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Since ive just found out Montana State is playing Minnesota to open up their 2008 season it makes me wonder. Now i hate to admit it...but i think the Cats lately have had more balls then the Griz. I mean look at last year, they play Texas A&M...and we played Fort Lewis College. Montana athletic Directors need to step it up. I mean why not play Idaho or even Wyoming? That would show everyone what we are made of.

GrizFan88 wrote:Since ive just found out Montana State is playing Minnesota to open up their 2008 season it makes me wonder. Now i hate to admit it...but i think the Cats lately have had more balls then the Griz. I mean look at last year, they play Texas A&M...and we played Fort Lewis College. Montana athletic Directors need to step it up. I mean why not play Idaho or even Wyoming? That would show everyone what we are made of.

Schedules aren't about balls, they're about making money. MSU is going to Minnesota for a paycheck, not "respect". Montana will play another FBS team if the money is there. Otherwise, the Griz' relatively huge home game revenue will the deciding factor. There's no way Idaho or Wyoming could even offer UM close to enough to make it worth it (& how would beating Idaho prove anything?). I'd prefer if the Griz played an FCS patsy instead of a DII, but here in the west it's just not that easy.

Well hat does explain why MSU is playing Minnesota, for a paycheck. And yes i know its hard, i just would really like to see the Griz play a division 1-A school. Im sure the Griz could schedual someone with cash, because who doesnt need cash these days.

GrizFan88 wrote:Well hat does explain why MSU is playing Minnesota, for a paycheck. And yes i know its hard, i just would really like to see the Griz play a division 1-A school. Im sure the Griz could schedual someone with cash, because who doesnt need cash these days.

I believe the Griz make about $350,000 per home game (that will likely go up this season due to the expansion), so an FBS school would have to offer them at least $450,000 to make it worth it given travel costs. I think Oregon paid $450,000 in '05 & Iowa paid $650,000 in '06. It's unclear if anyone else is willing to pay Montana that much for an "automatic" FCS win, especially given the usual fans' calls for never playing down.

Let's see: MSU goes and gets beat on by Minnesota and Texas A&M, players get beat up.. and we don't get that. Our last two 1-A games have been disasters. It's not about having the "balls" to play up.. our Oregon and Iowa games are living proof that we were obviously overmatched and were only there for the money. But hey, whatever keeps the Litter Box open, more power to the 'Cats!

I could care less about playing a FBS team. What ticks me off is that the Griz don't get more quality FCS teams on the schedule. 2008 is a good start with Poly and UC Davis but when I hear App would have come to Missoula last year and money was the issue, well that is just stupid. You may not make any money travelilng to Boone, but imagine the revenue that would be generated by that game when you got your end of the home and home. I would have gladly paid Griz/Cat prices to see that game.