Is It Worth It for Small Football Schools to Move Up to FBS?

[RobGriz]

We draw 25000 playing ISU & UNC... those are exciting games? I don't see your point here. Playing against MWC ir Pac12 teams are an upgrade in competition & would draw crowds comparable to the UNC & ISU games.

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I believe he is suggesting that when you start losing, a lot of people stop showing up. I agree. There used to be a lot of empty seats for Griz games.

I don't see us getting a pac-12 school to WA-Griz, even if we had a decent decade under our belts in FBS. The California teams of the Pacific Coast Conference would never play in Missoula, and we were in the same conference.

Lame, and already proven-wrong argument. A sample of WAC & MWC BCS-level home games since 2005:

Oregon State, Oregon, Oregon State, BYU, BYU, Cal, Oregon, Kansas State, Wisconsin, Illinois, Mississippi, Colorado, Southern Cal, Wisconsin, Purdue, Oregon St, Washington, Washington St., Wisconsin, Southern Cal, Colorado, Wisconsin, Iowa State, Oregon St, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Washington State, Washington State, Northwestern, Texas Tech, Missouri, Cal, Missouri, Texas A&M, Arizona, Texas Tech, Texas Tech, Cal, UCLA, Washington St, Stanford, BYU, Texas Tech, Utah (after move), Arizona, UCLA, Oregon State, Louisville, Virginia, Texas, Nebraska.

Stop living in the past.

Are you taking courtesy lessons from PR?

You are assuming MWC, I'm thinking if it does happen it will be in an expanded Sun Belt or other 1/2 ass conference. That changes the equation. How many Pac-10/12 teams played at Sun Belt schools? If we did end up in an upgraded Big Sky or a Sun Belt conference, the only way a Pac-12 team comes to Missoula is because of an emergncy aircraft landing.

BTW, if we move up I would love to be in the MWC, I just don't see that as a likely option.

Blasphemere!!! Don't you know that the MWC would give all they own to allow the Griz to join their conference! They sit waiting like a school girl on prom night for UM to accept the unspoken invite that awaits! LOL! Good post BTW. :clap:

 

[AllWeatherFan]

Here's a question.

Let's say a group of individual FCS and FBS programs got together and decided, hey, we're a good fit, geographically, culturally, athletically, etc. - let's form a new Division I athletic conference!

How would they even approach the NCAA to accomplish that?

Note: I googled "start a new NCAA athletic conference" and got nothing that was helpful.

why would an FBS school do that?

Why, in your very next post after this one, did you suggest that five FBS schools would want to be in a conference with Montana?

 

[flowtowngriz]

You must not watch ESPN they cover games all year long for Division 2 plus their playoff and championship game plus they play NAIA championship game. They may not be Saturday or friday games but they do televise tbe regular season too.

 

[RobGriz]

You must not watch ESPN they cover games all year long for Division 2 plus their playoff and championship game plus they play NAIA championship game. They may not be Saturday or friday games but they do televise tbe regular season too.

Not trying to argue with you here, but, I cannot remember the last time I saw a regular season D II game on ESPN. Come to think of it I can't remember ever seeing a regular season D II game on ESPN. Again, not saying your wrong but...???

 

[flowtowngriz]

Fort Collin college. I think we played them a couple years ago.

 

[FargoBison]

You must not watch ESPN they cover games all year long for Division 2 plus their playoff and championship game plus they play NAIA championship game. They may not be Saturday or friday games but they do televise tbe regular season too.

Sorry ESPN3 doesn't count...the title games are on real TV though I guess.

 

[RobGriz]

Fort Collin college. I think we played them a couple years ago.

Fort Lewis maybe?

 

[flowtowngriz]

Ya I was watching one night thinking they rather play division 2 then FCS. It more then once too. It is in the week and later.

 

[billings_poke]

Here's a question.

Let's say a group of individual FCS and FBS programs got together and decided, hey, we're a good fit, geographically, culturally, athletically, etc. - let's form a new Division I athletic conference!

How would they even approach the NCAA to accomplish that?

Note: I googled "start a new NCAA athletic conference" and got nothing that was helpful.

why would an FBS school do that?

Why, in your very next post after this one, did you suggest that five FBS schools would want to be in a conference with Montana?

uhh I suggested that UM join the MWC and play a MWC home schedule not start a whole new league with montana. bit of a difference

 

[flowtowngriz]

I live in Missoula and we didnt get ESPN 3 till last year plus I have direct tv not cable. So tbe games I watched wasnt espn3

 

[George Ferguson]

MY my my flowtown, you are really making yourself look bad. NO, ESPN does NOT show regular season D11 AND DIII games on ESPN, ESPN2 OR ESPNU...EVEN during the week lmao. AND ESPN HAS NEVER EVER EVER televised the NAIA chipper. EVER!!!! CBS College Sports network does, ESPN..NO..NEVER

 

[flowtowngriz]

Well I am sorry. I have never watch the NAIA championship game in person but I knew it was televised. So I was wrong about the ESPN. Sorry will admit when I am wrong. I try not act like I know all. But I do believe what I say is true. I say what I mean and not try to put other people down for spite and make myself lk better

 

[flowtowngriz]

Ok I was wrong agian. Cbs sports televised national regular season games for Division 2 football. How many FCS regular season gamez was nationally televised

 

[Gaeilge1]

The suggestion of some schools out west that don't really fit with their present affiliations either athletically or academically breaking off to form a completely new conference seems to have some merit. Schools like UM, Utah State, Colorado State, MSU, Mew Mexico State Idaho and maybe San Diego State and Hawaii could form an interesting conference.

They could call it the BIG WAC.

 

[WILDCATFAN]

I am griz fan since the 70's so I have been a fan my whole life. We are below average team nationally in football. Most of the country think of the griz as what we think of Fort Collins or any division 2 progam. I am tired of people posting here saying we have a great program and we are so well known. We are not. We are known in FCS and locally. Our largest viewed game vs App St drew fewer viewership then those crappy bowl games. We get so pumped up for an ESPN game and talk how the playoffs get us out across the counrty to see our program but in reality no one gives a shit about Montana football but us fans of Montana and the FCS. We have to roads to choose from the wide easy road. The one that gives us a good feeling inside and we can 95% of our games and feel like we are a great program because we will win a shitty conference and maybe play in a national championship that the rest of the country dont give shit about. Just look at the viewership of those games. It is sad division 2 get more espn time then FCS. Or we can take the narrow road. Yes we will lose more games and we will feeling of we shouldn't lose will be gone. But the rewards are higher too. More Espn games that people will watch the feeling that we beat a team that we shouldn't beat or we might lose to. As competitor I look for challenges that make me better and stronger. I will always follow my griz. But winning or losing. But much rather lose to Colorado or Utah or Washington in our stadium then to Southern Utah or Northern Colorado.

And do you really think moving up will change this? This is not intended as smack, but do you really think anybody outside of Montana would care more about Montana even if they were FBS? Do you really think anybody outside Utah cares about Utah State? or anybody outside Wyoming cares about the Cowboys? Or IDAHO? seriously the only teams ANYBODY on the national level care about are the BCS conferences and the teams in them. That is college football anymore, Nobody cares about the MWC, Sun Belt, MAC, or the CUSA, especially since now they are filling thier holes up with FCS move-uppers, because all the good teams in those conferences are leaving.

 

[kemajic]

The suggestion of some schools out west that don't really fit with their present affiliations either athletically or academically breaking off to form a completely new conference seems to have some merit. Schools like UM, Utah State, Colorado State, MSU, Mew Mexico State Idaho and maybe San Diego State and Hawaii could form an interesting conference.

They could call it the BIG WAC.

Since BSU and SDS have returned to the MWC, I don't think there are a lot of restless members in spite of the expensive travel to Hawaii. So again you are left with WAC leftovers (now in the Sun Belt) and upper tier BSC programs (without ambition) that don't make an FBS conference.

 

[indian-outlaw]

I just relocated to San Antonio, TX. DURING THE INTERVIEW, with nothing but UT and Texas A&M grads in the room, I mentioned I was from Montana. The FIRST THING out of their mouths? "You've got a pretty good football team up there!". I shit you not.

Go peddle that shit someplace else.

I hate to be the one to piss on your rice crispies but those guys were jerkin' your chain! Be proud of the griz because you know they are good, not because the fans of bcs teams think they are good. By and large BCS FBS fans think we are small college football which essentially we are, denying that just makes you look like a fool. You've chosen the blue pill and remain in the fabricated reality while at least some of us took the red pill.

 

[Ursa Major]

I just hope to god they weren't talking about the cats.

 

[MsMaroon]

I just hope to god they weren't talking about the cats.

 

[GrizPony]

The suggestion of some schools out west that don't really fit with their present affiliations either athletically or academically breaking off to form a completely new conference seems to have some merit. Schools like UM, Utah State, Colorado State, MSU, Mew Mexico State Idaho and maybe San Diego State and Hawaii could form an interesting conference.

They could call it the BIG WAC.

Since BSU and SDS have returned to the MWC, I don't think there are a lot of restless members in spite of the expensive travel to Hawaii. So again you are left with WAC leftovers (now in the Sun Belt) and upper tier BSC programs (without ambition) that don't make an FBS conference.

Though I often agree with your posts, your push for a "move up" seems to be based on anything but logic. The paper today talks about a $16 million dollar shortfall, O'Day told me that there were reserves in the athletic department that have now been depleted, no major booster is stepping up to foster our program and Engstrom's dismantling of the program has all but stopped donations to football. Where is this money supposed to come from? The robust Missoula economy? A big TV deal to broadcast the new "FBS" football conference? I think it is pie in the sky at this point regardless. Tell me what I am missing, because ambition alone isn't going to make it happen from what I see.