Idaho president: Vandals analyzing FBS, FCS options

[SDHornet]

Reason being, the two of them would sink MWC football strength to even lower levels. 2 worst FBS programs, would be a good fit FCS.

NMSU has 20K students, a 222m endowment, a 30K seat stadium (pretty nice from what I can tell), been FBS since the split in 1978, and some well established rivalries with MWC member New Mexico (Rio Grande Rivalry) and CUSA member UTEP (Battle of I-10)

NMSU isn't going to tie their horse to the wheelless wagon that is Idaho. The MWC is at 12 football members. BYU is, kind of, starting to regret their move to indy ball. NMSU and BYU would get to 14, keep the geographic split easily in line, and give the more ammo to join the current P5 when the next split happens.

That would also allow Wichita State a chance at the MWC that they so badly want. That would give the MWC 14 football members and 13 all sports members. WSU would give them 14 all sports members.


NMSU isn't moving down. If they do the MVC would send them an invite real quick, which would likely add them to the MVFC in a hurry as well.

And have been to what, 2 bowl games in that time frame? NMSU adds NOTHING on the football side of things for anybody at the FBS level.

[Jjoey52]

In other words, their football program has sucked for a long time, sucks presently, and will most likely suck for a long long time if they stay in FBS.

[JALMOND]

I can get on board with the idea of splitting into 2 conferences. There would still be 3 playoff bids between them, possibly 4, so I don't think the bid count would change much out west. The split of ISU-WSU would be the geographical split...if that is what dictates. Either way I think there would be a pair of "rivals" that end up in opposite conferences.

EDIT: On second look, the "rivalry" issue could be mitigated by moving ISU to the "south" conference and UNC to the "north" conference.

which would split the Idaho schools.

Either PSU, or WSU would have to be in the south. But as long as you guarantee a game between PSU and EWU, or ISU and WSU, it would be good, still.

EWU would have a better rivalry chance with Idaho than keeping the Dam Cup alive. I'm fine with PSU in the south. Oregon seems to relate better with California anyway and you keep the two urban schools (PSU and Sac State) in the same conference/division. There is a lot more similarities with Portland and Sacramento than Portland and any other conference destination. Also, on a cash-strapped budget, being forced to fly from Portland to North Dakota, even every other year, is quite a burden.