several years ago I was talking with Don Read and asked him if he thought UM should be at the time DIv IA. He said yes but thought that if that happened it would be the entire BSC going from IAA to IA.
Maybe UM, MSU, NDSU, SDSU, USD, UND, UI, WSU, NAU, SAC should start an FBS conference. The West coast needs a “starter” conference at the FBS level. The MWC doesn’t appear to want to be that. Nor does the PAC.
What might help in all this is allow the mid majors to operate from 68 to 75 scholarships instead of 85.
If the PAC is considered a power conference that only gives in mid major west coast FBS.
It bites to think the most realistic scenario is UM get pushed down to a DIVII program.