Idaho president: Vandals analyzing FBS, FCS options

[kalm]

They could also go to an East-West arrangement:

West : SAC, CP,UCD, PSU, EWU,
ISU, UP, and Weber.
East: UND, UNC , NAU,SUU, UM ,MSU, UI

Not exactly geographical.



And who's UP?

[89Hen]

What a joke to not have everyone play everyone else in the conference.

[Mvemjsunpx]

What a joke to not have everyone play everyone else in the conference.

[SDHornet]

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.

[dbackjon]

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.

[89Hen]

In all seriousness, how would you guys feel about a 9 game conference schedule? You're always bitching about finding opponents anyway. It would still leave you a I-A opportunity and at least one other OOC game. You would just have to rotate who gets 5 home each year (hopefully some MENSA person could figure out how to make it work).

[Mvemjsunpx]

In all seriousness, how would you guys feel about a 9 game conference schedule? You're always bitching about finding opponents anyway. It would still leave you a I-A opportunity and at least one other OOC game. You would just have to rotate who gets 5 home each year (hopefully some MENSA person could figure out how to make it work).

I'd hate it and it would make the conference way too insulated, especially with how many DII & FBS games the league already plays. The Southland went to the 9-game thing this year and played a total of 4 FCS non-conference games (losing all 4).

[dbackjon]

In all seriousness, how would you guys feel about a 9 game conference schedule? You're always bitching about finding opponents anyway. It would still leave you a I-A opportunity and at least one other OOC game. You would just have to rotate who gets 5 home each year (hopefully some MENSA person could figure out how to make it work).

Wouldn't be bad - probably only a few would complain (when they have the 4 home game year).

[kalm]

In all seriousness, how would you guys feel about a 9 game conference schedule? You're always bitching about finding opponents anyway. It would still leave you a I-A opportunity and at least one other OOC game. You would just have to rotate who gets 5 home each year (hopefully some MENSA person could figure out how to make it work).

Wouldn't be bad - probably only a few would complain (when they have the 4 home game year).

I can't see a huge problem with this. It's sort of what MSU and EWU are doing anyway minus the title implications.

[89Hen]

I'd hate it and it would make the conference way too insulated, especially with how many DII....

Less and less of those each year in the BSC.

[Jjoey52]

Several teams in the league have scheduled OOC with each other, son9 games is not that big a deal

[Mvemjsunpx]

Several teams in the league have scheduled OOC with each other, son9 games is not that big a deal

But, by making it part of the conference schedule, you'd be forcing teams to do that even when they don't want to. It would be a particular burden for the Griz in years where they'd only get 4 league home games because they'd be forced to make their two non-conference games both at home. Only 5 regular-season home games would be totally unacceptable to UM and it's only happened once in the last 29 years (1991).

[Wildcat Ryan]

I already hate the fact that Weber doesn't play Montana and Montana State every year, I would hate to lose another yearly rivalry game with Idaho State, unless Weber and Idaho State were GUARANTEED to play every year than I would not be happy.

And if we really go to two separate conferences, just un-retire the Great West name, my one condition, the original members MUST be in the same conference, so here is my two conferences and I'm sure I'm gonna get a lot of flack for this...

Big Sky
Montana
Montana State
Idaho State
Idaho
Weber State
North Dakota
Northern Colorado

Great West
Eastern Washington
Portland State
Sacramento State
Cal Poly
UC Davis
Southern Utah
Northern Arizona

This way traditional rivals are still playing each other.

[dbackjon]

I already hate the fact that Weber doesn't play Montana and Montana State every year, I would hate to lose another yearly rivalry game with Idaho State, unless Weber and Idaho State were GUARANTEED to play every year than I would not be happy.

And if we really go to two separate conferences, just un-retire the Great West name, my one condition, the original members MUST be in the same conference, so here is my two conferences and I'm sure I'm gonna get a lot of flack for this...

Big Sky
Montana
Montana State
Idaho State
Idaho
Weber State
North Dakota
Northern Colorado

Great West
Eastern Washington
Portland State
Sacramento State
Cal Poly
UC Davis
Southern Utah
Northern Arizona

This way traditional rivals are still playing each other.

Not too bad - EWU would scream - especially since they are more original than either UND or UNC (of course NAU is almost an original).

[kalm]

I already hate the fact that Weber doesn't play Montana and Montana State every year, I would hate to lose another yearly rivalry game with Idaho State, unless Weber and Idaho State were GUARANTEED to play every year than I would not be happy.

And if we really go to two separate conferences, just un-retire the Great West name, my one condition, the original members MUST be in the same conference, so here is my two conferences and I'm sure I'm gonna get a lot of flack for this...

Big Sky
Montana
Montana State
Idaho State
Idaho
Weber State
North Dakota
Northern Colorado

Great West
Eastern Washington
Portland State
Sacramento State
Cal Poly
UC Davis
Southern Utah
Northern Arizona

This way traditional rivals are still playing each other.

EWU and especially NAU are more traditional Big Sky schools than UND and UNC, and UND was actually in the GW.

Also, Montana is more of a rival for EWU than PSU is.

[Wildcat Ryan]

The only reason I put UND and UNC in the "Big Sky" side is because of the geography, I guess you could swap out UND and UNC and put Eastern and NAU,(which I would be totally fine with) but you would separate the SUU/NAU rivalry which is a bigger rivalry than Weber/SUU. And UNC and UND would have to travel a lot farther to play their "conference foes". And another reason for the split was I wanted to keep the two conferences decently balanced and not over power one over the other.

So like I said, as long as the founding members are all together the rest can be sorted out easily enough.

[SuperHornet]

Not sure I like any of these setups. I don't like anything that separates Sac from CP, PSU, or BBQ. I'm also not a fan of keeping us with SUU, or anything that would split the Montanas or the Idahos (assuming the Vandals come back for football). Unfortunately, I don't have any better proposals. A split sounds good as it would leave logical room (i.e. a 7/7 or 6/8 split) for each to expand to nine, the historically ideal size for a league as it would allow for eight conference games and three or four OOC games (depending on which season we have or if a team can finagle a boondoggle to HI). But I just can't see any way other than what our best minds here at CS have proposed....

[Jjoey52]

Based on the big 12 getting a title game with 10 the SunBelt will probably follow suit, which mean Vandals and NMSU get booted.

Dies the Big Sky also want New Mexico State or give them to Missouri Valley Conference.

[clenz]

Based on the big 12 getting a title game with 10 the SunBelt will probably follow suit, which mean Vandals and NMSU get booted.

Dies the Big Sky also want New Mexico State or give them to Missouri Valley Conference.

NMSU won't be ending up FCS. They'll manage a MWC invite

[Jjoey52]

I highly doubt the MWC, they want to avoid both them and Idaho like the plague.

[Jjoey52]

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.

[SDHornet]

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.

There currently isn't a rivalry with the Idaho schools, and since they are on opposite sides of the state I don't see splitting them being a big deal.

[SDHornet]

Based on the big 12 getting a title game with 10 the SunBelt will probably follow suit, which mean Vandals and NMSU get booted.

Dies the Big Sky also want New Mexico State or give them to Missouri Valley Conference.

NMSU won't be ending up FCS. They'll manage a MWC invite

Nope. UNM doesn't want NMSU in the same conference. NMSU is fucked. Plus NMSU brings zero markets and zero recruiting grounds. MWC would go for UTEP long before NMSU.

[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.

This. If MWC wanted either of those 2 schools, they would have been invited already.

[clenz]

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.