Big Sky Football going to 9 game conference schedule in 2020

oedipuss · Post by **oedipuss** » Mon Oct 10, 2016 10:18 pm

According to Weber St. beat writer.https://mobile.twitter.com/BrandonGarsi ... 7176924160

Hawks86 · Post by **Hawks86** » Tue Oct 11, 2016 9:44 am

Wouldn't that only work with a 12 game schedule?

Silenoz · Post by **Silenoz** » Tue Oct 11, 2016 10:58 am

Hawks86 wrote:Wouldn't that only work with a 12 game schedule?

We'd move to a 2 game OOC schedule. That would probably be a blessing for schools like UM or MSU that could stop scheduling DIIs or NEC/SWAC type teams. But the unbalanced conference schedules would be even more unwieldy with some teams getting 5 home games and others getting 4. And I'm not sure how that would affect programs like ISU that rely on 2 body bag games a year for their budget.

DaCats21 · Post by **DaCats21** » Tue Oct 11, 2016 12:32 pm

The end of DII games I hope!!!

rollo_tumasi · Post by **rollo_tumasi** » Tue Oct 11, 2016 12:51 pm

This will hurt the conference in getting more playoff bids, as half of the conference will have an additional lose on their schedule now...

DaCats21 · Post by **DaCats21** » Tue Oct 11, 2016 3:37 pm

rollo_tumasi wrote:This will hurt the conference in getting more playoff bids, as half of the conference will have an additional lose on their schedule now...

Wont be an additional loss for most. Will replace a second body bag game for many teams, and a DII win for some

BelgradeBobcat · Post by **BelgradeBobcat** » Tue Oct 11, 2016 4:22 pm

From what I gather, scheduling is probably one of the biggest pains in the butt for AD's league wide. This just makes it easier. I also wouldn't be surprised if FCS goes to a 12 game schedule every year.

I wonder if they will also add another "rivalry" team to each schedule. Montana probably wants to play Idaho and Eastern along with MSU every year (and vise-versa). We would probably want to play Idaho State every year. Right now Montana and North Dakota are the rival teams we play every year...or maybe they'll just go to divisions after Idaho joins?

Also interesting is the tweet about North Dakota. I think UND would be gone in a second if the MVFC took them, and it makes total sense for them. Maybe that's in the works?

Interesting stuff.

Hawks86 · Post by **Hawks86** » Wed Oct 12, 2016 9:33 am

I think it makes scheduling 6 home game harder if you are one of the teams that only get 4 home conference games.

Cataholic · Post by **Cataholic** » Wed Oct 12, 2016 10:26 am

This might be a problem for MSU. In some years, we will only get 4 conference home games with only two out of conference games. To get our desired 6 home games, the AD will have to schedule both out of conference games with teams not seeking a muti-season "home and away". Maybe one can be filled with a "home and away", but that leaves an outlier that will probably mean a Division 2 team.

iaafan · Post by **iaafan** » Wed Oct 12, 2016 11:02 am

The ninth league game will be a quasi-postseason game played at the end of the season. All teams play two non-conf games. Then eight conference games in the new two divisions (six in-division games and two out-division games). Then the teams will be paired up by seeds with the teams that have the highest attendance hosting. The #1 seeds will play for the conference championship.

The divisions are as follows:
North
UND, MSU, UM, EWU, ISU, Idaho, UNC
South
NAU, Poly, SSU, Davis, SUU, PSU, WSU

DaCats21 · Post by **DaCats21** » Wed Oct 12, 2016 11:15 am

iaafan wrote:The ninth league game will be a quasi-postseason game played at the end of the season. All teams play two non-conf games. Then eight conference games in the new two divisions (six in-division games and two out-division games). Then the teams will be paired up by seeds with the teams that have the highest attendance hosting. The #1 seeds will play for the conference championship.

The divisions are as follows:
North
UND, MSU, UM, EWU, ISU, Idaho, UNC
South
NAU, Poly, SSU, Davis, SUU, PSU, WSU

Sounds great to me

Hawks86 · Post by **Hawks86** » Wed Oct 12, 2016 11:33 am

https://twitter.com/ajmazzolini/status/786257259386904576

The Butcher · Post by **The Butcher** » Wed Oct 12, 2016 11:40 am

Hawks86 wrote:https://twitter.com/ajmazzolini/status/786257259386904576

If they don't go to a 12 game schedule, I think we better brace for 5 home game seasons every other year.

91catAlum · Post by **91catAlum** » Wed Oct 12, 2016 2:42 pm

The Butcher wrote:
Hawks86 wrote:https://twitter.com/ajmazzolini/status/786257259386904576
If they don't go to a 12 game schedule, I think we better brace for 5 home game seasons every other year.

As long as they make sure that Cat-griz is in Bozeman during the seasons with only 5 home games, it should work out OK once people get over the initial anger.
If we ended up with 6 home games in the seasons we host Cat griz, you'd see a lot fewer season ticket sales during the 5 game, no Cat griz, seasons... Assuming Bobcat club fees remain the same in 5 and 6 home game seasons.

PapaG · Post by **PapaG** » Wed Oct 12, 2016 9:09 pm

DaCats21 wrote:The end of DII games I hope!!!

Probably means more of them since every other year there will only be 4 home conference games and fans of UM and MSU will want 6 home games every season, as they should. Kind of hard to schedule two home OOC games every other year against FCS programs.

PapaG · Post by **PapaG** » Wed Oct 12, 2016 9:10 pm

iaafan wrote:The ninth league game will be a quasi-postseason game played at the end of the season. All teams play two non-conf games. Then eight conference games in the new two divisions (six in-division games and two out-division games). Then the teams will be paired up by seeds with the teams that have the highest attendance hosting. The #1 seeds will play for the conference championship.

The divisions are as follows:
North
UND, MSU, UM, EWU, ISU, Idaho, UNC
South
NAU, Poly, SSU, Davis, SUU, PSU, WSU

Makes more sense to swap UNC with PSU, doesn't it?

I'll predict that the make-up of both the Big Sky and college football in general isn't going to be as it is today in 2020, either, so it's likely a moot point anyhow.

iaafan · Post by **iaafan** » Thu Oct 13, 2016 8:26 am

Yeah, it does. I'm not sure what thinking went into how they split the divisions. The north division is much stronger, so maybe that's why they put PSU in the south and UNC in the north. I agree, that it probably won't matter because by 2020 the whole landscape may have changed. A lot can happen in four years.

luckyirishguy25 · Post by **luckyirishguy25** » Fri Oct 14, 2016 8:02 pm

iaafan wrote:Yeah, it does. I'm not sure what thinking went into how they split the divisions. The north division is much stronger, so maybe that's why they put PSU in the south and UNC in the north. I agree, that it probably won't matter because by 2020 the whole landscape may have changed. A lot can happen in four years.

So the divisions are a sure thing? I guess playing a Championship game within the schedule negates the no championship game rule?

TomCat88 · Post by **TomCat88** » Fri Oct 14, 2016 9:05 pm

iaafan wrote:Yeah, it does. I'm not sure what thinking went into how they split the divisions. The north division is much stronger, so maybe that's why they put PSU in the south and UNC in the north. I agree, that it probably won't matter because by 2020 the whole landscape may have changed. A lot can happen in four years.

Where did you hear the league is splitting into divisions and about the seeded last games? I'm having a tough time believing this.

Bobcat4Ever · Post by **Bobcat4Ever** » Fri Oct 14, 2016 9:29 pm

TomCat88 wrote:
iaafan wrote:Yeah, it does. I'm not sure what thinking went into how they split the divisions. The north division is much stronger, so maybe that's why they put PSU in the south and UNC in the north. I agree, that it probably won't matter because by 2020 the whole landscape may have changed. A lot can happen in four years.
Where did you hear the league is splitting into divisions and about the seeded last games? I'm having a tough time believing this.

At the top of this thread it's attributed to the Weber AD via writer Brandon Garside. Nothing about seedings, though. And it sounds like it has been on the new commissioner's mind since this article from July 17 at least. Just guessing, but it sounds like there may have been a leak.
http://missoulian.com/sports/college/mo ... 64c99.html