The North Dakota State Bison defeated the Illinois State Redbirds 29-27 earlier today for their 4th straight championship -- an FCS record. The Bison scored the game winning touchdown with 37 seconds left.

Game highlights here: http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=400749714

The North Dakota State seniors won more championships over their four years than they lost games. The seniors amassed a 58-3 record over four years with wins over FBS opponents: Minnesota, Colorado State, Kansas State, and Iowa State.

Congrats to NDSU. it was a fun and good game to watch.

From a realignment port of view. some of their fans want FBS, as FCS is not challenging enough. But out of MVFC teams, three schools and maybe more have a better chance of getting an FBS invite than NDSU: Ill St, Mo St, and Youngtown St, Ind St, S Ill and UNI have talked about going FBS too. If N Ill leaves the MAC, Ill St would get a shot with the MAC. Mo St has an open invite to the Sun Belt. YSU has Pelini and their President. If as Kittonhead says, Ohio and some other MAC teams move on, the eastern MVC teams are easy fill ins.

The MWC is often cited by NDSU and Montana fans as their possible destination, but the probability is <0.001 % unless the AAC or Big 12 does a major raid on the MWC. UTEP, North Texas, Rice, and UTSA or even UC Davis have so much more to offer the MWC, if they ever needed another team.

NDSU to the Big 12!

(01-10-2015 07:17 PM)goofus Wrote:  NDSU to the Big 12!

NDSU fans believe such nonsense. NDSU can't get an invite to the MVC, but their gonna get a Big 12 one.

The biggest problem for NDSU is that while the MAC would appreciate a school with some football chops it is so far away from its current closest MAC neighbor that it does not make current sense (I think NIU is the closest but the distance from NDSU to NIU is about the same as NIU to Buffalo I think and that is the furthest probably). To further make the problem worse is that it would be hard to build a bridge there. If there were schools in Wisconsin and Minnesota then you could build out that way and make a western division but that won't work due to lack of viable options.

Isn't that a record at every level, four in a row?

I know 3 in a row is record set at the DII level by UNA.

Love me some Redbird...many my family flourishing on scholarships from there...Div. I isn't have all be all!!l

A football only conference with NDSU,SDSU and some Big Sky teams would be perfect.

What I don't understand is if they can average nineteen thousand why do they need a new stadium. Kent ST has twenty thousand and no where near as many fans.
Geography is the only thing hurting them flagship school with great support.
Compare that with schools that are FBS but the exact opposite poor support and academics.

Several strong schools in the North have the same problem.

NDSU,UMASS,Montana ,Montana ST ,Deleware and others don't like their options like JMU.

(01-10-2015 09:31 PM)MJG Wrote:  A football only conference with NDSU,SDSU and some Big Sky teams would be perfect.

What I don't understand is if they can average nineteen thousand why do they need a new stadium. Kent ST has twenty thousand and no where near as many fans.
Geography is the only thing hurting them flagship school with great support.
Compare that with schools that are FBS but the exact opposite poor support and academics.

Several strong schools in the North have the same problem.

NDSU,UMASS,Montana ,Montana ST ,Deleware and others don't like their options like JMU.

I believe an 8-team FBS league of 4 eastern teams (with possibilities like NDSU, SD St, USD, North Dakota, UNI, etc.) and 4 western teams (Idaho, EWU, Montana, Montana St) could be fairly successful. With only 8 members, there'd be only 7 conference games, leaving 5 OOC games that league members could use largely for bodybag money games.

If a G5 playoff becomes a reality and if this new conference could be included, I think this becomes more feasible.

(01-10-2015 09:42 PM)Eichorst Wrote:  

(01-10-2015 09:31 PM)MJG Wrote:  A football only conference with NDSU,SDSU and some Big Sky teams would be perfect.

What I don't understand is if they can average nineteen thousand why do they need a new stadium. Kent ST has twenty thousand and no where near as many fans.
Geography is the only thing hurting them flagship school with great support.
Compare that with schools that are FBS but the exact opposite poor support and academics.

Several strong schools in the North have the same problem.

NDSU,UMASS,Montana ,Montana ST ,Deleware and others don't like their options like JMU.

I believe an 8-team FBS league of 4 eastern teams (with possibilities like NDSU, SD St, USD, North Dakota, UNI, etc.) and 4 western teams (Idaho, EWU, Montana, Montana St) could be fairly successful. With only 8 members, there'd be only 7 conference games, leaving 5 OOC games that league members could use largely for bodybag money games.

If a G5 playoff becomes a reality and if this new conference could be included, I think this becomes more feasible.

Cal Poly, UCDavis, Sac St, and Portland St aren't playing football for an end game of FCS. Big Sky Commissioner Fullerton has talked in the Missoula paper this fall about dividing the Big Sky into FBS and FCS. He's also effectively invited NDSU and the South Dakota schools. I'm sure NMSU would be welcome too, if and when the Sun Belt drops them. UNI has attachments to the MVC, and they'd have a difficult time going west. FCS teams would go to the WAC.

http://missoulian.com/college/griz/spelt...f887a.html

Although NDSU may be too far away for the MAC, UNI could easily fit in the MAC if it wanted FBS football.

(01-10-2015 10:48 PM)goofus Wrote:  Although NDSU may be too far away for the MAC, UNI could easily fit in the MAC if it wanted FBS football.

Yes they could and their basketball would be welcome (plus they are already in the MAC for wrestling) however I think there would be worries about whether they could sustain that level of commitment long term at the FBS level.

(01-10-2015 09:31 PM)MJG Wrote:  A football only conference with NDSU,SDSU and some Big Sky teams would be perfect.

What I don't understand is if they can average nineteen thousand why do they need a new stadium. Kent ST has twenty thousand and no where near as many fans.
Geography is the only thing hurting them flagship school with great support.
Compare that with schools that are FBS but the exact opposite poor support and academics.

Several strong schools in the North have the same problem.

NDSU,UMASS,Montana ,Montana ST ,Deleware and others don't like their options like JMU.

Just to be fair if you are talking about stadium size Kent State actually holds over 25K. It was at 20k for a season while some renovations were being done (and before the renovations it was over 30K due to NCAA rules for the time).

(01-10-2015 09:31 PM)MJG Wrote:  A football only conference with NDSU,SDSU and some Big Sky teams would be perfect.

What I don't understand is if they can average nineteen thousand why do they need a new stadium. Kent ST has twenty thousand and no where near as many fans.
Geography is the only thing hurting them flagship school with great support.
Compare that with schools that are FBS but the exact opposite poor support and academics.

Several strong schools in the North have the same problem.

NDSU,UMASS,Montana ,Montana ST ,Deleware and others don't like their options like JMU.

What do you mean by inferring that UMass and Delaware have poor academics, geography issues and fan support. Both teams are fine institutions and average the same amount of fan support as NDSU.

There's an NDSU fan (the moderator of the dead MVC forum I believe) who constantly pimps out NDSU and asks MAC fans why we're afraid to take them in. My response is always the same: either move to southern Wisconsin or get the MWC to take you in. Heck, I'm not a proponent of adding Illinois State but at least we can use them as a geographically sound example to counter with.

Why does everyone think MAC or MWC when it comes to NDSU? Neither of conferences have any incentive to look at NDSU.

The perfect move for NDSU would be to garner a FB only invitation from the Sun Belt Conference.

Say in this example CUSA adds ULL to replace UAB. Benson then can offer NDSU and UMass FB only.

West: NMSU, Idaho, NDSU, Texas St, AState, ULM
East: USA, Troy, Georgia St, GaSo, App St, UMASS

That gives the SBC a distinctly Western and Eastern division of schools that could work for the next 5 years or so until there is more change. NDSU is able to break into FBS and start the movement toward a new western FBS conference.

(01-10-2015 10:00 PM)NoDak Wrote:  

(01-10-2015 09:42 PM)Eichorst Wrote:  

(01-10-2015 09:31 PM)MJG Wrote:  A football only conference with NDSU,SDSU and some Big Sky teams would be perfect.

What I don't understand is if they can average nineteen thousand why do they need a new stadium. Kent ST has twenty thousand and no where near as many fans.
Geography is the only thing hurting them flagship school with great support.
Compare that with schools that are FBS but the exact opposite poor support and academics.

Several strong schools in the North have the same problem.

NDSU,UMASS,Montana ,Montana ST ,Deleware and others don't like their options like JMU.

I believe an 8-team FBS league of 4 eastern teams (with possibilities like NDSU, SD St, USD, North Dakota, UNI, etc.) and 4 western teams (Idaho, EWU, Montana, Montana St) could be fairly successful. With only 8 members, there'd be only 7 conference games, leaving 5 OOC games that league members could use largely for bodybag money games.

If a G5 playoff becomes a reality and if this new conference could be included, I think this becomes more feasible.

Cal Poly, UCDavis, Sac St, and Portland St aren't playing football for an end game of FCS. Big Sky Commissioner Fullerton has talked in the Missoula paper this fall about dividing the Big Sky into FBS and FCS. He's also effectively invited NDSU and the South Dakota schools. I'm sure NMSU would be welcome too, if and when the Sun Belt drops them. UNI has attachments to the MVC, and they'd have a difficult time going west. FCS teams would go to the WAC.

http://missoulian.com/college/griz/spelt...f887a.html

Per the article:

"Fullerton has this competitive edge that serves him well. He’ll tell you flat-out one of the benefits of adding Cal Poly and UC Davis to the Big Sky football lineup was squeezing the now-defunct football WAC."

Someone should tell the Big Sky presidents "flat out" that Fullerton sold them a bill of goods. By buying into his strategy to kill WAC football, they deprived themselves of any opportunity to move their football programs up to the FBS level for the foreseeable future. Fullerton's notion of splitting the Big Sky and somehow unilaterally advancing half of the teams in the conference to FBS is a fantasy.

(01-11-2015 01:55 AM)HawaiiMongoose Wrote:  

(01-10-2015 10:00 PM)NoDak Wrote:  

(01-10-2015 09:42 PM)Eichorst Wrote:  

(01-10-2015 09:31 PM)MJG Wrote:  A football only conference with NDSU,SDSU and some Big Sky teams would be perfect.

What I don't understand is if they can average nineteen thousand why do they need a new stadium. Kent ST has twenty thousand and no where near as many fans.
Geography is the only thing hurting them flagship school with great support.
Compare that with schools that are FBS but the exact opposite poor support and academics.

Several strong schools in the North have the same problem.

NDSU,UMASS,Montana ,Montana ST ,Deleware and others don't like their options like JMU.

I believe an 8-team FBS league of 4 eastern teams (with possibilities like NDSU, SD St, USD, North Dakota, UNI, etc.) and 4 western teams (Idaho, EWU, Montana, Montana St) could be fairly successful. With only 8 members, there'd be only 7 conference games, leaving 5 OOC games that league members could use largely for bodybag money games.

If a G5 playoff becomes a reality and if this new conference could be included, I think this becomes more feasible.

Cal Poly, UCDavis, Sac St, and Portland St aren't playing football for an end game of FCS. Big Sky Commissioner Fullerton has talked in the Missoula paper this fall about dividing the Big Sky into FBS and FCS. He's also effectively invited NDSU and the South Dakota schools. I'm sure NMSU would be welcome too, if and when the Sun Belt drops them. UNI has attachments to the MVC, and they'd have a difficult time going west. FCS teams would go to the WAC.

http://missoulian.com/college/griz/spelt...f887a.html

Per the article:

"Fullerton has this competitive edge that serves him well. He’ll tell you flat-out one of the benefits of adding Cal Poly and UC Davis to the Big Sky football lineup was squeezing the now-defunct football WAC."

Someone should tell the Big Sky presidents "flat out" that Fullerton sold them a bill of goods. By buying into his strategy to kill WAC football, they deprived themselves of any opportunity to move their football programs up to the FBS level for the foreseeable future. Fullerton's notion of splitting the Big Sky and somehow unilaterally advancing half of the teams in the conference to FBS is a fantasy.

This. If Fullerton wanted to kill WAC football, he did so because he wanted to burn a bridge to FBS that Big Sky schools could have used.

I would say that NDSU is an FCS football powerhouse but they have almost no chance to move to ANY FBS conference. It's all about location, location, location...