UNI to FBS?

[pantherrob82]

NDSU and UNI would be in the top few schools in the MAC every year. We could compete now, and I doubt recruiting would suffer with a move to the MAC.

How many kids come to top FCS schools instead of MAC/Sun Belt/etc for a chance to win a title? Maybe more than I think.

[DJH]

UNI would be one of the best programs in the MAC right now, and would be an annual contender with 22 more scholarships.

[DavedS]

UNI would be one of the best programs in the MAC right now, and would be an annual contender with 22 more scholarships.

The MAC is weaker than given credit for--UNI and NDSU would be some of their best programs even without 22 more scholarships.

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

Right now UNI would be a top team in the MAC, with 22 more schollies they would be the top dog every year.

No, they wouldn't. Just because NDSU has beaten a couple of cruddy MAC teams doesn't mean that UNI (I will freely admit I am unaware of their record vs. MAC teams) is automatically a Top 4 team in that conference. NIU, Miami, Ohio, WMU, and Toledo are all fairly decent, well-run programs.

LOL....Well, you do not follow MAC football then.

Right now with 22 less scholarships, UNI and NDSU would compete for the MAC title this year. With 22 more schollies they both would be at the top every year.

UNI just went into Camp Randal and dang near beat Wisky in their place. They should have beat Iowa a few yrs back and they probably will beat them in 2 weeks. I get tired of people saying "FBS teams take them lightly".....well, they put their pads on the same way. NDSU has competed with every FBS team they have faced. They piss-pounded Central Michigan that won the MAC that year by 30 points. Now, you think NDSU or UNI wouldn't be a top team in the MAC with 22 more schollies.....

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

UNI would be one of the best programs in the MAC right now, and would be an annual contender with 22 more scholarships.

Agreed!

If UNI can almost beat UW there is no reason to not think they couldn't be a top team in the MAC.

If UNI's defense plays Iowa like they did UW, they will win.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

UNI would be one of the best programs in the MAC right now, and would be an annual contender with 22 more scholarships.

UNI would be contenders most years but would also fall to the middle of the pack at times too. The talent level, coaching and facilites are all better than most realize. The coaching imo, is the leagues biggest asset. At any given time there are 3 or 4 future BCS coaches in the MAC.

Temple had some pretty talented teams the last 3 years but never made it to a conference title game.

[Gil Dobie]

I know of a few good men that can get some petitions signed, to get money from the state, for UNI's move to FBS.

[JayJ79]

No, they wouldn't. Just because NDSU has beaten a couple of cruddy MAC teams doesn't mean that UNI (I will freely admit I am unaware of their record vs. MAC teams) is automatically a Top 4 team in that conference. NIU, Miami, Ohio, WMU, and Toledo are all fairly decent, well-run programs.

In games vs. opponents who were in the MAC at the time of the game, UNI is:
1-0 vs. Ball State (win in Muncie in 2001)
1-0 vs. Eastern Michigan (win in Ypsilanti in 1998)
1-0 vs. Ohio (win in Athens in 1999)
technically 1-1 vs. Western Michigan, but those games were in 1948 and 1949, and not really relevant to this discussion.

UNI has played other games against schools that are currently in the MAC, but it was prior to them joining that conference (and prior to UNI becoming I-AA/FCS)

Northern Iowa just hasn't scheduled many MAC opponents, but they've had success against them.

[clenz]

After the ssu fuck up a coupe of the mac schools called to fil that date with a possible home and home...maybe soon enough it will be a "permanent"home and home

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[clenz]

Sounds as though UNI just announced their intentions to move ASAP....


http://wcfcourier.com/sports/college/un ... 7f42d.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- One of the toughest decisions facing many college athletic departments with Football Championship Subdivision programs is what, if anything, to do with football.

It's a marquee sport that is at once both the beauty and the beast.

Football generates the most direct revenue through gate receipts and guarantee games, and often the most indirect streams of income through donations, advertising and the sale of merchandise.

And while it's impossible to quantify, there is also a value in terms of what football can do for a university's branding, marketing and visibility in its efforts to attract students.

At the same time, football is easily the most expensive sport because of scholarship costs, large coaching staffs, travel and equipment. At the University of Northern Iowa, for example, football revenues were approximately $961,000 in 2011 while expenses topped $2.8 million. Scholarships and salaries accounted for nearly $2.1 million of the cost.

The issue for administrators is how to close that gap between revenue and expense. One option receiving more consideration than ever is moving up to the Football Bowl Subdivision.

It's one that is certainly on the minds of UNI athletic director Troy Dannen and his football head coach, Mark Farley, as they consider not only the future of Panther football, but the future of Panther athletics in general.

"I'm not so sure we shouldn't be looking to move up in football," says Dannen.

There hasn't been a rush of teams jumping to the FBS level in recent years, but there's evidence to indicate that may change as more programs try to get in on the financial windfall created by today's television contracts, bowl opportunities and the new playoff system.

"I think it's the right time to make the move," adds Farley. "There is a window of opportunity here because of all the restructuring of conferences and the restructuring of the playoff system.

"There's a lot of research that needs to be done, but I believe this is an opportunity much like it was years ago when we were Division II going up to I-AA."

Five programs have already announced their intentions to move from the FCS to the FBS in the near future. Texas State, South Alabama and Texas-San Antonio are on their way up. Old Dominion and North Carolina-Charlotte will join them in 2015.

Charlotte will begin play at the FCS level next season before moving up.

"I've pushed it for 20 years," said Judy Rose, the school's athletic director for the past 22 years, in an interview with the Associated Press. "Not necessarily because I love football, but because of what is happening today with intercollegiate athletics. We had invested so much in our athletics program that I had this fear of what happens if we didn't?"

"I've certainly been ahead of the pack in urging us to crawl first, and then walk, and then run --- in that order," added Chancellor Philip Dubois. "But when opportunity knocks in Division I athletics, it is surely not the Avon lady.

"It's the right move for today and it's an even better move for tomorrow."

Montana, Appalachian State, Massachusetts, Villanova, James Madison, Georgia Southern, Delaware, Jacksonville State, Montana State, Cal Poly, Northern Arizona, Cal-Davis, Lamar, Liberty and North Dakota State are among other FCS schools that have considered or are still discussing the possibility.

"I think with the new playoff system, the financial model changes for those schools who are bowl-eligible just because of the amount of money that's going to be there, and because of where we're located from a conference structure," Dannen explains. "The Valley wouldn't have to touch any sport other than football.

"The No. 1 hindrance to doing it is for the 22 scholarship we would add on the male side, we'd be adding 22 scholarships on the female side. That's where it becomes cost-prohibitive. It's not football, it's the other requirements we would need to take care of to comply with Title IX.

"As I've told a lot of our coaches, 'You want this and that's fine and it makes sense for your program, but double it because that's the true cost.' That's not a negative against any women's program. It's just the fact of the matter in how you run this business."

UNI commissioned a "Football Feasibility Study" completed in 2010 by Alden and Associates, Inc., a firm that does executive search and consulting for higher education. It looked at four primary options --- remaining at the FCS level with scholarships, playing FCS non-scholarship football, moving to the FBS and dropping football. The study concluded that in 2010, UNI was playing at the level where it should be playing.

Now the landscape is changing.

"It's a new era we're going into starting in 2014," says Farley. "If you get in on the front end, you have the opportunity to grow as it expands. If you come in on the back end, who knows if you will have that same opportunity?"

On the field, UNI has tangled with a number of programs that have since made the jump from FCS to FBS. That list includes Boise State, Marshall, Idaho, Northeast Louisiana, Nevada-Reno and Western Kentucky, which was on the verge of dropping football just a few years ago.

The Panthers have also enjoyed some defining moments against FBS foes like Iowa and Iowa State in recent years that have elevated the university's position in the state's academic and athletic heirarchy.

"We're competitive enough today that we could make that move and be competitive at the mid-major (FBS) level," says Farley.

"The only drawback for us is that now we actually go into every season knowing we have an opportunity to win a national championship. If we were a mid-major FBS team, the revenue would be better but yet you wouldn't be playing for that national title."

If UNI doesn't move forward, Farley fears, it will be left behind --- in more ways than one.

"Ever since I started recruiting here as a young coach, you can go into any home in the state or read about any kid getting recruited right now in any sport and most of those kids will say they're looking at Iowa, Iowa State and UNI. That shows how kids tie us to those other universities that are Big Ten and Big 12 but much different than us in terms of money.

"If a kid is thinking like that as a student-athlete, what are other kids thinking when they start looking at Iowa, Iowa State or UNI? Now, I think, they have to go compare the academics.

"If we lose that, we'll be just like any Division II or Division III school."

[Mike Johnson]

At the University of Northern Iowa, for example, football revenues were approximately $961,000 in 2011 while expenses topped $2.8 million. Scholarships and salaries accounted for nearly $2.1 million of the cost.

Strange. UNI reported to the US Department of Education, under penalty of perjury, that football revenues were $2,539,954. Still, less than expenses, but not as dramatic as the article indicates. Also, UNI reported that total scholarship spending for all male athletes regardless of sport was $1,755,367.

[clenz]

Good luck finding any set of numbers that match. you can look at 5 different places and have 5 different numbers

the fact remains that looks like the University is choosing to move forward to the next level due to the fear of being left behind with the way the landscape is changing
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[TribeFanInNC]

Five programs have already announced their intentions to move from the FCS to the FBS in the near future. Texas State, South Alabama and Texas-San Antonio are on their way up. Old Dominion and North Carolina-Charlotte will join them in 2015.

News Flash: Georgia State doesn't count as a football program.

[Mike Johnson]

Good luck finding any set of numbers that match. you can look at 5 different places and have 5 different numbers

Which is why I prefer the ones that are in a standard format and are mandatory by law and must be certified, rather than what a reporter picked up poking around the athletic department.

You are quite correct that the important part of the article is that UNI is giving serious consideration to moving up. I just couldn't believe that any program with less than $1 million in football revenues could be indulging in fantasy about moving up.

[Col Hogan]

Sounds as though UNI just announced their intentions to move ASAP....


http://wcfcourier.com/sports/college/un ... 7f42d.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- One of the toughest decisions facing many college athletic departments with Football Championship Subdivision programs is what, if anything, to do with football.
."

Montana, Appalachian State, Massachusetts, Villanova, James Madison, Georgia Southern, Delaware, Jacksonville State, Montana State, Cal Poly, Northern Arizona, Cal-Davis, Lamar, Liberty and North Dakota State are among other FCS schools that have considered or are still discussing the possibility.
."

News flash for the Courier...Massachusetts is not considering or still discussing the move...this is their first year in the MAC and FBS...

Regarding UNI making the move to the MAC as a football only member, the MAC is trying to upgrade their basketball status...since UMass and the A-10 is higher ranked than the MAC in basketball, one of the requirements for UMass entry in football is that we had to guarantee two men's and two women's basketball games a season for three seasons...the MAC will most likely want something similar from UNI...

[clenz]

Sounds as though UNI just announced their intentions to move ASAP....


http://wcfcourier.com/sports/college/un ... 7f42d.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- One of the toughest decisions facing many college athletic departments with Football Championship Subdivision programs is what, if anything, to do with football.
."

Montana, Appalachian State, Massachusetts, Villanova, James Madison, Georgia Southern, Delaware, Jacksonville State, Montana State, Cal Poly, Northern Arizona, Cal-Davis, Lamar, Liberty and North Dakota State are among other FCS schools that have considered or are still discussing the possibility.
."

News flash for the Courier...Massachusetts is not considering or still discussing the move...this is their first year in the MAC and FBS...

Regarding UNI making the move to the MAC as a football only member, the MAC is trying to upgrade their basketball status...since UMass and the A-10 is higher ranked than the MAC in basketball, one of the requirements for UMass entry in football is that we had to guarantee two men's and two women's basketball games a season for three seasons...the MAC will most likely want something similar from UNI...

Be impressed with this kind of journalism from the Courier....seriously.


It's possible UNI moves completely to the MAC if it can prove to be close to the MVC in quality. Problem is, I don't know if that happens. That very well could be a hold up that means UNI is staying put for a while

[pantherrob82]

Sounds as though UNI just announced their intentions to move ASAP....


http://wcfcourier.com/sports/college/un ... 7f42d.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- One of the toughest decisions facing many college athletic departments with Football Championship Subdivision programs is what, if anything, to do with football.
."

Montana, Appalachian State, Massachusetts, Villanova, James Madison, Georgia Southern, Delaware, Jacksonville State, Montana State, Cal Poly, Northern Arizona, Cal-Davis, Lamar, Liberty and North Dakota State are among other FCS schools that have considered or are still discussing the possibility.
."

News flash for the Courier...Massachusetts is not considering or still discussing the move...this is their first year in the MAC and FBS...

Regarding UNI making the move to the MAC as a football only member, the MAC is trying to upgrade their basketball status...since UMass and the A-10 is higher ranked than the MAC in basketball, one of the requirements for UMass entry in football is that we had to guarantee two men's and two women's basketball games a season for three seasons...the MAC will most likely want something similar from UNI...

We played Ohio last year.

[skinny_uncle]

Historically, UNI is 13-23-2 against MAC teams. Just thought I would throw that in.

[clenz]

Historically, UNI is 13-23-2 against MAC teams. Just thought I would throw that in.

And 3-0 in our last three games.

Years of UNI W's bolded:

1-1 vs Akron (games in 1978 and 1979)
1-0 vs Ball State (game in 2001)
0-1 vs Bowling Green (game in 1947)
0-4 vs Central Michigan (games in 1953, 1954, 1969, 1970)
4-5 vs Eastern Michigan (1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1967, 1968, 1998)
2-1 vs Northern Illinois ((1927, 1928, 1964)
1-0 vs Ohio (1999)
4-11-2 vs Western Michigan (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 47, 48 ,49)

So UNI is also undefeted vs the MAC since the D1 split in 1979

[pantherrob82]

Historically, UNI is 13-23-2 against MAC teams. Just thought I would throw that in.

If you read the read we are 3-0 in while in I-AA against teams we played who were in the MAC during the game.

[DJH]

Historically, UNI is 13-23-2 against MAC teams. Just thought I would throw that in.

As long as we are throwing out irrelevant and misleading statistics, UNI kicked Iowa's ass in the late 1800's.

[Trapped in CA]

Historically, UNI is 13-23-2 against MAC teams. Just thought I would throw that in.

As long as we are throwing out irrelevant and misleading statistics, UNI kicked Iowa's ass in the late 1800's.

Outlaw the forward pass....

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