D-I break down of what could happen the next 3 years

[EPJr]

The Idaho State Board of Education has approved letting the University of Idaho begin scheduling and playing college football as an independent.

The board's 5-1 vote Friday also gives school administrators permission to explore membership in the Big Sky Conference for all other Vandal sports teams.

Since 2005, the Vandals have competed in the Western Athletic Conference. But the WAC is in tatters and hurtling toward extinction thanks to a series of defections over the last two years of its best football teams, including Boise State, Nevada and Fresno State.

UI President Duane Nellis told the board that letting the Vandals join the ranks of independent college football teams is in the best of the school, its students and sports teams.


http://espn.go.com/college-football/sto ... ndependent" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.kboi2.com/sports/WAC-big-sky ... 06416.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://us.foxnews.mobi/quickPage.html?p ... roteus.fma" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[kalm]

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=31617" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Old news

[Fresno St. Alum]

Idaho to the Big Sky and Boise St. to the Big West. I hope AFA stands by their plan of staying in the MWC that way Fresno can go to the BE and BW.

Are you speculating here, FSA? I've heard NOTHING about Boise welching on the Big East to go to the Big West. The BWC is already reeling over the loss of UOP, though that is mitigated by the arrivals of San Diego State and Hawai'i. SD would have better info than either of us, though. He knows EVERYTHING (or at least everything worth knowing in a sports context).

How do you walk w/o falling after each step? Football in the BIG EAST, other sports in the BIG WEST. No one has better conf movement info than me, I believe SD would agree w/ me.

[Fresno St. Alum]

Incarnate Word to SLC in 2013

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/coll ... 797439.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Fresno St. Alum]

Incarnate Word, Abilene Christian, New Orleans to SLC. UIW and ACU have fb, UNO is supposed to start fb in 2015 but that was before they decided to stay D-I.

[danefan]

UIW and ACU are good pickups for FCS football.

[dbackjon]

UIW and ACU are good pickups for FCS football.

Agreed!

[Fresno St. Alum]

CS Bakersfield and Utah Valley will join the WAC in 2013.

WAC said they'll add UTPA, Chicago St. if needed. They're in the process of trying to get Grand Canyon to move up and join the WAC

[Fresno St. Alum]

Charleston will announce they're moving to the CAA this weekend.

Who will be #12 in the SoCon? CCU, KSU, JSU, ETSU, GWU?

[dal4018]

Alabama State

With their new stadium about to open soon and their chatter of moving up to FBS one day (lip service), there has been legit talk of them looking to switch conferences to be able to compete in the FCS playoffs.

they aren't going anywhere, they value the Turkey Day classic. There's a chance Tuskegee will pull out, but they'll try to replace them rather than stop the tradition.That would kill an FCS conference change. I haven't seen any of that on the SWACpage. As far as their stadium, it opens this year don't know how well they'll fill it.

In the early millenium there was talk at Alabama St of moving up to the D1 ranks while LC Coles was head coach.ESPNs Magazine did a story about this.

[Skjellyfetti]

Who will be #12 in the SoCon? CCU, KSU, JSU, ETSU, GWU?

Well, it's probably going to be a small, private school. Garnder Webb is your only small private school listed.

I think Belmont would be a better possibility.

[dbackjon]

CofC's BOT voted 12-5 this morning, not to join the CAA, but to begin negotiations with the CAA

[dbackjon]

Who will be #12 in the SoCon? CCU, KSU, JSU, ETSU, GWU?

Well, it's probably going to be a small, private school. Garnder Webb is your only small private school listed.

I think Belmont would be a better possibility.

Belmont is a big expansion of the footprint. They just joined a league that is not only a better BASKETBALL league than the Southern, one that has 5-6 schools within a couple of hours.

[Skjellyfetti]

Well, it's probably going to be a small, private school. Garnder Webb is your only small private school listed.

I think Belmont would be a better possibility.

Belmont is a big expansion of the footprint. They just joined a league that is not only a better BASKETBALL league than the Southern, one that has 5-6 schools within a couple of hours.

OVC is marginally better. Pretty equal with the SoCon in basketball, really.

I'm just saying Belmont would be a better candidate from the SoCon's perspective than a Gardner Webb, and I don't see us taking a public school with poor academics.

[dbackjon]

Belmont is a big expansion of the footprint. They just joined a league that is not only a better BASKETBALL league than the Southern, one that has 5-6 schools within a couple of hours.

OVC is marginally better. Pretty equal with the SoCon in basketball, really.

I'm just saying Belmont would be a better candidate from the SoCon's perspective than a Gardner Webb, and I don't see us taking a public school with poor academics.

I would put OVC as better - but close.

Again, what is in it for Belmont?
OVC is short trips for Belmont. Other than 5 hours to Birmingham, no close trips for the Southern Conference.

[Fresno St. Alum]

CofC's BOT voted 12-5 this morning, not to join the CAA, but to begin negotiations with the CAA

So begin negotiating what? When to join? Soooooooooooooooooooo slow w/ the CAA expansion

[Fresno St. Alum]

Idaho announced it's moving to the Big Sky

[danefan]

CofC's BOT voted 12-5 this morning, not to join the CAA, but to begin negotiations with the CAA

So begin negotiating what? When to join? Soooooooooooooooooooo slow w/ the CAA expansion

I think it's a rubber stamp. The AD probably doesn't have the authority to officially negotiate with the CAA until this vote. Now he goes back to Yeager and says - remember all those terms we already unofficially negotiated? Let's make that official now so I can go back to the BoT and get final approval.

[rkwittem]

Idaho announced it's moving to the Big Sky

This is a smart move. I never understood why they tried to make the leap. Come to think of it, I'm still not sure how Boise pulled it off.

[kalm]

Idaho announced it's moving to the Big Sky

This is a smart move. I never understood why they tried to make the leap. Come to think of it, I'm still not sure how Boise pulled it off.

Like Nevada, they're located in a decent sized Market with no competing schools immediately around them. Moscow is 10 miles from Pullman (WSU) and is an hour and a half from Spokane. They compete for fans and media attention with the Cougs, Gonzaga, and Eastern.

Oh...almost forgot...and winning.

[EPJr]

Idaho joining Big Sky for all sports but football

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — The University of Idaho is returning to the Big Sky Conference for all sports but football starting with the 2014-15 school year.

League Commissioner Doug Fullerton and Idaho President Duane Nellis made the announcement Friday. Nellis signed an agreement with the league at its Oct. 16 meeting in Park City, Utah.

Idaho was a charter member of the Big Sky Conference when it was created in July 1963 and left following the 1995-96 season. Since 2005 it has been a member of the Western Athletic Conference.


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Id ... z2A59ABXeX

[AZGrizFan]

How many threads are we going to start about this?

[SuperHornet]

How many threads are we going to start about this?

[clenz]

Merging....

[Fresno St. Alum]

Maryland and Rutgers to B1G. UConn to the ACC next probably. BE takes?????