05-04-2016, 08:17 AM
05-04-2016, 03:18 PM
An interesting aside to Idaho. The Kibbey dome, their home field, was built with plans that once were looked at as a possible stadium redo for the Glass Bowl. Aren't we glad they did not go ahead with those plans here.
05-04-2016, 06:52 PM
Idaho football was doomed from the time of the collapse of the WAC several years ago. The Sun Belt suffered a major loss of members to C-USA about the same time as the WAC collapsed so the Sun Belt in an act of desperation threw themselves and Idaho and NM State a temporary lifeline for their FBS football programs. Of course the Sun Belt was much better positioned to pick up a few new members than Idaho was to find a new conference. As soon as the Sun Belt was able to build up its football membership to a "safe" level that would allow the conference to withstand further defections and still continue to sponsor FBS football, the Sun Belt immediately dumped Idaho and NM St in order contract their footprint to something resembling a more reasonably compact geography.
The only possible conference that made any sense for Idaho was the Mountain West and (as people often seem to forget) no matter how badly a school may want or may need to join a new conference, unless the conference extends an invitation, membership is not going to happen.... and the MWC has Boise and wanted no part of Idaho.
Thus Idaho had two choices: take football independent or drop back to FCS and get back in the Big Sky which made the most sense for them.
Eastern Michigan is in an entirely different situation than Idaho found itself in because unlike Idaho, EMU actually has choices so if they do drop football or drop down to FCS it will be because they chose to do so for financial reasons, not like Idaho that had no realistic choice but to do so.
The only possible conference that made any sense for Idaho was the Mountain West and (as people often seem to forget) no matter how badly a school may want or may need to join a new conference, unless the conference extends an invitation, membership is not going to happen.... and the MWC has Boise and wanted no part of Idaho.
Thus Idaho had two choices: take football independent or drop back to FCS and get back in the Big Sky which made the most sense for them.
Eastern Michigan is in an entirely different situation than Idaho found itself in because unlike Idaho, EMU actually has choices so if they do drop football or drop down to FCS it will be because they chose to do so for financial reasons, not like Idaho that had no realistic choice but to do so.