The Realignment Options from the Pac-6 and Mountain West Perspective.

[MSU01]

Yes, Sac is a decently sized metro area. And yes, they are awfully close to several other FBS schools. I just don't see it all materializing for them. They can't fill their stadium now, even with perennial success. Will that change in what is a big commuter school?

And before it's said; yes, Boise has done it, but that's because they were able to hit when the other two Idaho schools were down, and there we no other sports options in the state. That is not the case in Sac.

Sac State does better with football attendance than many realize. Last year they averaged 13,348 per game which was 12th in the FCS and higher than average attendance for 10 FBS teams. Hornet Stadium is pretty mediocre, so if they do move to FBS and build the new 25,000 seat stadium they're proposing I bet they'd fill it or come close to doing so.

[damnyoutuesday]

I see a zero percent chance they join the Pac-12, but a decent chance they join the MWC

[CodyCat]

I just saw that Sam Houston is 5-1! Impressive.

[utucats]

Move up proponent’s argument:

We need to move up and play irrelevant football before FCS becomes irrelevant.

[onceacat]

Move up proponent’s argument:

We need to move up and play irrelevant football before FCS becomes irrelevant.

Correction: FCS football is ALREADY irrelevant. MSU should move up & play irrelevant football at a different irrelevant level becasue thats where MSUs peer schools are playing.

[AFCAT]

Move up proponent’s argument:

We need to move up and play irrelevant football before FCS becomes irrelevant.

Correction: FCS football is ALREADY irrelevant. MSU should move up & play irrelevant football at a different irrelevant level becasue thats where MSUs peer schools are playing.

Addition to the correction: FCS football is irrelevant. MSU should move up and spend tens of millions of dollars more to play irrelevant football at a different irrelevant level because that’s where some of MSU peer schools are playing irrelevant football.

[coloradocat]

Move up proponent’s argument:

We need to move up and play irrelevant football before FCS becomes irrelevant.

Correction: FCS football is ALREADY irrelevant. MSU should move up & play irrelevant football at a different irrelevant level becasue thats where MSUs peer schools are playing.

Addition to the correction: FCS football is irrelevant. MSU should move up and spend tens of millions of dollars more to play irrelevant football at a different irrelevant level because that’s where some of MSU peer schools are playing irrelevant football.

Addition to the addition to the correction: FCS football is irrelevant. MSU should move down to D2 to save millions of dollars and play just as irrelevant football at a different irrelevant level because some of MSU peer schools are competitive with D2 football teams.

[Bobcat4Ever]

Looking at the big picture, all this moving up doesn’t make much sense. Some of the struggling FBS teams are former FCS (or I-AA). Some of the struggling FCS teams are former D-II. Looking at the Big Sky, Idaho is one of the few schools that got it right by returning to FCS. Wouldn’t it be great if Portland State and Northern Colorado would return to Division II, where they were relevant?

I know it stung Idaho some, but I have relatives in Idaho that actually watch Vandals football again. Why? They say they really like the regional games, could have cared less about the Sun Suspenders conference or whatever, and enjoy watching a competitive team. And because they’ve returned to watching the Vandals, they’ve also regained some interest in following the Bengals.

Teams and divisions were laid out pretty well. Certainly some movement was justified — but so much of this stress is caused by schools that should have never moved up. But money came in, and NCAA rules that restricted schools from doing non-sensical things have been shot down in court — what a mess.

[4KornerKat]

Move up proponent’s argument:

We need to move up and play irrelevant football before FCS becomes irrelevant.

Correction: FCS football is ALREADY irrelevant. MSU should move up & play irrelevant football at a different irrelevant level becasue thats where MSUs peer schools are playing.

Addition to the correction: FCS football is irrelevant. MSU should move up and spend tens of millions of dollars more to play irrelevant football at a different irrelevant level because that’s where some of MSU peer schools are playing irrelevant football.

Addition to the addition to the correction: FCS football is irrelevant. MSU should move down to D2 to save millions of dollars and play just as irrelevant football at a different irrelevant level because some of MSU peer schools are competitive with D2 football teams.

Why not just go NAIA? Would save boatload of cash on travel in frontier conference

[BleedingBLue]

Move up proponent’s argument:

We need to move up and play irrelevant football before FCS becomes irrelevant.

Correction: FCS football is ALREADY irrelevant. MSU should move up & play irrelevant football at a different irrelevant level becasue thats where MSUs peer schools are playing.

Addition to the correction: FCS football is irrelevant. MSU should move up and spend tens of millions of dollars more to play irrelevant football at a different irrelevant level because that’s where some of MSU peer schools are playing irrelevant football.

Addition to the addition to the correction: FCS football is irrelevant. MSU should move down to D2 to save millions of dollars and play just as irrelevant football at a different irrelevant level because some of MSU peer schools are competitive with D2 football teams.

Why not just go NAIA? Would save boatload of cash on travel in frontier conference

Starting next year it won't!

[tetoncat]

Looking at the big picture, all this moving up doesn’t make much sense. Some of the struggling FBS teams are former FCS (or I-AA). Some of the struggling FCS teams are former D-II. Looking at the Big Sky, Idaho is one of the few schools that got it right by returning to FCS. Wouldn’t it be great if Portland State and Northern Colorado would return to Division II, where they were relevant?

I know it stung Idaho some, but I have relatives in Idaho that actually watch Vandals football again. Why? They say they really like the regional games, could have cared less about the Sun Suspenders conference or whatever, and enjoy watching a competitive team. And because they’ve returned to watching the Vandals, they’ve also regained some interest in following the Bengals.

Teams and divisions were laid out pretty well. Certainly some movement was justified — but so much of this stress is caused by schools that should have never moved up. But money came in, and NCAA rules that restricted schools from doing non-sensical things have been shot down in court — what a mess.

Networks need games to fill schedules.Big Sky now gets ESPN+ and some ESPN, ESPN2 AND ESPNU games. Seems like that would have happened anyway for these teams that moved up. Good FCS leagues with decent markets would have gotten those slots with a lot less inputs to move up.

[CodyCat]

Move up proponent’s argument:

We need to move up and play irrelevant football before FCS becomes irrelevant.

Correction: FCS football is ALREADY irrelevant. MSU should move up & play irrelevant football at a different irrelevant level becasue thats where MSUs peer schools are playing.

Addition to the correction: FCS football is irrelevant. MSU should move up and spend tens of millions of dollars more to play irrelevant football at a different irrelevant level because that’s where some of MSU peer schools are playing irrelevant football.

Addition to the addition to the correction: FCS football is irrelevant. MSU should move down to D2 to save millions of dollars and play just as irrelevant football at a different irrelevant level because some of MSU peer schools are competitive with D2 football teams.

Why not just go NAIA? Would save boatload of cash on travel in frontier conference

Starting next year it won't!

What changed?

[BleedingBLue]

Move up proponent’s argument:

We need to move up and play irrelevant football before FCS becomes irrelevant.

Correction: FCS football is ALREADY irrelevant. MSU should move up & play irrelevant football at a different irrelevant level becasue thats where MSUs peer schools are playing.

Addition to the correction: FCS football is irrelevant. MSU should move up and spend tens of millions of dollars more to play irrelevant football at a different irrelevant level because that’s where some of MSU peer schools are playing irrelevant football.

Addition to the addition to the correction: FCS football is irrelevant. MSU should move down to D2 to save millions of dollars and play just as irrelevant football at a different irrelevant level because some of MSU peer schools are competitive with D2 football teams.

Why not just go NAIA? Would save boatload of cash on travel in frontier conference

Starting next year it won't!

What changed?

Arizona Christian and Simpson out of CA are now in the conference. Dickinson, Mayville, Dakota State and Valley City are all joining next year.

[RickRund]

Move up proponent’s argument:

We need to move up and play irrelevant football before FCS becomes irrelevant.

Correction: FCS football is ALREADY irrelevant. MSU should move up & play irrelevant football at a different irrelevant level becasue thats where MSUs peer schools are playing.

Addition to the correction: FCS football is irrelevant. MSU should move up and spend tens of millions of dollars more to play irrelevant football at a different irrelevant level because that’s where some of MSU peer schools are playing irrelevant football.

Addition to the addition to the correction: FCS football is irrelevant. MSU should move down to D2 to save millions of dollars and play just as irrelevant football at a different irrelevant level because some of MSU peer schools are competitive with D2 football teams.

Why not just go NAIA? Would save boatload of cash on travel in frontier conference

Starting next year it won't!

What changed?

Arizona Christian and Simpson out of CA are now in the conference. Dickinson, Mayville, Dakota State and Valley City are all joining next year.

I had no idea that Simpson even had a football program. I couldn't imagine playing football in Redding in August or September.

[onceacat]

Looking at the big picture, all this moving up doesn’t make much sense. Some of the struggling FBS teams are former FCS (or I-AA). Some of the struggling FCS teams are former D-II. Looking at the Big Sky, Idaho is one of the few schools that got it right by returning to FCS. Wouldn’t it be great if Portland State and Northern Colorado would return to Division II, where they were relevant?

I know it stung Idaho some, but I have relatives in Idaho that actually watch Vandals football again. Why? They say they really like the regional games, could have cared less about the Sun Suspenders conference or whatever, and enjoy watching a competitive team. And because they’ve returned to watching the Vandals, they’ve also regained some interest in following the Bengals.

Teams and divisions were laid out pretty well. Certainly some movement was justified — but so much of this stress is caused by schools that should have never moved up. But money came in, and NCAA rules that restricted schools from doing non-sensical things have been shot down in court — what a mess.

This. So, where does MSU belong? With the teams that shouldn't have moved up from FCS to FBS, but did? Or the teams that shouldn't have moved up from D2 but did?

[onceacat]

Looking at the big picture, all this moving up doesn’t make much sense. Some of the struggling FBS teams are former FCS (or I-AA). Some of the struggling FCS teams are former D-II. Looking at the Big Sky, Idaho is one of the few schools that got it right by returning to FCS. Wouldn’t it be great if Portland State and Northern Colorado would return to Division II, where they were relevant?

I know it stung Idaho some, but I have relatives in Idaho that actually watch Vandals football again. Why? They say they really like the regional games, could have cared less about the Sun Suspenders conference or whatever, and enjoy watching a competitive team. And because they’ve returned to watching the Vandals, they’ve also regained some interest in following the Bengals.

Teams and divisions were laid out pretty well. Certainly some movement was justified — but so much of this stress is caused by schools that should have never moved up. But money came in, and NCAA rules that restricted schools from doing non-sensical things have been shot down in court — what a mess.

I'm pretty sure the only thing the courts have shot down is requiring students to donate their rights to their personal name, image, and likeness to the NCAA and their universities.

I'm pretty sure that the NCAA could regulate conference moves if it had ANY desire to do so.

[cat-o-nine]

https://www.si.com/college-football/eve ... -them-work

Here's an interesting article on plans for the "Bigs" in College Football, and it doesn't seem to have much of an NCAA stamp on it. However, there are some serious power brokers actively working on plans for the future of college sports. We should probably pay attention to this.

[BelgradeBobcat]

Mountain West now has the minimum number of all-sports teams needed to be a conference.

[Montanabob]

Mountain West now has the minimum number of all-sports teams needed to be a conference.

i wonder how much that cost them? $30m+?

[Cataholic]

Thought these TV ratings were pretty interesting. I actually thought the MSU-Idaho game fared decent given the competition it was up against. Also, noted the week zero ratings were really high with no competition for viewers.