recall if you will when the I-AA National Championship games were held in Pocatello and Tacoma!!!! Those southern teams that were in the games raised holy hell about going out there. And you know God Damned good and well what I'm referring to! If memory serves me correctly, you wrote about going to the Rose Bowl. Was that the one Georgia was in for only the second time?

Who the hell moves north when they retire? Where did you go R.V.ing last winter? f###[#] Saskatchewan? Shit, you may as well just went back to Wolf Point or Flaxville if you did! Plus, staying in Montana you won't have to put up with any Canucks!

More evidence? Pretend you're this guy who was raised in that cluster [#]f### shithole called Helena, Montana. Complete with Malfunction Junction. Where would any sensible human want to coach? Helena's full of politicians and lawyers and you know what 10,000 lawyers on the bottom of Flathead Lake is called: a good start.
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/34535454/bobby-petrino-returns-arkansas-faces-past

I attended the two Super Bowls in Minneapolis. My buddy gives me tickets. Great fun. Like minus 18 at the last one.

 

[CatGrad-UMGradStu]

Mere technicality and a geographic reinforcement of the point I tried to make, oh belligerent one! Yes, I realize the Super Bowl has been held in Detroit AND the Twin Cities.

Recall if you will when the I-AA National Championship games were held in Pocatello and Tacoma!!!! Those southern teams that were in the games raised holy hell about going out there. And you know God Damned good and well what I'm referring to! If memory serves me correctly, you wrote about going to the Rose Bowl. Was that the one Georgia was in for only the second time?

Who the hell moves north when they retire? Where did you go R.V.ing last winter? f###[#] Saskatchewan? Shit, you may as well just went back to Wolf Point or Flaxville if you did! Plus, staying in Montana you won't have to put up with any Canucks!

More evidence? Pretend you're this guy who was raised in that cluster [#]f### shithole called Helena, Montana. Complete with Malfunction Junction. Where would any sensible human want to coach? Helena's full of politicians and lawyers and you know what 10,000 lawyers on the bottom of Flathead Lake is called: a good start.
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/34535454/bobby-petrino-returns-arkansas-faces-past

I attended the two Super Bowls in Minneapolis. My buddy gives me tickets. Great fun. Like minus 18 at the last one.

I was very fortunate for all the years I lived in Georgia to see good I-AA teams and great DI teams, lots of NFL games and I know you fully understand what the Bowl Game experience means to a school and everyone associated with that school.

You had a great career--for a Bozeangeles Hawk...both athletically and professionally. I really enjoyed the commencement speaker on May 4, 2019 in Adam's Fieldhouse. Was that MIT professor addressing you? Methinks...

 

[Spanky2]

I didn’t think I could ever believe this, but there are too many defeatists in Montana (especially Missoula) to do a damn thing about moving to FBS unless it is determined by the NCAA. The fans get all excited about running up the score on inferior opponents such as Northern Colorado rather than welcoming quality opponents to the stadium.We have a good chance of winning the NC of FCS this year so all of you goof balls can tell tall stories at the Stocks.

Spank, why would you have trouble believing this? It's been real and very visible for many years. There is a significant portion of our fanbase that would far rather watch a beatdown of a patsy for a sure win than risk a 38-35 game with Utah St. or Nevada that could go either way. How scary would that be. This portion of the fanbase seems to have strong influence on UM administration, the AD and BH.

But quit whining, after all isn't this the University of Missoula? And don't believe the NCAA any longer determines conf moves in CFB.

Kem,
Yes I’ve been aware of it for years, but it’s getting worse. Very frustrating.

 

[UncleP]

Do you support the remainder of UM’s programs moving to DII?
[/quote]

I’m indifferent to the the remainder of the programs moving down. The haters will now go crazy but I’m honest about it. I’m a fan of Griz football. I can’t name a single player on the tennis team.

 

[Berkeley_Griz]

Flip side: there are too many delusional FBS supporters who don't seem to have any grasp of what it would actually entail, and instead just want to throw out feel-good phrases like we should "run with the big dogs" or "upgrade our program." I respect that you want FBS. There's many good reasons to do so. But if Montana pursues that, it should be for the reasons that are real, and not for incorrect/ delusional goals that are not even remotely realistic. We have to be honest and realistic about what either scenario means, so that we can make an informed decision. And just to reiterate: I'm not anti-FBS. IF we got invited to the MWC and had Wyoming, Utah State, Colorado State, Boise, maybe even Oregon State and Washington State coming through (if the PAC implodes) - ya, that would be a blast. I would miss the ability to play for a national title, but that's one of the many tradeoffs you make in that scenario.

Lol. :roll: So because I used the phrase “run with the big dogs” I’m somehow delusional? I have a very FIRM grasp of what it would entail, but MY grasp doesn’t mean shit. I’m just a delusional fan who would like to spend my hard earned money watching us play teams that actually MEAN something, as opposed to 15 directional schools a year. What you SHOULD be concerned about is whether the administration has any grasp of what it would take, any plan in the eventual certainty of the changing landscape, and how they’re going to communicate that to the community, the school, the BOR and the teams affected.

To be honest, AZ, I wasn't intentionally singling you out, and perhaps having read that on the thread earlier in the day is why it was in my head. I meant people who use phrases like that without ever thinking about the realities of what moving to FBS. So, apologies for that confusion. As I said in the post you quoted, I, too, would enjoy watching games against bigger competition with bigger fanbases to heckle. I don't think I should be concerned with admin because, of course, I admittedly don't have a strong preference of FCS or FBS, and like you, my opinion means jack shit to anyone making the decision anyways. However - and I know I've said this before - I don't have any reason to believe any FBS conference is even remotely interested in us, especially not right now, so I don't think there's any decision to make. It's essentially MWC or bust just because of geography (I really don't want to do the Idaho to Sun Belt thing).

 

[Berkeley_Griz]

A lot of bowl games are not on the beach. Boise, Dallas, Nashville, Tucson, El Paso, Charlotte, San Antonio, NYC, Houston, Memphis, Annapolis, Phoenix, Birmingham, Detroit, Montgomery, Shreveport, Frisco, Mobile, Albuquerque, Boston. And several around LA and not on the beach.

The 60,000 fans of the two teams that come to the Alamo Bowl each year sure seem to care deeply about how their team does. The players on the field sure seem to care deeply about whether they win or lose this “meaningless” bowl game. If you haven’t experienced a bowl game in person, I’m here to tell you you are missing out on a GREAT time. It’s every bit as exciting as the NC games, many with 4-5x the # of people/activities, etc.

The Alamo Bowl is great, and San Antonio is a severely underrated city.

 

[Berkeley_Griz]

I’m indifferent to the the remainder of the programs moving down. The haters will now go crazy but I’m honest about it. I’m a fan of Griz football. I can’t name a single player on the tennis team.

I have to admit to the same. I grew up where football is religion and everything else is filler until the next football season.

 

[AZGrizFan]

The 60,000 fans of the two teams that come to the Alamo Bowl each year sure seem to care deeply about how their team does. The players on the field sure seem to care deeply about whether they win or lose this “meaningless” bowl game. If you haven’t experienced a bowl game in person, I’m here to tell you you are missing out on a GREAT time. It’s every bit as exciting as the NC games, many with 4-5x the # of people/activities, etc.

The Alamo Bowl is great, and San Antonio is a severely underrated city.

Went to several Fiesta Bowls and the lesser Phoenix bowl (Cactus Bowl at the time, I think), and a number of Alamo Bowls since I’ve lived here. ALWAYS had a great time, and never had a team or skin in the game. Yet somehow, I gave a shit who won or lost.

 

[EverettGriz]

I’m indifferent to the the remainder of the programs moving down. The haters will now go crazy but I’m honest about it. I’m a fan of Griz football. I can’t name a single player on the tennis team.

I have to admit to the same. I grew up where football is religion and everything else is filler until the next football season.

I understand that some — particularly those who are not alums — may be only football fans. As for me, I’ll root my ass off for UM if they have Tiddliwinks team.

But in either event, even if you’re only a football fan, you recognize that a move to the FBS isn’t made in a football vacuum, and sigh a move would greatly (for the better — much, much, much, much better) impact the BB and Olympic programs.

But I ask the question because there are dozens of anti-FBS posters on this board solely because they want FB to have a shot at a “national” title. But those same posters are completely fine with the BB teams playing DI without a legit shot, and 100% against a move to DII where they’d have it. . It’s completely incongruous, and I’ve never understood it.

 

[Berkeley_Griz]

I have to admit to the same. I grew up where football is religion and everything else is filler until the next football season.

I understand that some — particularly those who are not alums — may be only football fans. As for me, I’ll root my ass off for UM if they have Tiddliwinks team.

But in either event, even if you’re only a football fan, you recognize that a move to the FBS isn’t made in a football vacuum, and sigh a move would greatly (for the better — much, much, much, much better) impact the BB and Olympic programs.

But I ask the question because there are dozens of anti-FBS posters on this board solely because they want FB to have a shot at a “national” title. But those same posters are completely fine with the BB teams playing DI without a legit shot, and 100% against a move to DII where they’d have it. . It’s completely incongruous, and I’ve never understood it.

I understood your point, I just doubt (if they're being honest) that any of those people really care. They may not be like me, where football is literally the only sport I watch (be it from my alma maters or from my employer), but they just don't really have as much investment/ give-a-damn about non-football sports, so not having a chance at a title there doesn't bother them.

 

[SaskGriz]

The Alamo Bowl is great, and San Antonio is a severely underrated city.

Went to several Fiesta Bowls and the lesser Phoenix bowl (Cactus Bowl at the time, I think), and a number of Alamo Bowls since I’ve lived here. ALWAYS had a great time, and never had a team or skin in the game. Yet somehow, I gave a shit who won or lost.

If pressed I suppose I'm a stay where we are guy, but if we moved up I wouldn't go to war over it. One concern that a lot of bigger teams might have with letting us join their party is transportation in and out of Missoula. Though I suppose everybody charters now a days, but I'm thinking of travelling supporters as well. It's not the easiest place to get to, but maybe supply will respond to demand. Just a thought. Also on a lesser note I really wish there was something called "The Lesser Phoenix Bowl", maybe sponsored by The Coast Guard or Delaware Tourism Board.

 

[kemajic]

The Alamo Bowl is great, and San Antonio is a severely underrated city.

Went to several Fiesta Bowls and the lesser Phoenix bowl (Cactus Bowl at the time, I think), and a number of Alamo Bowls since I’ve lived here. ALWAYS had a great time, and never had a team or skin in the game. Yet somehow, I gave a shit who won or lost.

I went to the first Fiesta Bowl which was at Sun Devil Stadium. Danny White and Woody Green et. al. beat FL St. After all the years of ASU being shunned from bowl games, it's right up there with the Griz NCs for me. like the '95 NC game, I can still recount the drives of the game. A wonderful day for all Sun Devil fans.

 

[AZDoc]

Went to several Fiesta Bowls and the lesser Phoenix bowl (Cactus Bowl at the time, I think), and a number of Alamo Bowls since I’ve lived here. ALWAYS had a great time, and never had a team or skin in the game. Yet somehow, I gave a shit who won or lost.

If pressed I suppose I'm a stay where we are guy, but if we moved up I wouldn't go to war over it. One concern that a lot of bigger teams might have with letting us join their party is transportation in and out of Missoula. Though I suppose everybody charters now a days, but I'm thinking of travelling supporters as well. It's not the easiest place to get to, but maybe supply will respond to demand. Just a thought. Also on a lesser note I really wish there was something called "The Lesser Phoenix Bowl", maybe sponsored by The Coast Guard or Delaware Tourism Board.

There is a lesser Phoenix Bowl, it is in Tucson...

 

[AZGrizFan]

If pressed I suppose I'm a stay where we are guy, but if we moved up I wouldn't go to war over it. One concern that a lot of bigger teams might have with letting us join their party is transportation in and out of Missoula. Though I suppose everybody charters now a days, but I'm thinking of travelling supporters as well. It's not the easiest place to get to, but maybe supply will respond to demand. Just a thought. Also on a lesser note I really wish there was something called "The Lesser Phoenix Bowl", maybe sponsored by The Coast Guard or Delaware Tourism Board.

There is a lesser Phoenix Bowl, it is in Tucson...

:lol: :lol: :lol: There's lesser Phoenix, then there's 50 miles of crap, THEN there's Tucson.

 

[AZDoc]

There is a lesser Phoenix Bowl, it is in Tucson...

:lol: :lol: :lol: There's lesser Phoenix, then there's 50 miles of crap, THEN there's Tucson.

This is true! Casa Grande is certainly lesser PHX!