FBS move-up handwriting on the wall!

[BelgradeBobcat]

Choate is making $1.05 million, Sprinkle is making $900,000. Both are at the bottom of the MWC in terms of salary. Where is the money going to come from to pay all of our coaches at a competitive salary if we move up? I don't see TV money covering all the additional expenses involved with moving up.

Student fees would have to be part of the package.

Someone already posted a link to this, but MSUs student fees are already higher than similar MWC schools. Most of the difference between the Montanas and the MWC is due to the TV contracts & state funding.

Theres a bit more in bowl contracts & booster/corporate sponsorships, but its mostly the TV money & taxpayer funding.

What about body bag games. Don't G5 FBS teams get north $1million to be sacrificial lambs instead of what we get (somewhere around 4 to 500K I believe)? Plus you get that 12th game every year which can be another home game to boost revenue if ticket sales are strong, or allows for an extra body bag game? I suppose basketball is the same, but with much smaller numbers?

[NOCOcat2005]

Montana State isn't moving up to the FBS, we don't have the facilities or eyeballs on TV's. The transfer portal will continue to be a mix blessing, losing some talent and bringing in others. MSU has it better then most, great attendance at football games, fans that actually care, there are many programs in the FBS that don't have that. Enjoy the ride.

[Cataholic]

Choate is making $1.05 million, Sprinkle is making $900,000. Both are at the bottom of the MWC in terms of salary. Where is the money going to come from to pay all of our coaches at a competitive salary if we move up? I don't see TV money covering all the additional expenses involved with moving up.

Student fees would have to be part of the package.

Someone already posted a link to this, but MSUs student fees are already higher than similar MWC schools. Most of the difference between the Montanas and the MWC is due to the TV contracts & state funding.

Theres a bit more in bowl contracts & booster/corporate sponsorships, but its mostly the TV money & taxpayer funding.

I don’t recall such a post. Can you dig that up?

[onceacat]

Choate is making $1.05 million, Sprinkle is making $900,000. Both are at the bottom of the MWC in terms of salary. Where is the money going to come from to pay all of our coaches at a competitive salary if we move up? I don't see TV money covering all the additional expenses involved with moving up.

Student fees would have to be part of the package.

Someone already posted a link to this, but MSUs student fees are already higher than similar MWC schools. Most of the difference between the Montanas and the MWC is due to the TV contracts & state funding.

Theres a bit more in bowl contracts & booster/corporate sponsorships, but its mostly the TV money & taxpayer funding.

I don’t recall such a post. Can you dig that up?

Its literally on this thread (pg 3). And you responded to it.

https://bobcatnation.com/bobcatbb/viewt ... 45#p822897

[Bobcat4Ever]

As the CFP continues to expand it’s only a matter of time until the rest of the FBS wants/gets a playoff system which could make more bowls relevant. I think the either/or is going to get fuzzy, and at that point there will be some reconfigurations.

I think you are right on an emotional level. Nobody really likes the bowl system relative to a real playoff. The problem is that ESPN needs the bowls in order to sell advertising in November & December.

All that money that pays for Jeff Choate to make 6mill/year? Comes mostly from TV ads.

Until you figure out the economics of the TV contract, I just don't see how we get to a real playoff for th eG5 even though everyone would prefer it.

What I sort of snuck in there, but didn’t say it too clearly is that maybe the minor bowls could host playoff games and thereby become somewhat more relevant. If Utah or Northwestern had been moving on toward a possible championship, I’ll bet the game would have been more hotly contested. The CFP grid was mapped over the major bowls. I would think 20-24 of the Baby Bowls could have playoff games. The time frame is about right.

[onceacat]

How about those "mighty" Minnesota Gophers going 5-7 and having the honor of going to the "Quick Lane " bowl....and winning over the six win Bowling Green Falcons! ( I had to google to look up the mascot for BG.) What an honor! What an accomplishment! Enjoyed by dozens in the cavernous Ford Field Dome and hundreds more yawning in front of their TV sets at home. Just think how excited we would be for the Cats to play in such a bowl game!

And someday it could all be ours too. Yippeee. Just need a modest boost of institutional support first.

The Quick Lane Bowl had roughly the same attendance last year as the NDSU-UM Semifinal (double the attendance of the SDSU Albany Semi).

Viewership of these bowls is still double the viewership of the FCS games.

https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/colleg ... v-ratings/

I guess I don't understand the "pointlessness" of games with far more interest than FCS football. (And I'm a fan of the FCS, I wish FBS would do a playoff too...)

[onceacat]

As the CFP continues to expand it’s only a matter of time until the rest of the FBS wants/gets a playoff system which could make more bowls relevant. I think the either/or is going to get fuzzy, and at that point there will be some reconfigurations.

I think you are right on an emotional level. Nobody really likes the bowl system relative to a real playoff. The problem is that ESPN needs the bowls in order to sell advertising in November & December.

All that money that pays for Jeff Choate to make 6mill/year? Comes mostly from TV ads.

Until you figure out the economics of the TV contract, I just don't see how we get to a real playoff for th eG5 even though everyone would prefer it.

What I sort of snuck in there, but didn’t say it too clearly is that maybe the minor bowls could host playoff games and thereby become somewhat more relevant. If Utah or Northwestern had been moving on toward a possible championship, I’ll bet the game would have been more hotly contested. The CFP grid was mapped over the major bowls. I would think 20-24 of the Baby Bowls could have playoff games. The time frame is about right.

Kinda true...except that ESPN wants to play football 24-7 for Christmas/New Years while people are both on vacation drinking hot toddys & trying to escape spending time with their families.
co
To do a real playoff, all the games need to take place on Friday/Saturday...and then ESPN is forced to move the International Cornhole Championship from ESPN2 to ESPN on Wednesday night & have Senior Pickleball Series on Tuesday of Christmas week.

Not nearly as many ad sales for Cornhole & Pickleball.

[tetoncat]

I've come across as a staunch move up now guy. That isn't entirely accurate. My feelings are that most of the blue bloods have moved on from FBS and the current ones are looking to do the same. NDSU has made it no secret that they would go if the right invite came along and furthermore, SDSU and NDSU are teams that are like MSU and UM. Both are attached at the hip will only move if both are going. If those 2 teams go the subdivision starts to look pretty bad. Side note it would mean of the 4 teams the griz played in the post season this year, 3 of the 4 will be gone.

MSU just needs to be ready, this is my stance. Have the funding, the facilities in place to make the move. People here like to point out things like attendance in bowl games or the records of the teams involved but all of those bowl games save 1 or 2 will get significantly higher numbers of viewers than the FCS title game will. All of FBS see's FCS as being very beneath them and this championship only matters to us, the ones playing in it and paying attention. The only way they really pay attention is if you dominate ala NDSU. I asked my friend this summer who the FCS champ was, He lives in Washington and is a Husky fan, he said "NDSU right?" If someone brings up Idaho again I'll lose my sh*t. UI is the only team to move back down and there are dozens that move up and succeed like App St, Coastal Carolina, Marshall, and JMU.

In the last half decade of seasons the Big Sky has gotten more and more fractured on teams the have the resources AND are willing to invest in football. I think a few teams will rise up but none will have staying power or will of being competitive except the 2 MT schools and possibly Idaho. EWU had a good run but their facilities and fan support have faded. Sac St has been good but only 5 years ago we knew them as Suck St.

Ultimately the most important thing is the health of the University Athletic Dept and and the Student Athletes. (it's not the fans as some here have posted) Sticking around till you don't have any options is a realistic outcome. I want MSU to thrive and grow and part of that growth is risk. Sitting still can be the same as moving backwards and I want to compete with in-kind universities. I don't think Portland St, Northern Colorado, Eastern Washington or the Southern Utah's should be what we aspire to. I don't want to watch the Cat's blow out Utah tech's, Stetson's, Morehead St's. I think Colorado St, Utah St, South Dakota St, North Dakota St, Wyoming, Nevada, etc etc. Those are who the Cats should be taking the field with. I love the playoffs and if it wasn't for the xDSU's the Cats might be looking at 3 or 4 in a row.. If those guys leave there isn't much left to get excited about.

Did your friend know who won any of the bowl games played last year?

[Cataholic]

Choate is making $1.05 million, Sprinkle is making $900,000. Both are at the bottom of the MWC in terms of salary. Where is the money going to come from to pay all of our coaches at a competitive salary if we move up? I don't see TV money covering all the additional expenses involved with moving up.

Student fees would have to be part of the package.

Someone already posted a link to this, but MSUs student fees are already higher than similar MWC schools. Most of the difference between the Montanas and the MWC is due to the TV contracts & state funding.

Theres a bit more in bowl contracts & booster/corporate sponsorships, but its mostly the TV money & taxpayer funding.

I don’t recall such a post. Can you dig that up?

Its literally on this thread (pg 3). And you responded to it.

https://bobcatnation.com/bobcatbb/viewt ... 45#p822897

No idea what you are talking about. You said “MSU student fees are already higher than similar MWC schools”. I don’t see that anywhere. And Colters post that I responded to seemed to say the exact opposite of what you said above.

[cats2506]

How about those "mighty" Minnesota Gophers going 5-7 and having the honor of going to the "Quick Lane " bowl....and winning over the six win Bowling Green Falcons! ( I had to google to look up the mascot for BG.) What an honor! What an accomplishment! Enjoyed by dozens in the cavernous Ford Field Dome and hundreds more yawning in front of their TV sets at home. Just think how excited we would be for the Cats to play in such a bowl game!

My thoughts exactly

[Berkeley_Griz]

How about those "mighty" Minnesota Gophers going 5-7 and having the honor of going to the "Quick Lane " bowl....and winning over the six win Bowling Green Falcons! ( I had to google to look up the mascot for BG.) What an honor! What an accomplishment! Enjoyed by dozens in the cavernous Ford Field Dome and hundreds more yawning in front of their TV sets at home. Just think how excited we would be for the Cats to play in such a bowl game!

And someday it could all be ours too. Yippeee. Just need a modest boost of institutional support first.

The Quick Lane Bowl had roughly the same attendance last year as the NDSU-UM Semifinal (double the attendance of the SDSU Albany Semi).

Viewership of these bowls is still double the viewership of the FCS games.

https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/colleg ... v-ratings/

I guess I don't understand the "pointlessness" of games with far more interest than FCS football. (And I'm a fan of the FCS, I wish FBS would do a playoff too...)

So last year, a last game of the year between two universities with a combined enrollment nearly 20,000 more than UM+NDSU and with a combined alumni base nearly twice of UM+NDSU were able to almost equal the fans present at a second to last game of the year between UM and NDSU, though the bowl game was played in a stadium with nearly triple the attendance number. Neither team won any sort of championship by playing, and multiple players from both teams sat the game out. If that's not pointless, I don't know what is.

More people watch bowls because 1) bowls are all over big networks and lots of randos just bowl surf this time of year and 2) there's a strong correlation between being an FBS school and having a larger enrollment than many FCS schools. None of that negates the fact that all but the biggest bowls are truly meaningless, and only becoming more so.

[kennethnoisewater]

Bowl games suck for the most part. I think we can all agree on that. I believe the FBS (and TV networks) will figure something else out in terms of making bowl games interesting for the bottom half of the FBS, and I believe that will be a separate playoff system for the second tier of the FBS, whatever that ends up being called. I'm a "move-up" guy, but ONLY if there's an overhaul to the system. Honestly it's just a reconfiguring of what I-AA was. I-AA was just a second tier of D-I football, then that first tier got bloated and top-heavy. The top tier needs to trim the fat, they need to do their own thing, then the second tier needs to be the rest of the FBS plus the powers in the FCS. So I'm not a move-up guy if a) there's not a restructuring of schools, and b) there's not a way to make a move up more financially viable. If the only way MSU moves up is in the current system and at the current price, I (along with most move-up guys on this board, I'm guessing) think we should stay put.

[wbtfg]

Bowl games suck for the most part. I think we can all agree on that. I believe the FBS (and TV networks) will figure something else out in terms of making bowl games interesting for the bottom half of the FBS, and I believe that will be a separate playoff system for the second tier of the FBS, whatever that ends up being called. I'm a "move-up" guy, but ONLY if there's an overhaul to the system. Honestly it's just a reconfiguring of what I-AA was. I-AA was just a second tier of D-I football, then that first tier got bloated and top-heavy. The top tier needs to trim the fat, they need to do their own thing, then the second tier needs to be the rest of the FBS plus the powers in the FCS. So I'm not a move-up guy if a) there's not a restructuring of schools, and b) there's not a way to make a move up more financially viable. If the only way MSU moves up is in the current system and at the current price, I (along with most move-up guys on this board, I'm guessing) think we should stay put.

This is pretty much where I'm at as well.

I was thinking earlier this week, that if MSU made the Lending Tree Bowl in Mobile, Alabama to play the Mean Green of North Texas. I don't think I'd be interested in attending, nor do I think I'd take off work if the game were scheduled midday.

The national championship in Frisco, on the other hand. i'd do everything in my power to attend.

[onceacat]

How about those "mighty" Minnesota Gophers going 5-7 and having the honor of going to the "Quick Lane " bowl....and winning over the six win Bowling Green Falcons! ( I had to google to look up the mascot for BG.) What an honor! What an accomplishment! Enjoyed by dozens in the cavernous Ford Field Dome and hundreds more yawning in front of their TV sets at home. Just think how excited we would be for the Cats to play in such a bowl game!

And someday it could all be ours too. Yippeee. Just need a modest boost of institutional support first.

The Quick Lane Bowl had roughly the same attendance last year as the NDSU-UM Semifinal (double the attendance of the SDSU Albany Semi).

Viewership of these bowls is still double the viewership of the FCS games.

https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/colleg ... v-ratings/

I guess I don't understand the "pointlessness" of games with far more interest than FCS football. (And I'm a fan of the FCS, I wish FBS would do a playoff too...)

So last year, a last game of the year between two universities with a combined enrollment nearly 20,000 more than UM+NDSU and with a combined alumni base nearly twice of UM+NDSU were able to almost equal the fans present at a second to last game of the year between UM and NDSU, though the bowl game was played in a stadium with nearly triple the attendance number. Neither team won any sort of championship by playing, and multiple players from both teams sat the game out. If that's not pointless, I don't know what is.

More people watch bowls because 1) bowls are all over big networks and lots of randos just bowl surf this time of year and 2) there's a strong correlation between being an FBS school and having a larger enrollment than many FCS schools. None of that negates the fact that all but the biggest bowls are truly meaningless, and only becoming more so.

On a Tuesday night?

I think everyone agrees, bowl games are meaningless except for the final 3.

And yet, more people still care about the Quickie Lube Bowl than an FCS championship game. Tells you something about the level at which we are playing.


BTW, NAIA fans REALLY care about their playoffs too. But ultimately, just like for FCS, there just arent that many fans who care.

[tetoncat]

How about those "mighty" Minnesota Gophers going 5-7 and having the honor of going to the "Quick Lane " bowl....and winning over the six win Bowling Green Falcons! ( I had to google to look up the mascot for BG.) What an honor! What an accomplishment! Enjoyed by dozens in the cavernous Ford Field Dome and hundreds more yawning in front of their TV sets at home. Just think how excited we would be for the Cats to play in such a bowl game!

And someday it could all be ours too. Yippeee. Just need a modest boost of institutional support first.

The Quick Lane Bowl had roughly the same attendance last year as the NDSU-UM Semifinal (double the attendance of the SDSU Albany Semi).

Viewership of these bowls is still double the viewership of the FCS games.

https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/colleg ... v-ratings/

I guess I don't understand the "pointlessness" of games with far more interest than FCS football. (And I'm a fan of the FCS, I wish FBS would do a playoff too...)

So last year, a last game of the year between two universities with a combined enrollment nearly 20,000 more than UM+NDSU and with a combined alumni base nearly twice of UM+NDSU were able to almost equal the fans present at a second to last game of the year between UM and NDSU, though the bowl game was played in a stadium with nearly triple the attendance number. Neither team won any sort of championship by playing, and multiple players from both teams sat the game out. If that's not pointless, I don't know what is.

More people watch bowls because 1) bowls are all over big networks and lots of randos just bowl surf this time of year and 2) there's a strong correlation between being an FBS school and having a larger enrollment than many FCS schools. None of that negates the fact that all but the biggest bowls are truly meaningless, and only becoming more so.

On a Tuesday night?

I think everyone agrees, bowl games are meaningless except for the final 3.

And yet, more people still care about the Quickie Lube Bowl than an FCS championship game. Tells you something about the level at which we are playing.


BTW, NAIA fans REALLY care about their playoffs too. But ultimately, just like for FCS, there just arent that many fans who care.

More people don't care. You keep relating people who watch to those that care. They are not the same. Viewers will include casual sports fans that don't have anything else to watch. Primary shows are in re runs. College basketball slows during holidays. A lot of FBS have larger alumni base than FCS or lower so they will get more viewers that way as well. Will they really care if they win or lose?

[ringthebells]

ESPN will be pushing for another round of lambs to the slaughter once they realize how much interest there is in the playoff format. People watch the play-in games for March Madness. If they added two more games, people would watch those too. If those same two teams played, but weren't a part of March Madness, no one would care. It will be the same thing with the CFP. More games, more viewers. Heck, play the FCS championship game earlier and give the winner the #18 spot on the unavoidable expanded, expanded playoff format.

Drop the number of wins to 5 for bowl eligibility and you will have enough teams to have expanded playoffs as well as crappy bowl games every night. I am a guy who watches all of those crappy bowl games. I don't care who wins, just like college football.

[Prodigal Cat]

I've come across as a staunch move up now guy. That isn't entirely accurate. My feelings are that most of the blue bloods have moved on from FBS and the current ones are looking to do the same. NDSU has made it no secret that they would go if the right invite came along and furthermore, SDSU and NDSU are teams that are like MSU and UM. Both are attached at the hip will only move if both are going. If those 2 teams go the subdivision starts to look pretty bad. Side note it would mean of the 4 teams the griz played in the post season this year, 3 of the 4 will be gone.

MSU just needs to be ready, this is my stance. Have the funding, the facilities in place to make the move. People here like to point out things like attendance in bowl games or the records of the teams involved but all of those bowl games save 1 or 2 will get significantly higher numbers of viewers than the FCS title game will. All of FBS see's FCS as being very beneath them and this championship only matters to us, the ones playing in it and paying attention. The only way they really pay attention is if you dominate ala NDSU. I asked my friend this summer who the FCS champ was, He lives in Washington and is a Husky fan, he said "NDSU right?" If someone brings up Idaho again I'll lose my sh*t. UI is the only team to move back down and there are dozens that move up and succeed like App St, Coastal Carolina, Marshall, and JMU.

In the last half decade of seasons the Big Sky has gotten more and more fractured on teams the have the resources AND are willing to invest in football. I think a few teams will rise up but none will have staying power or will of being competitive except the 2 MT schools and possibly Idaho. EWU had a good run but their facilities and fan support have faded. Sac St has been good but only 5 years ago we knew them as Suck St.

Ultimately the most important thing is the health of the University Athletic Dept and and the Student Athletes. (it's not the fans as some here have posted) Sticking around till you don't have any options is a realistic outcome. I want MSU to thrive and grow and part of that growth is risk. Sitting still can be the same as moving backwards and I want to compete with in-kind universities. I don't think Portland St, Northern Colorado, Eastern Washington or the Southern Utah's should be what we aspire to. I don't want to watch the Cat's blow out Utah tech's, Stetson's, Morehead St's. I think Colorado St, Utah St, South Dakota St, North Dakota St, Wyoming, Nevada, etc etc. Those are who the Cats should be taking the field with. I love the playoffs and if it wasn't for the xDSU's the Cats might be looking at 3 or 4 in a row.. If those guys leave there isn't much left to get excited about.

Did your friend know who won any of the bowl games played last year?

No which further proves my point. I doubt you can name every team that qualified for the FCS playoffs. Or who the D2 or D3 champion is. He can name though, as can I, who won the MWC this season (Boise) or last season (Fresno).

[Berkeley_Griz]

How about those "mighty" Minnesota Gophers going 5-7 and having the honor of going to the "Quick Lane " bowl....and winning over the six win Bowling Green Falcons! ( I had to google to look up the mascot for BG.) What an honor! What an accomplishment! Enjoyed by dozens in the cavernous Ford Field Dome and hundreds more yawning in front of their TV sets at home. Just think how excited we would be for the Cats to play in such a bowl game!

And someday it could all be ours too. Yippeee. Just need a modest boost of institutional support first.

The Quick Lane Bowl had roughly the same attendance last year as the NDSU-UM Semifinal (double the attendance of the SDSU Albany Semi).

Viewership of these bowls is still double the viewership of the FCS games.

https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/colleg ... v-ratings/

I guess I don't understand the "pointlessness" of games with far more interest than FCS football. (And I'm a fan of the FCS, I wish FBS would do a playoff too...)

So last year, a last game of the year between two universities with a combined enrollment nearly 20,000 more than UM+NDSU and with a combined alumni base nearly twice of UM+NDSU were able to almost equal the fans present at a second to last game of the year between UM and NDSU, though the bowl game was played in a stadium with nearly triple the attendance number. Neither team won any sort of championship by playing, and multiple players from both teams sat the game out. If that's not pointless, I don't know what is.

More people watch bowls because 1) bowls are all over big networks and lots of randos just bowl surf this time of year and 2) there's a strong correlation between being an FBS school and having a larger enrollment than many FCS schools. None of that negates the fact that all but the biggest bowls are truly meaningless, and only becoming more so.

And yet, more people still care about the Quickie Lube Bowl than an FCS championship game. Tells you something about the level at which we are playing..

No, it tells you about the size of those schools' fanbases and tells that random TV sport surfers will run a game in the background. Neither of those things makes a bowl game meaningful. You said yourself only the final three are meaningful. So nothing in your argument is denying that bowl games are pointless - something you initially were trying to refute. Rather, you're just changing your argument to "well, more people will watch it on TV" which just reflects alumni base and the craving for college ball when the season is at an end. If Baylor and Texas played in the same bowl game on different years, there's going to be a lot more people watching when Texas plays, because Texas is a huge public school. That doesn't make the bowl game magically more meaningful than the year that Baylor played in it.

So we're back to 1) the bowls are pointless, and 2) joining the FBS would make it impossible for UM or MSU to ever even dream of a championship ever again, instead being relegated to aspiring to go to one of those meaningless bowls in a half empty stadium (or in the greatest season ever, getting the last seed of the expanded playoff and ending the season with a 70-0 bludgeoning by Alabama). All while having to rely more and more on out of state recruits and pouring millions into NIL in a failed attempt to compete.

[AFCAT]

How about those "mighty" Minnesota Gophers going 5-7 and having the honor of going to the "Quick Lane " bowl....and winning over the six win Bowling Green Falcons! ( I had to google to look up the mascot for BG.) What an honor! What an accomplishment! Enjoyed by dozens in the cavernous Ford Field Dome and hundreds more yawning in front of their TV sets at home. Just think how excited we would be for the Cats to play in such a bowl game!

And someday it could all be ours too. Yippeee. Just need a modest boost of institutional support first.

The Quick Lane Bowl had roughly the same attendance last year as the NDSU-UM Semifinal (double the attendance of the SDSU Albany Semi).

Viewership of these bowls is still double the viewership of the FCS games.

https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/colleg ... v-ratings/

I guess I don't understand the "pointlessness" of games with far more interest than FCS football. (And I'm a fan of the FCS, I wish FBS would do a playoff too...)

So last year, a last game of the year between two universities with a combined enrollment nearly 20,000 more than UM+NDSU and with a combined alumni base nearly twice of UM+NDSU were able to almost equal the fans present at a second to last game of the year between UM and NDSU, though the bowl game was played in a stadium with nearly triple the attendance number. Neither team won any sort of championship by playing, and multiple players from both teams sat the game out. If that's not pointless, I don't know what is.

More people watch bowls because 1) bowls are all over big networks and lots of randos just bowl surf this time of year and 2) there's a strong correlation between being an FBS school and having a larger enrollment than many FCS schools. None of that negates the fact that all but the biggest bowls are truly meaningless, and only becoming more so.

And yet, more people still care about the Quickie Lube Bowl than an FCS championship game. Tells you something about the level at which we are playing..

No, it tells you about the size of those schools' fanbases and tells that random TV sport surfers will run a game in the background. Neither of those things makes a bowl game meaningful. You said yourself only the final three are meaningful. So nothing in your argument is denying that bowl games are pointless - something you initially were trying to refute. Rather, you're just changing your argument to "well, more people will watch it on TV" which just reflects alumni base and the craving for college ball when the season is at an end. If Baylor and Texas played in the same bowl game on different years, there's going to be a lot more people watching when Texas plays, because Texas is a huge public school. That doesn't make the bowl game magically more meaningful than the year that Baylor played in it.

So we're back to 1) the bowls are pointless, and 2) joining the FBS would make it impossible for UM or MSU to ever even dream of a championship ever again, instead being relegated to aspiring to go to one of those meaningless bowls in a half empty stadium (or in the greatest season ever, getting the last seed of the expanded playoff and ending the season with a 70-0 bludgeoning by Alabama). All while having to rely more and more on out of state recruits and pouring millions into NIL in a failed attempt to compete.

You need to quit posting here. I hate agreeing with a gris fan.

[Montanabob]

So all you NIL experts, will the founders start to put clauses in agreements to claw back money if they skip Bowl games?