Championship Subdivision Football | FCS Football | Stadiums | Blogs | Forums

It's a bitter pill to swallow for many Vandal fans and alums, but I think that this is the strategy that will lead to the logical conclusion of moving the football program back to the FCS and the Big Sky. I understand that there is resistance to doing it all in one step. It's hard to look at the situation dispassionately, particularly for those boosters who have never been able to reconcile Boise State's football success in comparison to Idaho's.

The fact is that Idaho has a small stadium that doesn't sell out, it's a tough place to get to and there isn't a regional FBS conference that can afford the time and expense to travel to such a small market. Unfortunately, it's economics.

On the other hand, the Big Sky is regional, has similar sized markets and presents a competitive challenge to Idaho. Instead of one or two wins a year, Idaho could actually have some winning seasons. And, in addition to being able to recruit on the basis of getting a great education, the program can offer up the potential of a conference or even national championship. In the current state of affairs, what is there for a football recruit to see at the U of I? An education, to be sure, but certainly not success on the field. That's a pretty tough sell to a competitive kid.

Eventually Idaho will find its way back to the FCS. Hopefully sooner, rather than later, so that the program can experience some successes. And, for crying out loud, Vandal boosters have got to step out of the shadow of Boise State and stand on their own!

Read more here: http://voices.idahostatesman.com/2012/1 ... rylink=cpy" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;