(02-17-2017 03:12 PM)MWC Tex Wrote:  NMSU will only survive 2 or 3 years as an Indy. After that, count them out of the group.

FBS Independence works for large, wealthy private schools (i.e. BYU, Notre Dame, Army and now Liberty).
UMass will eventually need to find a conference. Even then, ND needs the ACC schools and BYU needs the MW for scheduling and interest for their fans. Liberty will have some SB members who played them not to long ago to help as well as a few CUSA members for some regionals games.

Several top FCS schools do not have any troubles getting to play P5 schools. Look at Eastern Washington? The past couple of years, they played 2 P5 FBS conference teams a year from the PAC 12. I do think they could set up a schedule alliance with both the PAC 12 and the MWC if they go to FBS. Even if some of the CAA and MVFC could find schedule alliances with FBS schools as well with the Southern and Southland schools. I could throw OVC as well. Those 6 conferences at the FCS is the top conferences of the FCS level.