Conference realignment talks hit the Mountain West

[EverettGriz]

The only problem with "waiting until there's a playoff" is that by then, the barn door may be closed. And even if it isn't, we'd be light years behind those programs smart enough to take the opportunity when offered.

 

[Paytonlives]

I have believed for about 10 years the FBS will come calling... I would not move unless there is a true playoff system in a new 2nd tier division FBS.

 

[Paytonlives]

The only problem with "waiting until there's a playoff" is that by then, the barn door may be closed. And even if it isn't, we'd be light years behind those programs smart enough to take the opportunity when offered.

Probably true... That's the rub

 

[RayWill]

I’ve never understood the desire to move to FBS

I’ve never understood the desire to remain in a mediocre division like FCS. Especially, when UM has a team that has beaten a top 20 FBS team.

Well in my opinion the Mountain WEST is just as mediocre. A move there does not excite me at all.

 

[Jaredkuehn]

I've always been on the fence about moving up a division. There are arguments for both moving up and staying put. In my opinion, the move to the Mountain West Conference is one of the few viable options to move to FBS. Its really the only existing FBS conference where the Montana schools have geographical and institutional peers. In any other FBS conference, you'd either be paired up with a bunch of California commuter schools, or you'd be traveling to the mid-west and beyond, which I think creates a potential Idaho/SunBelt situation.

Sure, you'd be playing lower level bowl games initially, but I think that's all likely to change at some point. Do you want to wait for the change to occur before you move up, or do you want to take the chance now and have a home at the higher level when (if) the P5 breaks off to do their own thing? Football may be negatively impacted in a move up (we don't know that for sure). But the profile for all other sports would be raised, and I think the profile of UM and MSU as schools would be raised, as would the profiles of Missoula and Bozeman as college towns. In the Big Sky, the Montana schools are NOT playing with peer institutions. No offense to the directional and commuter schools in the conference, but UM and MSU are the flagship state schools in Montana, and are being held back in athletics and as institutions with their BSC affiliation.

I always thought that the Dakota Schools, Montana Schools and Idaho Schools should ban together and move up as an 8 team Highline Conference made up of flagship schools from those states. That's probably more likely than getting an invite from the MWC.

 

[kemajic]

I always thought that the Dakota Schools, Montana Schools and Idaho Schools should ban together and move up as an 8 team Highline Conference made up of flagship schools from those states. That's probably more likely than getting an invite from the MWC.

If you think that's likely, it's as an FCS conference since the NCAA is not allowing new FBS conferences. And while you pan on travel to the midwest, where do you think the Dakota schools are? On the borders of MN and Iowa.

 

[kemajic]

I always thought that the Dakota Schools, Montana Schools and Idaho Schools should ban together and move up as an 8 team Highline Conference made up of flagship schools from those states. That's probably more likely than getting an invite from the MWC.

If you think that's likely, it's as an FCS conference since the NCAA is not allowing new FBS conferences. And while you pan on travel to the midwest, where do you think the Dakota schools are? On the borders of MN and Iowa.

 

[kemajic]

I’ve never understood the desire to remain in a mediocre division like FCS. Especially, when UM has a team that has beaten a top 20 FBS team.

Well in my opinion the Mountain WEST is just as mediocre. A move there does not excite me at all.

What would excite you?

 

[kemajic]

I find it laughable that people continue to use terms like "second-rate bowl", "meaningless, un-watched bowl", and the all-time classic "toilet bowl" when discussing a move (it's not a move up any longer, just a move) to the FBS.

WTF do you all think the fcs "national" championship is?? It's a second-rate, meaningless, un-watched game that airs at 9:00 am and is played in a soccer stadium. And it costs the program money to play in it.


Yay.

That's pretty much it.

 

[kemajic]

I hate the idea of “moving up”. That opinion is taking the historical structure of FBS into account. Now things are clearly changing and rapidly. I still hate the idea, because it seems more like others are moving down. The NCAA needs to pull their head out and realign all together. If there was a middle tier with playoffs and a national champion, then yes. Move up and do it quickly. Just playing for a bowl game that is laughable, not watched and meaningless seems anticlimactic. The NCAA once again has screwed the pooch and probably needs to do the way of the dinosaur.

Do you really think the NCAA is in control of what FBS football programs do?

 

[Spanky2]

I have believed for about 10 years the FBS will come calling... I would not move unless there is a true playoff system in a new 2nd tier division FBS.

We have shown that we can beat a top 20 FBS team, a member of the PAC 12. We would we want to be in a 2nd tier FBS division?

 

[Spanky2]

I have believed for about 10 years the FBS will come calling... I would not move unless there is a true playoff system in a new 2nd tier division FBS.

We have shown that we can beat a top 20 FBS team, a member of the PAC 12. We would we want to be in a 2nd tier FBS division?

Should have said Why would we———

 

[HelenaHandBasket]

We have shown that we can beat a top 20 FBS team, a member of the PAC 12. We would we want to be in a 2nd tier FBS division?

Should have said Why would we———

So based on a victory over Washington, you think the Griz should be playing Alabama on a yearly basis?

 

[RayWill]

Well in my opinion the Mountain WEST is just as mediocre. A move there does not excite me at all.

What would excite you?

A total realignment taking the mid tier FBS schools like the Mountain west and Cream of the Crop of the FBS realign into new conferences with a new expanded and true playoff system.

 

[CDAGRIZ]

The only problem with "waiting until there's a playoff" is that by then, the barn door may be closed. And even if it isn't, we'd be light years behind those programs smart enough to take the opportunity when offered.

I don't often use mixed metaphors as they are like straddling a double-edged sword, but to get this done we must first iron out the remaining bottlenecks

 

[griz4life]

The Mountain West is not the stepping stone that the Sun Belt has been for FCS move up teams. Once you're in the Mountain West, there's no next step.

What the West needs is another mid-tier FBS conference of 7 to 8 schools that play the Mountain West, PAC 12 and BIG 10, MAC and CUSA teams, while also fielding competitive mid-major basketball teams. We could probably do that with a Montana-Dakotas conference plus a couple teams with decent investments in facilities and good attendance. There's not a Big Sky team outside of Montana that would fit in that conference without making it worse.

 

[Paytonlives]

I’ve never understood the desire to remain in a mediocre division like FCS. Especially, when UM has a team that has beaten a top 20 FBS team.

Well in my opinion the Mountain WEST is just as mediocre. A move there does not excite me at all.

So playing Utah State, Boise, Colorado State, Fresno, Hawaii, Wyoming etc (With a playoff system)
is the same as
Poly, N. Colorado, ISU, PSU NAU, Southern Utah???

 

[Grizzlies1982]

I find it laughable that people continue to use terms like "second-rate bowl", "meaningless, un-watched bowl", and the all-time classic "toilet bowl" when discussing a move (it's not a move up any longer, just a move) to the FBS.

WTF do you all think the fcs "national" championship is?? It's a second-rate, meaningless, un-watched game that airs at 9:00 am and is played in a soccer stadium. And it costs the program money to play in it.

Point taken that viewership of the dozens of "toilet bowls" is comparable, or slightly larger, than the FCS Championship game. However, those bowls are just year-end back ground noise to fill the dates before and around the "Real" bowl games. Not to mention virtually all those second tier bowl games COST THEIR SCHOOLS MORE MONEY TO PLAY IN than they're "paid" to come.

Look at the FBS Sunbelt Conference. At one point I believe everyone of those teams were FCS. They all 'jumped us' if you will. Yet jumped us into what? Not only will they not have a hope in Hell of ever being in the FBS playoffs, they don't really even have a chance to be in one of the "Real" bowl games.

If I'm wrong name which of those teams ever played in the Orange, Citrus, Sugar, Cotton, Fiesta, or Rose bowls. If they have a FABULOUS season they may get an invite to the Poulan Weedeater Bowl in Mobile, AL, or a chance to fly out west and play the December bowl game in Boise.

If the Griz have a FABULOUS season they are in the playoffs. There is a chance to compete in three potentially exciting playoff games. Finally a chance to earn a National Championship. No it's not drawing the eyes of the nation. None the less, it is a fun, exciting, and well earned experience that beats the heck out of an imminently forgettable, one shot bowl game that also does not draw the eyes of the nation.

 

[EverettGriz]

The only problem with "waiting until there's a playoff" is that by then, the barn door may be closed. And even if it isn't, we'd be light years behind those programs smart enough to take the opportunity when offered.

I don't often use mixed metaphors as they are like straddling a double-edged sword, but to get this done we must first iron out the remaining bottlenecks

Yes. No doubt there are hurdles with water under them, but I guess we'll burn that bridge when we come to it.

 

[Grizzlies1982]

I don't often use mixed metaphors as they are like straddling a double-edged sword, but to get this done we must first iron out the remaining bottlenecks

Yes. No doubt there are hurdles with water under them, but I guess we'll burn that bridge when we come to it.

Everett, I fully support that statement. :ugeek: