Fullerton wants to split the BSC into two football leagues

[billings_poke]

One point here. The NEW FBS playoff media contract was just signed and if the Big Sky started a new FBS conference there would be no shared revenue from the FBS playoffs for 12 years as that contract is shared between 10 conferences and the independents that exist now. For the MWC that is a significant chunk of change and over $1 million a year per team

Seems Fullerton says how bad the sunbelt and Mac have it in FBS and then he wants to start a new conference that will be in basically the same boat revenue wise? Seems inconsistent to me.

Player most of this years FBS/FCS game were scheduled before anyone understood how this Strength of Schedule was going to play out for the 4 team playoffs. In reality. I think almost all G5 FBS teams will continue to play FCS and many lower level p5 programs as well. but that means the overall payouts will be less to the FCS teams.

The PAC for example is a top 3 FBS conference but with its champion competing for only 4 slots and you are against the BIG 12, BIG. ACC and probably 2 SEC teams then any program in the PAC that thinks they can win the conference had better not schedule FCS if they want one of those 4 playoff slots.

 

[billings_poke]

This is not a "new" plan. I just don't see how this is going to work for some schools. You get past two or three teams and it is going to be a huge financial challenge for these other teams. Lets say a miracle happens this year and Portland State doubles their attendance from an average of 230 fans a game to 460 fans? Big deal! It's going to be difficult to talk Universities (and EWU) into adding on more money losing athletic programs so their 1/2 ass football program can play in the FBS.

And two of the teams that are brought up for an easy transition to the FBS reside in Montana. The state government is reducing it's percentage of funding for the Universities. Unless there is a colossal change of direction from the state government, I'm not sure how going to the FBS is even possible for these two schools.

Would have to elect some democrats or more Wyoming like conservatives that fund education

 

[DoubleNicks]

FBS- Big Sky
1. Montana
2. Montana State
3. Eastern Washington
4. Idaho
5. Cal Poly
6. Portland State
7. Northern Arizona

FCS-Big Sky
1. Idaho State
2. North Dakota
3. Northern Colorado
4. Weber State
5. Southern Utah
6. UC Davis
7. Sacramento State

I like these conference rearrangement brainstormings. And that looks pretty good if they are only considering how the football teams have fared recently (though, SUU or Sac State could be switched with PSU then). But seating capacity, tv market, fanbase support ($ + actual attendance), or desire/readiness to be FBS could be bigger factors in the commissioner's eyes if he split the conference. For example:

Factor: Seating capacity (since there is an FBS minimum attendance requirement to average 15,000 at least once in a 2 year span)
FBS
1. Montana (26,000)
2. Sac State (21,195)
3. Montana State (20,700)
4. Portland State (20,483)
5. Weber State (17,312)
6. Northern Arizona (16,230)
7. Idaho (16,000)
FCS
8. North Dakota (13,500)
9. Idaho State (12,000)
10. Cal Poly (11,075)
11. UC Davis (10,849)
12. Eastern Washington (8,600)
13. Southern Utah (8,500)
14. Northern Colorado (8,500)

The other determining factors would take more research than a quick Google search but I've got to imagine that the Californian schools, PSU, and UND would probably be in the FBS section for most of them.

 

[CDAGRIZ]

8. Mont St (add two women's sports , maybe equestrian)

Equestrian ? They'd simply add soccer and softball.

Doesn't Montana State have horse barns?

Yeah, but they call it a press box. I'm not sure MSU would add equestrian. The MSU Athletic Department Charity already receives the majority of its funding from taxpayers. The equestrian team would have to travel exclusively by charter, too. I don't know if you've ever sat next to a horse on a commercial flight, but it really sucks. I think Southwest is the only airline that allows it anymore, and I doubt MSU athletes could figure out their boarding process.

 

[Ursa Major]

8. Mont St (add two women's sports , maybe equestrian)

Equestrian ? They'd simply add soccer and softball.

Doesn't Montana State have horse barns?

Yeah, but they call it a press box. I'm not sure MSU would add equestrian. The MSU Athletic Department Charity already receives the majority of its funding from taxpayers. The equestrian team would have to travel exclusively by charter, too. I don't know if you've ever sat next to a horse on a commercial flight, but it really sucks. I think Southwest is the only airline that allows it anymore, and I doubt MSU athletes could figure out their boarding process.

It's a well known fact that horses are deathly afraid of snakes, thunder and Vim.

 

[EverettGriz]

8. Mont St (add two women's sports , maybe equestrian)

Equestrian ? They'd simply add soccer and softball.

Doesn't Montana State have horse barns?

Yeah, but they call it a press box. I'm not sure MSU would add equestrian. The MSU Athletic Department Charity already receives the majority of its funding from taxpayers. The equestrian team would have to travel exclusively by charter, too. I don't know if you've ever sat next to a horse on a commercial flight, but it really sucks. I think Southwest is the only airline that allows it anymore, and I doubt MSU athletes could figure out their boarding process.

:lol:

 

[EverettGriz]

Equestrian ? They'd simply add soccer and softball.

Doesn't Montana State have horse barns?

Yeah, but they call it a press box. I'm not sure MSU would add equestrian. The MSU Athletic Department Charity already receives the majority of its funding from taxpayers. The equestrian team would have to travel exclusively by charter, too. I don't know if you've ever sat next to a horse on a commercial flight, but it really sucks. I think Southwest is the only airline that allows it anymore, and I doubt MSU athletes could figure out their boarding process.

It's a well known fact that horses are deathly afraid of snakes, thunder and Vim.

Another reason I'm certain if they add a program, it'll be a swimming and diving team. They already have the venue, as seen in the top center of this photo.

 

[Silvertip]

Aided by alabamagrizzly's dictionary, I deffenetly believe that MSU should pursue mutton busting, not equestrian as an added sport. And forget the basketball-only heavy WAC which struggles to even imitate an FCS conference. Plus in truth there are only, at most, maybe five current BSC schools that would in anyway qualify as FBS ready in the next two or three years...

 

[CDAGRIZ]

Doesn't Montana State have horse barns?

Yeah, but they call it a press box. I'm not sure MSU would add equestrian. The MSU Athletic Department Charity already receives the majority of its funding from taxpayers. The equestrian team would have to travel exclusively by charter, too. I don't know if you've ever sat next to a horse on a commercial flight, but it really sucks. I think Southwest is the only airline that allows it anymore, and I doubt MSU athletes could figure out their boarding process.

It's a well known fact that horses are deathly afraid of snakes, thunder and Vim.

Another reason I'm certain if they add a program, it'll be a swimming and diving team. They already have the venue, as seen in the top center of this photo.

Indeed, Everett. They could even keep the East/North/Whatever bleachers for spectators who could see to the "pool" through the STILL unexplained gap between the ear-shaped thing and the quonset hut.

 

[Gaeilge1]

Never have sat next to a horse on a commercial flight, but I have sat next to a helluva lot of pigs.

 

[Umista]

Waterboard Obama and find out if he knows anything.

As far as taxpayers paying for the Montana schools up-grade I doubt that would be a venture that the politicos would be able to pass. Dems or Reps and our esteemed governor all snake bit at the present but most of us sport crazies would love it.

The college presidents for the most part will NOT be for such an idea. MSU's female would be for such a forward thinking move but I am afraid our bumbling pres would cast a "present " vote similar to our national president in his previous political life.

Fullerton is at least talking and thinking out loud.

 

[Paytonlives]

I still would somehow like to see

Montana
Montana St.
Wyoming
Utah State
Weber
UNLV
Reno
Idaho
EWU

Lots of moving pieces... but I can dream

 

[AZGrizFan]

I still would somehow like to see

Montana
Montana St.
Wyoming
Utah State
Weber
UNLV
Reno
Idaho
EWU

Lots of moving pieces... but I can dream

Take out Weber & add in Colorado State and you've got a winner right there, PL.

 

[Lakerhater]

Montana has been orchestrating this whole thing for years. They gave the other schools that wanted to stay in an ultimatum that they would move up or they would have to leave. There are following through on their promises. The Big Sky will have the teams and markets Montana needs to be successful in FBS.

Whoa, Whoa !! Back up here, Sparky........You're saying the UM has been orchestrating this for years??? Two words... Royce Engstrom......For the life of me I can't believe Royce would give ultimatums to anyone to move up. I would argue RE is quite satisfied with the status quo and I believe much of Griz Nation would agree.

 

[jodcon]

I still would somehow like to see

Montana
Montana St.
Wyoming
Utah State
Weber
UNLV
Reno
Idaho
EWU

Lots of moving pieces... but I can dream

And that would mean Alpha could see his buddy Hauck every year.

 

[CDAGRIZ]

Montana has been orchestrating this whole thing for years. They gave the other schools that wanted to stay in an ultimatum that they would move up or they would have to leave. There are following through on their promises. The Big Sky will have the teams and markets Montana needs to be successful in FBS.

Whoa, Whoa !! Back up here, Sparky........You're saying the UM has been orchestrating this for years??? Two words... Royce Engstrom......For the life of me I can't believe Royce would give ultimatums to anyone to move up. I would argue RE is quite satisfied with the status quo and I believe much of Griz Nation would agree.

Is it weird that I don't even know the name of the UND-Fargo president, let alone his/her feelings about anything?

 

[UNDfan]

Montana has been orchestrating this whole thing for years. They gave the other schools that wanted to stay in an ultimatum that they would move up or they would have to leave. There are following through on their promises. The Big Sky will have the teams and markets Montana needs to be successful in FBS.

Whoa, Whoa !! Back up here, Sparky........You're saying the UM has been orchestrating this for years??? Two words... Royce Engstrom......For the life of me I can't believe Royce would give ultimatums to anyone to move up. I would argue RE is quite satisfied with the status quo and I believe much of Griz Nation would agree.

As much as Montana fans want to hate on Engstrom, he has continued to act on the vision by O'Day. If Montana had gone to the WAC when this board wanted, the WAC would have consisted of:

Idaho
Montana
Mont St
NMSU
Texas St
Sam Houston St
Lamar
Jacksonville St or S. F. Austin
Denver
Seattle

That is not a league Montana's administration could get behind: too Texas focused. Montana wanted schools that had an FBS vision but needed time to build up to it: UCDavis, Cal Poly, N Dakota. Montana and Mont St confronted the Big Sky schools when they passed on the WAC and told them either be ready for FBS this decade or were out of here. A number of schools like Weber, Idaho St, No Colo, and NAU didn't think they could be FBS this decade, so they demanded SUU be added for them. E Wash committed to FBS to take advantage of Montana, Mt St, and eventually Idaho fans that will help fill their expanded stadium. It was inevitable that Idaho would return if the Big Sky made an internal commitment to FBS.

The California schools and Portland St faced budget difficulties when the WAC was dying. In a normal time, they might have jumped, but those weren't normal times. They needed stadium expansions or sports expansions and that would have been impossible then. Now it is not.

Even for Montana and Montana St, adding sports is expensive and often requires facilities. Montana didn't start softball on a dime. You needed time, too.

 

[AZGrizFan]

Montana has been orchestrating this whole thing for years. They gave the other schools that wanted to stay in an ultimatum that they would move up or they would have to leave. There are following through on their promises. The Big Sky will have the teams and markets Montana needs to be successful in FBS.

Whoa, Whoa !! Back up here, Sparky........You're saying the UM has been orchestrating this for years??? Two words... Royce Engstrom......For the life of me I can't believe Royce would give ultimatums to anyone to move up. I would argue RE is quite satisfied with the status quo and I believe much of Griz Nation would agree.

As much as Montana fans want to hate on Engstrom, he has continued to act on the vision by O'Day. If Montana had gone to the WAC when this board wanted, the WAC would have consisted of:

Idaho
Montana
Mont St
NMSU
Texas St
Sam Houston St
Lamar
Jacksonville St or S. F. Austin
Denver
Seattle

That is not a league Montana's administration could get behind: too Texas focused. Montana wanted schools that had an FBS vision but needed time to build up to it: UCDavis, Cal Poly, N Dakota. Montana and Mont St confronted the Big Sky schools when they passed on the WAC and told them either be ready for FBS this decade or were out of here. A number of schools like Weber, Idaho St, No Colo, and NAU didn't think they could be FBS this decade, so they demanded SUU be added for them. E Wash committed to FBS to take advantage of Montana, Mt St, and eventually Idaho fans that will help fill their expanded stadium. It was inevitable that Idaho would return if the Big Sky made an internal commitment to FBS.

The California schools and Portland St faced budget difficulties when the WAC was dying. In a normal time, they might have jumped, but those weren't normal times. They needed stadium expansions or sports expansions and that would have been impossible then. Now it is not.

Even for Montana and Montana St, adding sports is expensive and often requires facilities. Montana didn't start softball on a dime. You needed time, too.

Man, there is a LOT of speculatin' going on in this post...or do you have actual PROOF that any of this actually happened?

 

[EverettGriz]

Actually, AZ, UND's description is pretty accurate. I don't think UM's ultimatum was as severe as UND makes it. Rather, what UM told the conference is that they intend to always do what's in the best interest of the University of Montana, and if that means leaving the conference, going FBS, whatever, they would take that action whenever the time was right. So if the conference was intent on keeping Montana, the conference and the teams in it had to be prepared for a number of scenarios, including going FBS.

Montana knows it drives the bus in the BSC, and when and if it's appropriate, they won't be afraid to use that leverage.

 

[Herd]

What Fullerton wants and the NCAA will allow are two different things. Per NCAA's recent communications the CAA, the NCAA does not allow FCS conference to move to the FBS level Enmass. The NCAA Requires that FCS teams join and existing FBS conference to allow them to go FBS. The CAA in 2012 was told that their conference could not move FBS as a conference, therefore teams started to goto the MAC, CUSA, etc . . . 1 by 1. How does Fullerton think that he can do this with the BSC?? Also, sending 8 teams tot he Sunbelt so that you can pull them back and start a new Conference in 3 years is the same as moving an entire FCS conference to FBS. No way the NCAA says OK to this.

The WAC is dead, and just bringing in two FBS teams (Idaho and NMSU) is not going to cut it with a full FCS to FBS move for the Big Sky. How is Fullerton going to get the Ok for this when the CAA was told specifically "NO" to this same request? Truth is, he is not. This fantasy has no legs.

The NCAA has 10 FBS conference and will not just OK another FBS conference because Doug Fullerton would like to. The NCAA and other FBS conference could have plenty to say about this.

From a Montana perspective, if you wanted to go FBS, wouldn't you make your intentions known to the MWC, and wait for that opening in the next few years? The alternative would be drag a group of Risky FCS moveups with questionable budgets to the FBS level. Why would this be a better alternative for a Montana?