Moving up

[Cat Grad]

Time for the BOR to take a hard look at facts and allow MSU to go it's own way.

You could flip the name of the school and go back in time 20 years and this would be a direct quote from most griz fans.

So? Check out the charter members of this conference...lol

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Souther ... 0%26%20Lee.

[damnyoutuesday]

Anybody that is on board with getting rid of one of the most historic rivalries in the nation is a dogsh*t fan, period. I don't care how pretentious their fans are, beating the Griz is the most important game on our schedule every year. Dropping that game because we move up and they don't would kill a lot of interest I have in the football team every year. Saying "oh we can just make Wyoming or CSU our rival" doesn't work if they don't want to be our rival, and playing them lacks any real history or excitement that Cat/Griz has. I'm sorry, but anybody saying that we should just leave UM behind is an absolute dumbf*ck

[Cat Grad]

Anybody that is on board with getting rid of one of the most historic rivalries in the nation is a dogsh*t fan, period. I don't care how pretentious their fans are, beating the Griz is the most important game on our schedule every year. Dropping that game because we move up and they don't would kill a lot of interest I have in the football team every year. Saying "oh we can just make Wyoming or CSU our rival" doesn't work if they don't want to be our rival, and playing them lacks any real history or excitement that Cat/Griz has. I'm sorry, but anybody saying that we should just leave UM behind is an absolute dumbf*ck

What if the BOR finally gets their collective heads out of their asses and accepts sunk costs and downgrades that ****** to a junior college? What would their enrollment be if the MSU School of Nursing didn't have a satellite campus right in the middle of their campus. FTG. Downgrade it or close it entirely and move the University portion of the MUS to Butte and Tech and upgrade Western. FTG!

[AFCAT]

Time for the BOR to take a hard look at facts and allow MSU to go it's own way.

Respectfully, absolutely not. I refuse to lose the Cat/Griz game, and moving to a different conference without them will all but kill it

Well, MSU and um have been in the same conference since 1963. The teams were either independent or in separate conferences before then.

I'm referring to modern conference realignment that has killed many rivalries. Texas and A&M haven't played in a decade (obviously changing soon), Nebraska and Colorado have played once since they left the Big 12 a decade ago, the Backyard Brawl has been played once in a decade, Kansas-Mizzou hasn't been played in a decade, Nebraska-Oklahoma has been played twice since Nebraska left a decade ago, Bedlam is about to die, Maryland vs their ACC rivals are dead, etc.

If we move up and Montana doesn't, that rivalry is about as good as dead. We wouldn't schedule home-and-homes with an FCS team, Montana wouldn't want to come to Bozeman every year. Cat/Griz would sputter out in a similar fashion to Idaho-Wazzu, where it's an irregular rivalry held only at one campus every decade or so. Cat/Griz is too meaningful of a game to this state for it to die if we left and Montana didn't. I never want the Griz to win that game again, but I want to play that game every single season. Anybody that is in favor of the prospect of leaving UM behind is not a true fan of this team or our historic rivalry

Relax, everyone is entitled to their opinion on the subject. I doubt any changes will be made based on something written on Bobcat Nation

[tdub]

Ahhhhh….the attempted “you’re not a true fan” if you don’t agree with me mic drop. Haven’t seen that one surface in a while.

[onceacat]

Anybody that is on board with getting rid of one of the most historic rivalries in the nation is a dogsh*t fan, period. I don't care how pretentious their fans are, beating the Griz is the most important game on our schedule every year. Dropping that game because we move up and they don't would kill a lot of interest I have in the football team every year. Saying "oh we can just make Wyoming or CSU our rival" doesn't work if they don't want to be our rival, and playing them lacks any real history or excitement that Cat/Griz has. I'm sorry, but anybody saying that we should just leave UM behind is an absolute dumbf*ck

By no means am I on board with getting rid of the Brawl. That said, the BYU-Utah football rivalry is a year older than the Brawl & hasn't been played in 2 seasons & might only be played one more time.

Neither Utah nor BYU seems to be lacking in fan interest.

Similar with UCLA-Cal or USC Stanford.

Money is killing off a lot of things that make college football great, but sticking it out in a watered down FCS is no solution.

[onceacat]

Time for the BOR to take a hard look at facts and allow MSU to go it's own way.

Respectfully, absolutely not. I refuse to lose the Cat/Griz game, and moving to a different conference without them will all but kill it

Oh, FTG! I'd rather watch the Cats play any of the Dakota schools, Colorado State (Not Colorado because they are MSU's bitch), Wyoming, just about any Ewe-tahaaa, school than put up with that fan base, most of whom have nothing to do with that supposed school other than they work for them in some capacity or their parents were a "distinguished professor" of some bullsheet discipline. Let them continue playing the little sisters of the poor, the EWUs and Northern Colorados...all while living in places like Everette, Washington, or any other slum.

Edit: 56 percent of MSU's student body is nonresident. I myself retired away from Montana. Have you looked at your alumni propaganda the last few years? How many MSU graduates actually reside in Montana?

Cant be very many. There arent very many jobs in MT that pay enough to cover student loan payments, even at MSUs relatively low tuition. Some of them try to stick around Bozeman living the dream swinging hammers or waiting tables, but they all eventually leave, start careers, then move back once their kids are in junior high.

This isnt specific to MSU grads, just the overall population.

https://flowsmapper.geo.census.gov/map.html

[GRIZFNZ]

Man, I wonder at times if those who post have ever set foot on those schools they disparage.

https://static.weberstatesports.com/cus ... index.html

https://nauathletics.com/sports/2017/5/ ... ties-index

With the administration in both WAZZU and OSU, to say MSU would be a fit? They got caught up in the pac arms race and it's time to start paying the piper, just as the state of Montana is going to have to keep picking up the tab for that declining school of non-academic excellence 202 miles to the west on I-90. Time for the BOR to take a hard look at facts and allow MSU to go it's own way.

It really is amazing how far UM has fallen in enrollment and academics. Seemed impossible 10 years ago but they’re basically a glorified community college and Montana Tech has even surpassed them in prestige.

And athletics. How bad did Tech beat them in basketball a couple years ago?

A whopping 2 points. The cats were swept by the Griz that same season by greater margins, so it would appear that in addition to Tech being the best/most prestigious engineering school in the state, they were also a more worthy adversary on the hardwood.

[Cataholic]

Man, I wonder at times if those who post have ever set foot on those schools they disparage.

https://static.weberstatesports.com/cus ... index.html

https://nauathletics.com/sports/2017/5/ ... ties-index

With the administration in both WAZZU and OSU, to say MSU would be a fit? They got caught up in the pac arms race and it's time to start paying the piper, just as the state of Montana is going to have to keep picking up the tab for that declining school of non-academic excellence 202 miles to the west on I-90. Time for the BOR to take a hard look at facts and allow MSU to go it's own way.

It really is amazing how far UM has fallen in enrollment and academics. Seemed impossible 10 years ago but they’re basically a glorified community college and Montana Tech has even surpassed them in prestige.

And athletics. How bad did Tech beat them in basketball a couple years ago?

A whopping 2 points. The cats were swept by the Griz that same season by greater margins, so it would appear that in addition to Tech being the best/most prestigious engineering school in the state, they were also a more worthy adversary on the hardwood.

Nice try. No matter how you pitch it, MSU didn’t lose to an NAIA team that year. You did.

[PapaG]

Best to form a new conference. The four Dakotas, a couple from Idaho, both Montana schools, cast off pac or MWC schools, NMSU, Weber...

https://www.inforum.com/opinion/columns ... to-move-up

Oregon St & Washington St arent a terrible mismatch for Idaho & MSU academically & in terms of market size. They are a lot bigger than the DSUs & 2 time zones away. UMs declining enrollment & financial issues would make it a weird fit, but at least its a great geographic fit. Weber is too small & a terrible fit for any of these schools in conference.

If the MWC were to disintegrate I could imagine a NW conference with WSU, OSU, UM, MSU, BSU, Idaho, Utah St, Colorado State & Nevada, maybe Wyoming

That would be great for athletic competitiveness, all reasonably good academic & historical fits, close in size.

The DSUs are a hard pass for travel reasons alone. Let them join up with a conference thats a good geographical fit like the MAC.

I believe the MWC has much better administrators at the conference level and in the institutions than the stuffed shirts with the massive egos in the pac. Again, the Big Sky, pac, WCC, and WAC are the same cookie cutter trained administrators. Interchangeable parts who are by and large reactionary in nature versus proactive. They'll wait to see what somebody else does before making a move. I just hate to see MSU aligned with the far west.

Edit: MSU is presently in a conference with Cal Poly, U.C. Davis, Sacramento and NAU and you mention a geographical fit? Reminds me of many folks who dislike northeast Montana as "There's nothing there!" I ask them how far is Regina from Glasgow? Oh well. As I said, nothings going to happen anyway. Just be a victim of circumstances beyond your control.

I think the current alignment sucks for a variety of reasons, first and foremost that there should NEVER be more than 10 teams (preferably in a football conference. You'll notice that I didn't include those teams in a hypothetical dream G5 conference. There are enough of them to have an 8 team Southern Rockies/Cali conference.

The issue with the DSUs isnt MSU's distance...its the Idaho/Washington/Nevada schools & the 3 time zone difference.

Culturally, academically, geographically MSU is a far better fit for the other Rocky Mountain & West Coast schools. Theres zero connection with the Dakota schools, who fit a lot better with the Midwest.

Its also better for the students. The trip to Fargo/Brookings really sucks.

You are correct about the PAC administration. How you destroy a brand like that is pretty much beyond comprehension.

But the whole system needs to go to 8-10 team regional conferences with all conference champs & a few at large teams in a playoff. Call it 80 teams in the Power 8-10, another 80 or so in the Group of 8-10, then an FCS where the power schools have been bumped up so theres a lot more football parity at all 3 levels.

Just have to agree to disagree I suppose. I personally, again--personally, despise the west coast trips. Sanfranzoola and the Flathead are on the wrong side of the divide as far as I'm concerned and would love to give that area to Idaho...thought I'd died and gone to hell when ROTC sent me to Fort Lewis. I enjoy all the farm and ranch land in the Dakotas, the lakes of Minnesota, eastern Colorado and Kansas. In fact, what does an MSU graduate have in common with a UM graduate? Nothing.

Edit: I also enjoy driving through all those flyover states where the streets are just like Roundup, Montana. Every light post and porch has a U.S. flag flying from it. Means a great deal to me this weekend.

No, no, no to sending sanfranzoola to Idaho. I left cali for a reason. Cannot speak for Flathead...

Same reason I left Portland last year. It’s an absolute sh*thole these days and people are literally squatting in tents downtown and on the SE side. Yet they keep voting for it.

Saw a comment on s f on one of my sites..... They called it San Fran$hitco...

Oregon was a 50/50 state when I moved to Portland. One of the first states to go 100% mail-in voting in 2000 and a Republican hasn’t won a statewide election since then as Multnomah County/Portland is always two days late counting votes and miraculously there are enough votes there to win for the Democrats. Merkley might be the dumbest person in the Senate but he has the right connections.

Edit- I take that back because Patty Murray is still a senator and Diane Feinstein is basically stealing money for her staffers at this point as they wheel her around like a basket of cabbage. Mitch McConnell’s wife is literally on the payroll of China so it’s a GOP thing too. In the real world of taxpayers people try to retire by 70 at the latest yet we have 72-80 year-olds in DC still hanging on to taxpayer-funded jobs so they can continue the grift.

[PapaG]

Man, I wonder at times if those who post have ever set foot on those schools they disparage.

https://static.weberstatesports.com/cus ... index.html

https://nauathletics.com/sports/2017/5/ ... ties-index

With the administration in both WAZZU and OSU, to say MSU would be a fit? They got caught up in the pac arms race and it's time to start paying the piper, just as the state of Montana is going to have to keep picking up the tab for that declining school of non-academic excellence 202 miles to the west on I-90. Time for the BOR to take a hard look at facts and allow MSU to go it's own way.

It really is amazing how far UM has fallen in enrollment and academics. Seemed impossible 10 years ago but they’re basically a glorified community college and Montana Tech has even surpassed them in prestige.

And athletics. How bad did Tech beat them in basketball a couple years ago?

A whopping 2 points. The cats were swept by the Griz that same season by greater margins, so it would appear that in addition to Tech being the best/most prestigious engineering school in the state, they were also a more worthy adversary on the hardwood.

You’re in denial if you don’t think UM is in a death spiral while MSU is gaining a lot of students even with the high COL in Bozeman. Pretty sure you didn’t even go to UM, right? Why should we have to be connected to whatever is going on at the Dance and Theater Community College. UM was considering having a senior citizen home in Knowles and Murray because there aren’t enough students to fill up those dorms. That’s just embarrassing. Zero interest in academics there while millions are spent by the Washington kids to try and buy players who aren’t even graduating. You guys claim Toure as a practice squad guy and even he bounced to Lincoln to get noticed.

Forgot about all the empty rooms in Jesse too but hey, nice practice facilities with a coach that nobody in the athletic department other than an alleged misogynist can stand. How much taxpayer money are you wasting fighting Shannon, who with Dave Dickenson are the two greatest athletes in your loser school’s history?

Maybe Tim can calm down Beavis because he’s actually a good person. Staying in Big Sky instead of Bozeman for Cat-Gris is so petty yet you Wal-Mart fans seem to think that’s a good thing. Missoula kids are now going to Bozeman to play because Bobby prefers his out of state players in MissLose-A.

[PapaG]

Anybody that is on board with getting rid of one of the most historic rivalries in the nation is a dogsh*t fan, period. I don't care how pretentious their fans are, beating the Griz is the most important game on our schedule every year. Dropping that game because we move up and they don't would kill a lot of interest I have in the football team every year. Saying "oh we can just make Wyoming or CSU our rival" doesn't work if they don't want to be our rival, and playing them lacks any real history or excitement that Cat/Griz has. I'm sorry, but anybody saying that we should just leave UM behind is an absolute dumbf*ck

Clobbered your Gris last year, could have put up 60 had they wanted, and frankly Wyoming is a more appropriate rival in terms of flagship universities.

[damnyoutuesday]

Anybody that is on board with getting rid of one of the most historic rivalries in the nation is a dogsh*t fan, period. I don't care how pretentious their fans are, beating the Griz is the most important game on our schedule every year. Dropping that game because we move up and they don't would kill a lot of interest I have in the football team every year. Saying "oh we can just make Wyoming or CSU our rival" doesn't work if they don't want to be our rival, and playing them lacks any real history or excitement that Cat/Griz has. I'm sorry, but anybody saying that we should just leave UM behind is an absolute dumbf*ck

Clobbered your Gris last year, could have put up 60 had they wanted, and frankly Wyoming is a more appropriate rival in terms of flagship universities.

I'm not a Griz fan, but thank you. Currently attend MSU, have missed maybe 4 home games since 2018. Just very passionate about keeping our historic rivalry that means a lot to this state in an era of dying rivalries due to conference realignment. While playing Wyoming every year would be cool, there's just not enough history there for me to give a sh*t as much as I do with beating UM

[PapaG]

Anybody that is on board with getting rid of one of the most historic rivalries in the nation is a dogsh*t fan, period. I don't care how pretentious their fans are, beating the Griz is the most important game on our schedule every year. Dropping that game because we move up and they don't would kill a lot of interest I have in the football team every year. Saying "oh we can just make Wyoming or CSU our rival" doesn't work if they don't want to be our rival, and playing them lacks any real history or excitement that Cat/Griz has. I'm sorry, but anybody saying that we should just leave UM behind is an absolute dumbf*ck

Clobbered your Gris last year, could have put up 60 had they wanted, and frankly Wyoming is a more appropriate rival in terms of flagship universities.

I'm not a Griz fan, but thank you. Currently attend MSU, have missed maybe 4 home games since 2018. Just very passionate about keeping our historic rivalry that means a lot to this state in an era of dying rivalries due to conference realignment. While playing Wyoming every year would be cool, there's just not enough history there for me to give a sh*t as much as I do with beating UM

That’s fair if true but UM is a complete Clown Show now and yet they keep Bobby after so much failure. Robby jumping on piles when better players made the tackles was funny to watch. He was a 175 lb linebacker who was awful in pass coverage yet talked Smoke to better players only because his coach was his Daddy.

[GRIZFNZ]

Anybody that is on board with getting rid of one of the most historic rivalries in the nation is a dogsh*t fan, period. I don't care how pretentious their fans are, beating the Griz is the most important game on our schedule every year. Dropping that game because we move up and they don't would kill a lot of interest I have in the football team every year. Saying "oh we can just make Wyoming or CSU our rival" doesn't work if they don't want to be our rival, and playing them lacks any real history or excitement that Cat/Griz has. I'm sorry, but anybody saying that we should just leave UM behind is an absolute dumbf*ck

Clobbered your Gris last year, could have put up 60 had they wanted, and frankly Wyoming is a more appropriate rival in terms of flagship universities.

I'm not a Griz fan, but thank you. Currently attend MSU, have missed maybe 4 home games since 2018. Just very passionate about keeping our historic rivalry that means a lot to this state in an era of dying rivalries due to conference realignment. While playing Wyoming every year would be cool, there's just not enough history there for me to give a sh*t as much as I do with beating UM

That’s fair if true but UM is a complete Clown Show now and yet they keep Bobby after so much failure. Robby jumping on piles when better players made the tackles was funny to watch. He was a 175 lb linebacker who was awful in pass coverage yet talked Smoke to better players only because his coach was his Daddy.

Having a bad year Greg, because you sure are bitter? Pretty sad to see a 50+ year old piling on a recent student athlete who has multiple degrees btw, even though, according to you, UM athletes don’t graduate. Pick on Bobby all you want, he’s a grown ass man paid very well to face criticism as the head of the football team. I know players from both schools that participated in the rivalry who are lest hostile than you. Perhaps your move back to Billings isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, hard to leave friends and family behind? No healthy person holds that much hate towards a rival institution for no reason.

[damnyoutuesday]

Anybody that is on board with getting rid of one of the most historic rivalries in the nation is a dogsh*t fan, period. I don't care how pretentious their fans are, beating the Griz is the most important game on our schedule every year. Dropping that game because we move up and they don't would kill a lot of interest I have in the football team every year. Saying "oh we can just make Wyoming or CSU our rival" doesn't work if they don't want to be our rival, and playing them lacks any real history or excitement that Cat/Griz has. I'm sorry, but anybody saying that we should just leave UM behind is an absolute dumbf*ck

Clobbered your Gris last year, could have put up 60 had they wanted, and frankly Wyoming is a more appropriate rival in terms of flagship universities.

I'm not a Griz fan, but thank you. Currently attend MSU, have missed maybe 4 home games since 2018. Just very passionate about keeping our historic rivalry that means a lot to this state in an era of dying rivalries due to conference realignment. While playing Wyoming every year would be cool, there's just not enough history there for me to give a sh*t as much as I do with beating UM

That’s fair if true but UM is a complete Clown Show now and yet they keep Bobby after so much failure. Robby jumping on piles when better players made the tackles was funny to watch. He was a 175 lb linebacker who was awful in pass coverage yet talked Smoke to better players only because his coach was his Daddy.

Having a bad year Greg, because you sure are bitter? Pretty sad to see a 50+ year old piling on a recent student athlete who has multiple degrees btw, even though, according to you, UM athletes don’t graduate. Pick on Bobby all you want, he’s a grown ass man paid very well to face criticism as the head of the football team. I know players from both schools that participated in the rivalry who are lest hostile than you. Perhaps your move back to Billings isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, hard to leave friends and family behind? No healthy person holds that much hate towards a rival institution for no reason.

Bobby Hauck kisses Robby on the lips

[cats2506]

Just my 2 bits worth, and remember this is coming from as big a gris hater as anyone.

It wasn't that long ago and the tables were switched, I think the rumors about the death of UM is is highly exaggerated. I think the two schools should stay together in an athletic conference. There is too much history and being a small state I think we need to stick together. UM will get things together again on the University side, the athletic department is still strong despite what some may think.

[PapaG]

Just my 2 bits worth, and remember this is coming from as big a gris hater as anyone.

It wasn't that long ago and the tables were switched, I think the rumors about the death of UM is is highly exaggerated. I think the two schools should stay together in an athletic conference. There is too much history and being a small state I think we need to stick together. UM will get things together again on the University side, the athletic department is still strong despite what some may think.

You spend too much time on egris. Why would anyone with any intelligence go there. Maybe for accounting but that’s AI soon enough.

They do like their dancing and singing in Missoula and one Bobcat poster and one Gris poster here on this site have tried to doxx me because they’re pathetic loser worms who won’t give their names.

It’s not you.

[cats2506]

Just my 2 bits worth, and remember this is coming from as big a gris hater as anyone.

It wasn't that long ago and the tables were switched, I think the rumors about the death of UM is is highly exaggerated. I think the two schools should stay together in an athletic conference. There is too much history and being a small state I think we need to stick together. UM will get things together again on the University side, the athletic department is still strong despite what some may think.

You spend too much time on egris. Why would anyone with any intelligence go there. Maybe for accounting but that’s AI soon enough.

They do like their dancing and singing in Missoula and one Bobcat poster and one Gris poster here on this site have tried to doxx me because they’re pathetic worms who won’t give their names.

Havent been on egris in months, and very little in the last few years, I do share and office with a fairly new um grad (business) though.

[coloradocat]

Just my 2 bits worth, and remember this is coming from as big a gris hater as anyone.

It wasn't that long ago and the tables were switched, I think the rumors about the death of UM is is highly exaggerated. I think the two schools should stay together in an athletic conference. There is too much history and being a small state I think we need to stick together. UM will get things together again on the University side, the athletic department is still strong despite what some may think.

This is what I was referring to in my previous comment but didn't feel like spelling it out.

We're currently at an all time high in every way, just like they were 20 years ago. All it takes is a couple bad administrations on our side to fall back down, and a couple remotely competent administrations on their side to climb back up. We're better established for the future of college education but there will never be a shortage of kids that prefer liberal arts over jobs . As far as athletics, and football in particular, we've almost maxed out our potential in the Big Sky/FCS. We are on the trajectory to a football national championship and it's possible the men's basketball team could win a game in the NCAA Tournament, but otherwise we've got to work really hard just to stay on top, and there's always movement at the top.

Even though it feels like it will always be unrealistic for any FBS conference to want two schools from a state with barely over a million people, we should stick together. If nothing else, it sure is fun watching us win Cat/griz.