Is NDSU Bored? How watered down might FCS become...

[Brother Bear]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/reusse-best-ndsu-biggest-fish-010200262.html

Since NDSU started this dynasty in 2011, FCS will have lost prominent programs such as Appalachian State, Charlotte, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Liberty and Old Dominion, and now James Madison, Sam Houston and Jacksonville State.

Roughly 125 schools will remain, but the Ivy League doesn't participate, the two historically Black leagues have a separate bowl game, St. Thomas and 10 other Pioneer League teams don't offer football scholarships and a couple of Eastern leagues are historically feeble.

The top half of the Missouri Valley Football Conference is generally more challenging for NDSU than the first couple of rounds of the FCS playoffs.

The Fargo fan base has gotten bored. There was a solid crowd for James Madison on Friday night, but the regular-season crowds have gotten smaller and the first two playoff rounds had some 7,500 empty seats in a dome holding 19,000.

There's speculation the Bison are contemplating a move to FBS — perhaps the Mountain West, which would fit for football, but also ruin the athletic budget in order to send the remainder of the NDSU teams throughout the Western United States for conference play.

Plus, the ongoing decline of the subdivision might be taking the pizzazz out of FCS domination, but try to imagine how exciting it would be to see your Bison earning, say, a third trip in five years to the Famous Potato Bowl in Boise, Idaho.

 

[MrTitleist]

https://twitter.com/SamHerderFCS/status/1472072115264315398

 

[kemajic]

https://twitter.com/SamHerderFCS/status/1472072115264315398

It took JMU turnovers for them to get by the Dukes at home. No domination, game could have gone either way.

 

[Copper Griz]

https://twitter.com/SamHerderFCS/status/1472072115264315398

It took JMU turnovers for them to get by the Dukes at home. No domination, game could have gone either way.

That is true, but not what truly caught my attention in the article. Attendance numbers appear to be down pretty significantly. Are their fans bored, in the hospital due to heart attacks from Gravy and buffets or is it something else? Moving up doesn’t guarantee them greater attendance or success. Especially if it zaps their athletic budget. TV contracts may help that, but I am skeptical. I also saw that ND ranks high among states for people leaving- moving. Influx of population and money doesn’t appear to be happening. Strange times and what a sad state of affairs college football is in.

 

[503Griz]

Watched some of the NDSU-East Tenn game on TV, and that atmosphere (or lackthereof) in Fargo actually assisted with my afternoon nap.

 

[SaskGriz]

On what planet were Coastal Carolina, Georgia St or Old Dominion meaningful football programs? The last time ODU was on national TV was a basketball brawl with UAB in 88? I was in the stands for the Coastal Carolina debacle, would rather have been there with schapps from my boot than at the Jimmy Kimmel bowl.

 

[Brother Bear]

Definitely interesting on attendance, both JMU and Sam Houston State who are "moving up" seemed to have dismal attendance. While Montana and Montana State have people coming out in droves and great atmosphere for football. NDSU crowd looked rather boring while watching them on TV this year.

 

[SaskGriz]

Definitely interesting on attendance, both JMU and Sam Houston State who are "moving up" seemed to have dismal attendance. While Montana and Montana State have people coming out in droves and great atmosphere for football. NDSU crowd looked rather boring while watching them on TV this year.

Bored? That sucks because when they're bored they eat. There were once trees from Minnesota to Billings but.....

 

[SuperHornet]

I'm not so sure that the invocation of St. Thomas helps the argument. They have a history of dominating at their own level. Sure, they took a couple of weeks to adjust this season, but were they to drop the sub-FCS games, and perhaps consider popping on over to the MVFC (a much better geographic fit for them) and match the MVFC's scholarship policy, we could easily see the Tommies jump to the top if this "NDSU is bored" thing actually happens, or if NDSU makes the rumored jump.

Of course, I don't see ANY of this being applicable to anybody else in the Pioneer, except maybe San Diego (and only if they jump to the WAC or the Big Sky).

 

[mtgrizfankb]

Interesting I might see this a different way. So after his year last departures of SHSU and JMU. Over 75% of all Montana’s post season opponents are still in the FCS. Old powers like Delaware, Furman and Mcnease have all not had the ability to keep up with the FCS. I would agree the FCS as a whole has gotten better over the last 20 years and that has lead to more competition but better universities. With some on the new powers now leaving, I would say that the FCS might neutralize back to the FCS it once was. Where geographically and monetary challenged programs still compete at a lower level of football. I would argue that Montana probably fits one if not both of those criteria. Just a thought that maybe the FCS is not going to be any different than it always was

 

[Team10]

I'm not so sure that the invocation of St. Thomas helps the argument. They have a history of dominating at their own level. Sure, they took a couple of weeks to adjust this season, but were they to drop the sub-FCS games, and perhaps consider popping on over to the MVFC (a much better geographic fit for them) and match the MVFC's scholarship policy, we could easily see the Tommies jump to the top if this "NDSU is bored" thing actually happens, or if NDSU makes the rumored jump.

Of course, I don't see ANY of this being applicable to anybody else in the Pioneer, except maybe San Diego (and only if they jump to the WAC or the Big Sky).

St Thomas is not even close to the same comparison. NDSU came to 1-AA in 2004 and was immediately competing and beating top 25 teams. St Thomas was playing in close games against teams like Drake, San Diego. Those are the same teams that BSC teams were throttling by 20+pts. There is hope that St Thomas can up their game to become competitive playing FCS, but right now their biggest challenge is increasing their overall talent.

 

[Bisonation]

ndsu fans checked out even towards the end of Trey Lance Freshman year, Dominating is getting old & just plain easy.
something like 150-12 is the record. NDSU belongs in the FBS period, but these conferences don't want to allow a team to come in & be top dog day 1. I don't blame them, so it's rock & a hard place for NDSU. like Craig Bohl said in 2014 (what more is there left to do?)

 

[kemajic]

ndsu fans checked out even towards the end of Trey Lance Freshman year, Dominating is getting old & just plain easy.
something like 150-12 is the record. NDSU belongs in the FBS period, but these conferences don't want to allow a team to come in & be top dog day 1. I don't blame them, so it's rock & a hard place for NDSU. like Craig Bohl said in 2014 (what more is there left to do?)

I saw no domination in their game with JMU even at home. Game could have gone either way and in the end TOs were the difference. They better be ready for MSU; they haven't won one since 1984 and are hungry.

 

[Special H]

Your takes are very pedestrian but a lot of you are headed to school very soon. The clueless are about to find out just how far the pig sty conference is behind the Mvfc. Montana State has zero chance to win this game, its going to be dominated front to back, at every position by a very average Ndsu team. Their 2nd team would beat Msu by double digits.

 

[2011BisonAlumni]

ndsu fans checked out even towards the end of Trey Lance Freshman year, Dominating is getting old & just plain easy.
something like 150-12 is the record. NDSU belongs in the FBS period, but these conferences don't want to allow a team to come in & be top dog day 1. I don't blame them, so it's rock & a hard place for NDSU. like Craig Bohl said in 2014 (what more is there left to do?)

I saw no domination in their game with JMU even at home. Game could have gone either way and in the end TOs were the difference. They better be ready for MSU; they haven't won one since 1984 and are hungry.

I don’t think this game will be a contest.

A true freshman QB going up against this Bison defense is a recipe for disaster.

 

[CDAGRIZ]

I saw no domination in their game with JMU even at home. Game could have gone either way and in the end TOs were the difference. They better be ready for MSU; they haven't won one since 1984 and are hungry.

I don’t think this game will be a contest.

A true freshman QB going up against this Bison defense is a recipe for disaster.

You’ve clearly never been to Butte. I don’t think the game will be close, either. The Bizons’ are pretty soft this year and they have absolutely no home field advantage. Most of their fan base has grown up and moved on to be fans of real programs.

Butte Boyz 34
Minnasohtah Lite 9

 

[runtheoption]

I don’t think this game will be a contest.

A true freshman QB going up against this Bison defense is a recipe for disaster.

You’ve clearly never been to Butte. I don’t think the game will be close, either. The Bizons’ are pretty soft this year and they have absolutely no home field advantage. Most of their fan base has grown up and moved on to be fans of real programs.

Butte Boyz 34
Minnasohtah Lite 9

CDA, you are such a jerk. It is MinnaSOHtah Lite.

Put the emphasis on the right syllable.

 

[CDAGRIZ]

You’ve clearly never been to Butte. I don’t think the game will be close, either. The Bizons’ are pretty soft this year and they have absolutely no home field advantage. Most of their fan base has grown up and moved on to be fans of real programs.

Butte Boyz 34
Minnasohtah Lite 9

CDA, you are such a jerk. It is MinnaSOHtah Lite.

Put the emphasis on the right syllable.

Sorry. My mouth was full of cream cheese.