The Bobcat Nation

http://billingsgazette.com/sports/colle ... f3c5c.html

Interesting article in the Gazette about teams moving down. Just based on the article, I would say that Wyoming has such a good attendance (18.000) that they are not in a real jeopardy of doing a drastic move down. Idaho had quite a lesser following. I just shared this to see what your opinions on this are. I find it interesting that teams look into this move, either down or up (NDSU).

My 2 cents. I think the Power 5 should just break away into their own thing, bowl games/4 team playoff. Then the rest of the non P5 FBS conferences merge with the top FCS conferences into a division that has multiple playoffs like the FCS to determine the winner. Maybe the teams that don't advance on in the playoffs could take on a bowl game as a consolation type of game. It would be like an FBS Jr level.

I don't think the lower FBS/upper FCS merger will happen. Lower FBS might form its own subdivision. The reason I say that is if they merge then the lower FBS will take up a good portion of the playoff spots. Even if they go to 32 teams it's likely that the FBS will get at least half of them and that will leave the FCS with 8 less teams playing in the postseason than it previously had and that won't fly. I see the NCAA having a 16-team playoff for the new lower FBS subdivision and keeping the FCS as is. I do, however, think that quite a few upper FCS teams, including MSU, will try to move into the lower FBS.

It wasn't so much about the money or losing for Idaho having to move down, it was because they will be without a league after 2017 and no other FBS league wants them. Wyoming is a member in good standing in the stable Mountain West Conference. If they need more money they'll just play another body bag game.

You can't compare Idaho to Wyoming. Not even similar programs.
Wyoming has fan support and alumni support.
Idaho neither.
Now if 20+ years ago, or when the WAC failed in football, the Vandals could of got support, a new stadium and into the MWC, they might have survived.
This article paints only part of the Wyoming issues. They failed to point out that Wyoming did a study that shows by dropping, they would have $1m less in funding and have to cut more programs than they would under the current planned budget cuts. This just gives them more fuel to go after deep pockets sponsors to stay FBS.
And the G5 And fcs top teams will merge to survive. When P4 leave, and they will, the gap will close and teams like Idaho will end up in D2

Montanabob wrote:You can't compare Idaho to Wyoming. Not even similar programs.
Wyoming has fan support and alumni support.
Idaho neither.
Now if 20+ years ago, or when the WAC failed in football, the Vandals could of got support, a new stadium and into the MWC, they might have survived.
This article paints only part of the Wyoming issues. They failed to point out that Wyoming did a study that shows by dropping, they would have $1m less in funding and have to cut more programs than they would under the current planned budget cuts. This just gives them more fuel to go after deep pockets sponsors to stay FBS.
And the G5 And fcs top teams will merge to survive. When P4 leave, and they will, the gap will close and teams like Idaho will end up in D2

D2? really?

WeedKillinCat wrote:My 2 cents. I think the Power 5 should just break away into their own thing, bowl games/4 team playoff. Then the rest of the non P5 FBS conferences merge with the top FCS conferences into a division that has multiple playoffs like the FCS to determine the winner. Maybe the teams that don't advance on in the playoffs could take on a bowl game as a consolation type of game. It would be like an FBS Jr level.

Wayne Hogan talked about exactly this when he was AD at Montana. There are several versions of this plan that have been floated for years. Basically the plan was for the big conferences (he called it the "Super 60" or something like that) to take their football and move on from the NCAA and everyone else, and take all the TV revenue with them. The lower FBS and upper FCS would then form a 2nd level. There are still proponents of this. However, the proliferation of more TV networks (including Conference, and in the case of Texas, their own network) and regional networks has affected it. Now it isn't quite as lucrative to those teams that already have the sweet TV deals.

I do think there will be some eventual switch to a 2nd level for the lower FBS and upper FCS. Not sure when though. I think the Griz and Cats would definitely benefit from it.