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Joining the Mountain West would run an $8MM - $9MM annual deficit - can we overcome that?

The main problem for fans/supporters of UM Football is once they go FBS, it will limit the number of local Montana players being able to play at that level. Look at the roster of Boise State, Boise has a lot of good football players that play D1 and FCS, but Boise State only has between 4-6 local kids on the team each year. Most of their players come from CA.
That's not the main problem.
 
I don’t see it as a problem but other folks within the program do.
The team will naturally adapt by getting more California and Texas players since they will now regularly be playing in both states. California and Texas both have a lot of football talent. In northern states you have to go inside to practice over the winter. Down in warmer states you can find youth football programs that go all year round. 7 on 7 is huge in the spring.
 
You touched on something I read about recently (can't remember where). It was about how geographic isolation in high achieving youth can sometimes lead to issues where one's identity can get tied so closely to high achievement that one may be more hesitant to test oneself on a broader scale because the risk of failure can inherently risk a greater portion of that person's identity.

The example is like if a kid is used to always being the "smart one" in his corner of the world, he may not grow up with as much exposure not only to those smarter than him, but also the failure/retrial cycles of development in himself or others. So, he may be subconsciously more hesitant to take the risks necessary to test himself by maybe attending a prestigious college (for example) lest he find out he isn't as smart as he thought when the scale is larger. He'd no longer the "smart one". He'd just be "normal" on that scale. Such "failure" could threaten more of his identity than it might for another person who has had more exposure to such "failure" and thus doesn't tie it as closely with his/her identity. Instead, they view it as a normal occurrence.

Whether or not I agree with what you're saying, it's a related theory. Competing for an FCS Championship is a huge part of our program's identity. If that is replaced with being a solid program that can "only" aspire to conference championships and bowl games in a bigger, better pool, it threatens that identity. Accordingly, many would rather be the 50th or 75th best CFB team but have the banner than risk being "normal" in the better pool.
I find that interesting. I wrote that before I read the article on Luke Combs offering to drop $25M into the App State NIL fund, on the condition they return to the FCS so they can compete for a "National Championship".
 
I find that interesting. I wrote that before I read the article on Luke Combs offering to drop $25M into the App State NIL fund, on the condition they return to the FCS so they can compete for a "National Championship".
Luke Combs was a student at App State during the 2009 semifinal snow game. I expect a similar sentiment to come from Griz fans if we are stuck with 5-7 seasons in the MWC.
 
To be fair, you didn't answer the national championship question. If Montana moved to FBS, they would never play in another national title game again (not unless the G6 conferences break away, and then some people would start saying we should move up to the SEC).
The G6 will eventually establish their own National Championship game. I am positive about that. Which means G6=FCS/D1AA again, current FCS=DII. People can argue all they want, but that's what it is, and has become.
 
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