The New Big Sky Conference

[kalm]

Would the Big Sky benefit from going to a 9-game conference schedule? Due to the lack of FCS competition out west, it would cut down on the number of D2 games and increase the conference's rankings ala the Pac 10/12.

That would seem to make a lot of sense.

[SloStang]

Would the Big Sky benefit from going to a 9-game conference schedule? Due to the lack of FCS competition out west, it would cut down on the number of D2 games and increase the conference's rankings ala the Pac 10/12.

That would seem to make a lot of sense.

Montana will not go for it. They would lose a home game every other year that would cost them a ton of revenue.

[dbackjon]

Idaho State was recently reclassified as a RU/H. However, I don't think this will do anything for the football program. I'm not sure about the rest of your list, others may have changed as well.
http://www.kivitv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13869499" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Just my luck. Pulled down the list from Carnegie days before they up dated it.

This is what it has for the Big Sky current and future schools, as well as the Dakota schools:


RU/VH Research Universities (very high research activity):
Montana State University
North Dakota State University-Main Campus
University of California-Davis

RU/H Research Universities (high research activity):
Idaho State University
Northern Arizona University
Portland State University
South Dakota State University
The University of Montana
University of North Dakota
University of South Dakota

DRU Doctoral/Research Universities (20+ doctorates awarded per year):
University of Northern Colorado

Master's L Master's Colleges and Universities (larger programs, 200+ masters awarded per year):

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
California State University-Sacramento
Eastern Washington University
Southern Utah University

Master's M Master's Colleges and Universities (medium programs, 100+ masters awarded per year):
Weber State University

This can't be right. Montana, the Harvard of the West, has no peers, academically in the Big Sky.

[kemajic]

That would seem to make a lot of sense.

Montana will not go for it. They would lose a home game every other year that would cost them a ton of revenue.

Jim O'Day, UM AD, was assured in the expansion process that the number of conference games would remain at eight.

[cats2506]

This can't be right. Montana, the Harvard of the West, has no peers, academically in the Big Sky.

[bincitysioux]

A poster over at SiouxSports.com has reported that our A.D. said on a radio program tonight that the Big Sky will have an 8 game conference schedule, and they are done through 2015. Brian Faison (UND's athletic director) also apparently mentioned that there will some sort of rivals designation, guaranteeing annual games with two of the same opponents. According to the poster, North Dakota's rivals will be Montana St. and Northern Colorado. Montana State's will be Montana and North Dakota. I didn't here the interview, so I'm just repeating what was posted.

Also, 20 conference basketball games.

[T-Dog]

Also, 20 conference basketball games.

The SoCon tried that in 2007/08 and the response was negative because it dropped the conference's RPI rating so it was scaled back to 18 games. It sort-of made sense in theory before Samford was added as everyone played each other twice, but Davidson especially hated it as it took away two high RPI non-conference games from their schedule.

[Screamin_Eagle174]

A poster over at SiouxSports.com has reported that our A.D. said on a radio program tonight that the Big Sky will have an 8 game conference schedule, and they are done through 2015. Brian Faison (UND's athletic director) also apparently mentioned that there will some sort of rivals designation, guaranteeing annual games with two of the same opponents. According to the poster, North Dakota's rivals will be Montana St. and Northern Colorado. Montana State's will be Montana and North Dakota. I didn't here the interview, so I'm just repeating what was posted.

Also, 20 conference basketball games.

Interesting. I would then venture that these are the deemed rivals:

EWU: UM & PSU
UM: MSU & EWU
MSU: UM & UND
PSU: EWU & UCD
ISU: WSU & UNC
NAU: SUU & CP
UNC: UND & ISU
UND: MSU & UNC
WSU: SUU & ISU
SUU: NAU & WSU
SAC: UCD & CP
UCD: SAC & PSU
CP: SAC & NAU

[SDHornet]

I just hope trips to UND never happen for Hornet football.

[FargoBison]

I just hope trips to UND never happen for Hornet football.

At least Hornet football won't have it as bad as Hornet basketball...Grand Forks in January and February can get a bit chilly. Temps in the 30s is a heatwave and it can get colder than -30. Enjoy.

[Wildcat Ryan]

A poster over at SiouxSports.com has reported that our A.D. said on a radio program tonight that the Big Sky will have an 8 game conference schedule, and they are done through 2015. Brian Faison (UND's athletic director) also apparently mentioned that there will some sort of rivals designation, guaranteeing annual games with two of the same opponents. According to the poster, North Dakota's rivals will be Montana St. and Northern Colorado. Montana State's will be Montana and North Dakota. I didn't here the interview, so I'm just repeating what was posted.

Also, 20 conference basketball games.

Interesting. I would then venture that these are the deemed rivals:

EWU: UM & PSU
UM: MSU & EWU
MSU: UM & UND
PSU: EWU & UCD
ISU: WSU & UNC
NAU: SUU & CP
UNC: UND & ISU
UND: MSU & UNC
WSU: SUU & ISU
SUU: NAU & WSU
SAC: UCD & CP
UCD: SAC & PSU
CP: SAC & NAU

Sweet I would love for Weber and SUU to play every year.

[SDHornet]

I just hope trips to UND never happen for Hornet football.

At least Hornet football won't have it as bad as Hornet basketball...Grand Forks in January and February can get a bit chilly. Temps in the 30s is a heatwave and it can get colder than -30. Enjoy.

I just don't want the department to have to find funds to send our teams way out there every year.

[SuperHornet]

Maybe part of the deal should be that UND has to front all opponent travel costs like HI does....

[FargoBison]

At least Hornet football won't have it as bad as Hornet basketball...Grand Forks in January and February can get a bit chilly. Temps in the 30s is a heatwave and it can get colder than -30. Enjoy.

I just don't want the department to have to find funds to send our teams way out there every year.

I feel your pain, NDSU has had to put its teams on some crazy road trips. That roadtrip to Grand Forks is going to be brutal for most Big Sky teams. It is a long way to go for just one game in sports like volleyball and basketball that don't fly charter.

[NCAAjunkie]

I hope they bring Idaho in. They just don't belong in FBS. Then again...neither does EMU...have another spot open ol' Big Sky?

[Wildcat Ryan]

I hope they bring Idaho in. They just don't belong in FBS. Then again...neither does EMU...have another spot open ol' Big Sky?

Welcome aboard

[SloStang]

A poster over at SiouxSports.com has reported that our A.D. said on a radio program tonight that the Big Sky will have an 8 game conference schedule, and they are done through 2015. Brian Faison (UND's athletic director) also apparently mentioned that there will some sort of rivals designation, guaranteeing annual games with two of the same opponents. According to the poster, North Dakota's rivals will be Montana St. and Northern Colorado. Montana State's will be Montana and North Dakota. I didn't here the interview, so I'm just repeating what was posted.

Also, 20 conference basketball games.

Interesting. I would then venture that these are the deemed rivals:

EWU: UM & PSU
UM: MSU & EWU
MSU: UM & UND
PSU: EWU & UCD
ISU: WSU & UNC
NAU: SUU & CP
UNC: UND & ISU
UND: MSU & UNC
WSU: SUU & ISU
SUU: NAU & WSU
SAC: UCD & CP
UCD: SAC & PSU
CP: SAC & NAU

I bet they keep CP and UCD together.

CP: UCD & NAU
UCD: CP & Sac State
SAC: CP & PSU

[Screamin_Eagle174]

Interesting. I would then venture that these are the deemed rivals:

EWU: UM & PSU
UM: MSU & EWU
MSU: UM & UND
PSU: EWU & UCD
ISU: WSU & UNC
NAU: SUU & CP
UNC: UND & ISU
UND: MSU & UNC
WSU: SUU & ISU
SUU: NAU & WSU
SAC: UCD & CP
UCD: SAC & PSU
CP: SAC & NAU

I bet they keep CP and UCD together.

CP: UCD & NAU
UCD: CP & Sac State
SAC: CP & PSU

There's no way they would split up UCD-SAC, as they're the two closest schools to each other in the conference, and have a long standing rivalry. Brawl of the Ugly Cheerleaders or something.

[Grizalltheway]

I bet they keep CP and UCD together.

CP: UCD & NAU
UCD: CP & Sac State
SAC: CP & PSU

There's no way they would split up UCD-SAC, as they're the two closest schools to each other in the conference, and have a long standing rivalry. Brawl of the Ugly Cheerleaders or something.

Buaaaaaaaaaaahaha!

[JBB]

Looks to me like the BSC will try to reduce the impact of the geographical chaos by scheduling the GWC teams against one another every year and minimize the pain for the charter members by rotating the outlandish travel through the original conference members? Unfortunately for the minor sports all will suffer except the football affiliates on the west coast.

The cost for basketball will probably be a wash depending on which OOC game would be dropped for the extra conference game in North Dakota.

The conference is looking a little mixed up and unstable to me but it might work for a while, maybe longer? It cant be any worse for the GWC teams, especially the affiliates. SUU is a sensible add for all concerned but there may be some chaffing with the new added travel costs for minor sports.

The whole deal looks a little bit like informal sub leagues within a larger league. That may allow travel costs to be managed successfully but when you have a team hanging way out there on the edge it usually results in changes over time.

[SDHornet]

There's no way they would split up UCD-SAC, as they're the two closest schools to each other in the conference, and have a long standing rivalry. Brawl of the Ugly Cheerleaders or something.

We don’t have image issues with our cheerleaders…..


I definitely can’t say the same about theirs though.

[Screamin_Eagle174]

There's no way they would split up UCD-SAC, as they're the two closest schools to each other in the conference, and have a long standing rivalry. Brawl of the Ugly Cheerleaders or something.

We don’t have image issues with our cheerleaders…..


I definitely can’t say the same about theirs though.

Are you sure? I count five dudes in that first pic.

[bojeta]

[quote

[/quote]
I bet they keep CP and UCD together.

CP: UCD & NAU
UCD: CP & Sac State
SAC: CP & PSU[/quote]

I guarantee that UC Davis and Cal Poly is a rivalry that will end when time itself ceases to exist.

[SDHornet]

Are you sure? I count five dudes in that first pic.

Yeah buy they are in the back, so they don’t count. The cal-davis cheerleaders would match our male cheerleaders pound for pound in both size and girth. (No homo? )
FWIW Sac State has done very well at the national cheerleading competitions in the past decade….not that I care, just sayin’.

[Screamin_Eagle174]

Are you sure? I count five dudes in that first pic.

Yeah buy they are in the back, so they don’t count. The cal-davis cheerleaders would match our male cheerleaders pound for pound in both size and girth. (No homo? )
FWIW Sac State has done very well at the national cheerleading competitions in the past decade….not that I care, just sayin’.

Take a look at the pic and recount, and you'll catch my drift.