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NDSU is gone

Triwest said:
This is long and what i found.
The financial landscape of FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) football in 2026 is reaching a "breaking point" as programs navigate the most radical economic shift in the history of college sports.

The primary driver of this crisis is the **House v. NCAA settlement**, which took effect in July 2025. For the first time, schools are allowed to share revenue directly with athletes (capped at roughly **$20.5 million** per year in 2026). While the elite programs are spending record amounts to keep up, many others are drowning in debt or cutting other sports to keep their football teams afloat.

### 1. Programs Currently Under Financial Duress

Recent financial reports (FY2025–26) highlight several major programs operating at significant deficits or carrying massive debt:

* **University of Houston:** Head coach Kelvin Sampson recently stated publicly that the department is **"broke."** Despite moving to the Big 12, the school is struggling with the high costs of the revenue-sharing era and NIL.
* **University of North Carolina (UNC):** Reported a **$15 million deficit** for the 2024–25 fiscal year. This is a sharp reversal for a program that had been profitable for years.
* **University of Texas:** Despite record revenues, Texas reported a **$23.4 million deficit** in 2025. This was largely due to the "buy-in" costs of moving to the SEC and a record $375 million in total spending.
* **Penn State:** Reported nearly **$535 million in athletics-related debt** in 2025, fueled by a $700 million renovation of Beaver Stadium.
* **Florida State:** Carries approximately **$437 million in debt**. Their aggressive legal push to leave the ACC is largely driven by the "revenue gap" between them and SEC/Big Ten schools.

### 2. The "Subsidized" Schools

Many mid-major FBS programs (Group of 5) and even some Power 4 schools rely heavily on student fees and institutional support to survive. Without these "hidden" subsidies, their football programs would be non-viable:

* **James Madison (JMU):** Student fees cover **73%** of their athletic budget.
* **Old Dominion (ODU):** Student fees cover **61%** of their budget.
* **Virginia Tech & Virginia:** Both rely on student fees for roughly **10–11%** of their funding.

### 3. The "Revenue-Sharing" Crisis

The 2026 season marks a "survival of the richest" era. Programs are facing three simultaneous financial pressures:

1. **The $20M Cap:** Schools that "opt-in" to the $20.5 million revenue share must find that money in existing budgets, often leading to layoffs and the cutting of "non-revenue" sports like tennis, swimming, or track.
2. **Roster Limits:** New NCAA rules have eliminated scholarship caps but replaced them with **roster limits**. This forces programs to decide whether to fund 105 full scholarships for football, which significantly increases costs.
3. **The Conference Gap:** SEC and Big Ten schools are receiving annual payouts of **$70M+**, while ACC and Big 12 schools are often making half that, creating a permanent underclass within the "Power 4."

### 4. Recent Program Cuts (2025–2026)

To keep football competitive, several schools have recently cut other programs or staff:

* **UTEP & ULM:** Cut women's tennis programs to save costs.
* **Texas A&M:** Implemented significant budget cuts to administrative staff to redirect funds toward the 2026 NIL and revenue-sharing model.
* **Saint Francis (PA):** Announced a transition from Division I to Division III effective Fall 2026, citing the unsustainable costs of D-I
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This whole thing looks like the dot Com bubble before the crash, can't keep operating at a loss without coming back to earth. Montana football is cash positive and contributing to the overall health of U of M.
Yes at a FCS level but at least it's sustainable. AND the product has fans and players have loyalty. I like where we're at. PERIOD
 
….And, I believe, that’s precisely why there will be an observable, initially slow, death of football support at UM. Continued games against NoCo, Central Washington, Cal Poly, ISU & Portland State, attendance falls, more fees added to already extremely overpriced tickets to watch lousy competition. Innovation, courage and leadership are needed. The idea of not accepting No and instead demanding a viable path to achieve a YES! 👍
 
701Grizfan said:
True - but that’s the type of bowl game they will end up in.
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They will probably go to the LA Bowl, Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise, New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque or the Arizona Bowl in Tucson since those are the tied in bowl games for the conference. Those are all pretty nice destinations from Fargo or Missoula for that matter in December so there won’t be an issue of their fans attending at-least early on in the FBS.
 
Harm said:
….And, I believe, that’s precisely why there will be an observable, initially slow, death of football support at UM. Continued games against NoCo, Central Washington, Cal Poly, ISU & Portland State, attendance falls, more fees added to already extremely overpriced tickets to watch lousy competition. Innovation, courage and leadership are needed. The idea of not accepting No and instead demanding a viable path to achieve a YES! 👍
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If UM will make money at FBS they will go FBS. It’s that simple.
 
5280Griz said:
NDSU is going to be competitive in the Mountain West this season as would Montana if we moved up.
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But for what? There's no realistic path to the CFP from the mountain west, the schedule is too weak. The American, pac, and sun belt are going to get the one crumb the CFP allows the G6 (for now) and the MWC has a bigger chance of imploding than competing. UNLV, air force and new Mexico will be looking for the exit if they're not already, because of the crappy media deal. And we're supposed to be excited to pay 10m to be a part of that, with no path to anything but a no name mid December bowl? Yes, Cats and griz both could take these rosters and finish in the top half of that league right now, today. But so what? You're essentially trading a weak bottom half of a conference for a more expensive version.
 
5280Griz said:
They will probably go to the LA Bowl, Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise, New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque or the Arizona Bowl in Tucson since those are the tied in bowl games for the conference. Those are all pretty nice destinations from Fargo or Missoula for that matter in December so there won’t be an issue of their fans attending at-least early on in the FBS.
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I wonder how long the current Bowl system remains in place. As many have said previously, it looks more and more likely that there's going to be a bifurcation of FBS college football into P4 and G6 along with the NCAA postseason - playoff for the P4s and a separate playoff for the G6s. At that time, maybe the NCAA removes the $5M barrier and it becomes less expensive for a FCS school to move up to G6.
 
Harm said:
….And, I believe, that’s precisely why there will be an observable, initially slow, death of football support at UM. Continued games against NoCo, Central Washington, Cal Poly, ISU & Portland State, attendance falls, more fees added to already extremely overpriced tickets to watch lousy competition. Innovation, courage and leadership are needed. The idea of not accepting No and instead demanding a viable path to achieve a YES! 👍
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Harm, what’s to say there won’t be an observable slow death by moving up? I get your point and I am not trying to be an ass. I just don’t see the appeal of playing in the MW and never having a shot at the playoffs. It isn’t like anyone is dying to watch Air Force, Wyoming or UNLV on a national scale. Yes, some of their fans will travel. Great. Yes, the competition is better. Great. So you take you causal Griz fans and tell them the team goes 8-4 or worse most seasons and there is no playoff or chance at a championship. You could go to the Cheetoh bowl though. Watch the stands start to go empty. NIL, nothing changes except the Griz and Cats need more money to go after players. Watch the energy drain from the programs. Also, man the money loss for Missoula without playoff games being in the mix. Big hit for businesses. Great! Griz are FBS! What is the actual benefit other than hypothetical dollars that nobody can seem to show. By the way, for everyone saying Haslam wants to move up and that the Griz eventually will. Of course he is going to say that. It’s in his own best interest. Think about it. The dude already interviewed and applied for FBS jobs. More money for him. More experience and prestige. Better future job opportunities. Of course he is in favor of moving up. I don’t blame him one bit btw. Anyone in his position would to the same thing.
 
5280Griz said:
They will probably go to the LA Bowl, Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise, New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque or the Arizona Bowl in Tucson since those are the tied in bowl games for the conference. Those are all pretty nice destinations from Fargo or Missoula for that matter in December so there won’t be an issue of their fans attending at-least early on in the FBS.
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Was it the LA Bowl that was canceled?
 
GriznMN said:
I wonder how long the current Bowl system remains in place. As many have said previously, it looks more and more likely that there's going to be a bifurcation of FBS college football into P4 and G6 along with the NCAA postseason - playoff for the P4s and a separate playoff for the G6s. At that time, maybe the NCAA removes the $5M barrier and it becomes less expensive for a FCS school to move up to G6.
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Eventually economics will overrule over egos. Many schools in the same predicament and now is not the time to take significant risks. Stay focused on controllable aspects and continuing to build a quality “winning” brand. Be the best team at D1 FCS, pack the stadium, make the playoffs and get national TV games. AND of course beat the Cats. Go Griz
 
Copper Griz said:
Harm, what’s to say there won’t be an observable slow death by moving up? I get your point and I am not trying to be an ass. I just don’t see the appeal of playing in the MW and never having a shot at the playoffs. It isn’t like anyone is dying to watch Air Force, Wyoming or UNLV on a national scale. Yes, some of their fans will travel. Great. Yes, the competition is better. Great. So you take you causal Griz fans and tell them the team goes 8-4 or worse most seasons and there is no playoff or chance at a championship. You could go to the Cheetoh bowl though. Watch the stands start to go empty. NIL, nothing changes except the Griz and Cats need more money to go after players. Watch the energy drain from the programs. Also, man the money loss for Missoula without playoff games being in the mix. Big hit for businesses. Great! Griz are FBS! What is the actual benefit other than hypothetical dollars that nobody can seem to show. By the way, for everyone saying Haslam wants to move up and that the Griz eventually will. Of course he is going to say that. It’s in his own best interest. Think about it. The dude already interviewed and applied for FBS jobs. More money for him. More experience and prestige. Better future job opportunities. Of course he is in favor of moving up. I don’t blame him one bit btw. Anyone in his position would to the same thing.
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Agree and sometimes? it's not greener on the other side.
 
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