http://www.wyomingnews.com/news/uw-athle...2faa0.html

Quote:One suggestion offered by UW faculty and others around the state is the possibly of lowering the football program to a lower division. Currently, UW competes in the Mountain West. Dropping a level would likely put the program in the Big Sky Conference with teams like University of Northern Colorado, University of Montana, Montana State University and Idaho State University.

That may put the Big Sky to 15 schools.

Goodbye Wyoming and hello Wichita State, UTEP or North Dakota State to the MWC.

(09-03-2016 02:13 AM)DavidSt Wrote:  http://www.wyomingnews.com/news/uw-athle...2faa0.html

Quote:One suggestion offered by UW faculty and others around the state is the possibly of lowering the football program to a lower division. Currently, UW competes in the Mountain West. Dropping a level would likely put the program in the Big Sky Conference with teams like University of Northern Colorado, University of Montana, Montana State University and Idaho State University.

That may put the Big Sky to 15 schools.

Goodbye Wyoming and hello Wichita State, UTEP or North Dakota State to the MWC.

Not going to happen. Look at the next paragraphs in the article:

“Moving down a level is not a solution,” Burman said. “In fact, it will only compound some of our issues. We in athletics recognize the hardship we are all facing, and we believe in shared sacrifice. Cutting $1.2 million from our budget will be very painful.”

Such a drop could have various affects on athletics, Burman said. According to NCAA rules, UW gets 85 scholarships for competing in the Mountain West. A Big Sky school receives 63 scholarships.

“The Mountain West revenue we receive is about $3.4 million,” he said. “The Big Sky payout is about $100,000.”

Faculty seems to not understand that you cannot just play a lower level of football without consequences

Wyoming has a lot of tradition including some Orange Bowls. They are like SMU, Tulane, Tulsa and AF in that regard.

Not likely move down. You find places to cut, and do what is needed.

Disregarded when I saw the word 'faculty'. There are faculty that think Rutgers should leave the B1G and drop football.

(09-03-2016 07:46 AM)Chappy Wrote:  Disregarded when I saw the word 'faculty'. There are faculty that think Rutgers should leave the B1G and drop football.

Yeah, faculty doesn't carry much weight on those issues.

But Wyoming is someone who needs to give FCS some thought. That $3.3 million in revenue requires 2 extra sports and 22 extra scholarships just in football, along with higher coaches' salaries and facility investments. They are a program like Montana or Delaware that might still draw well when winning regularly at FCS.

FCS in a pro sports town, on the other hand, is a recipe for irrelevance. It would be better for Georgia State, USF, Charlotte, North Texas, etc. to drop football than to try to play at FCS.

"Offered by the faculty ..." ---> disregarded.

While you're at it, maybe the athletic department admin should offer some "solutions" of cutting academic departments, or heck even whole colleges.

By the way, here are great reasons why Wyoming's situation is nothing like Idaho's situation:

- there is no other FBS team in the state
- there is no other 4-year university in the state, for that matter
- Wyoming was a founding member of the WAC and then the MWC. They'll never be kicked out.
- actually had some success in DI-A/FBS
- here's a big one that I bet a lot of people don't know: the U of Wyoming has a deal with the state govt whereby they get an automatic 100% match on funds for new facilities. Yeah, that's pretty nice.

If Wyoming ever leaves the MWC, it would be to attempt what (fellow founding member) BYU was doing. And I don't see that happening.



Although I do think UTEP would do well to get back with CO St, Wyoming, New Mexico, Hawaii, Air Force, etc.

And one last Wyoming tidbit: NDSU's former head coach and several of his former staff left a couple years ago to take the reigns at Wyoming. The first two seasons haven't gone well, so I'm interested to see what happens this year.

(09-03-2016 07:46 AM)Chappy Wrote:  Disregarded when I saw the word 'faculty'. There are faculty that think Rutgers should leave the B1G and drop football.

yeah we've had that stupid battle for decades... its amazing how "well educated" individuals could have so little intelligence when it comes to basic economics.

(09-03-2016 10:25 AM)AntiG Wrote:  

(09-03-2016 07:46 AM)Chappy Wrote:  Disregarded when I saw the word 'faculty'. There are faculty that think Rutgers should leave the B1G and drop football.

yeah we've had that stupid battle for decades... its amazing how "well educated" individuals could have so little intelligence when it comes to basic economics.

They are just uninformed about the economics of playing in an FBS conference.

Some are like why can't the coaches make 150k a year? That genie has been out of the box for decades.

Maybe to cut some travel expenses? Would MWC could help Wyoming out by giving a thought of adding the Montana pair to join? The Montanas still get access to California still by upgrading to FBS. Could then formed a northern plains FBS using Wyoming, Montanas, Idaho and the four Dakota schools. That gives you 8. Wichita State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa and Missouri State could make it 12, and UTEP could slide into Wyoming's spot.

Stupid thread

(09-03-2016 02:13 AM)DavidSt Wrote:  http://www.wyomingnews.com/news/uw-athle...2faa0.html

Quote:One suggestion offered by UW faculty and others around the state is the possibly of lowering the football program to a lower division. Currently, UW competes in the Mountain West. Dropping a level would likely put the program in the Big Sky Conference with teams like University of Northern Colorado, University of Montana, Montana State University and Idaho State University.

That may put the Big Sky to 15 schools.

Goodbye Wyoming and hello Wichita State, UTEP or North Dakota State to the MWC.

They should drop down like another 20-40 teams but will never do so. Each of these schools just wants to keep up with the Joneses regardless if it's detrimental to their university.

(09-03-2016 10:25 AM)AntiG Wrote:  

(09-03-2016 07:46 AM)Chappy Wrote:  Disregarded when I saw the word 'faculty'. There are faculty that think Rutgers should leave the B1G and drop football.

yeah we've had that stupid battle for decades... its amazing how "well educated" individuals could have so little intelligence when it comes to basic economics.

So non-athletic students are attending Rutgers for their athletic programs? That's a problem.

(09-03-2016 12:58 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  Maybe to cut some travel expenses? Would MWC could help Wyoming out by giving a thought of adding the Montana pair to join? The Montanas still get access to California still by upgrading to FBS. Could then formed a northern plains FBS using Wyoming, Montanas, Idaho and the four Dakota schools. That gives you 8. Wichita State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa and Missouri State could make it 12, and UTEP could slide into Wyoming's spot.

Wyoming just needs to win, but first recruit better. One of the reason is that four FCS schools are now in the Dakotas. When those schools were still DII, Wyoming easily won the same talent that there are now losing. Laramie is a very remote locale for most of those athletes. If UW was in Jackson or in other choice Wyoming locations, it would be much more appealing.

(09-03-2016 07:29 AM)Kittonhead Wrote:  Wyoming has a lot of tradition including some Orange Bowls. They are like SMU, Tulane, Tulsa and AF in that regard.

Nonsense David. Wyoming played LSU in the Sugar Bowl in the 70's...they used to have a damn good football program in the WAC. Hell, they beat UCLA in the Las Vegas Bowl within the last decade. Wyoming may be in a drought but they have a good solid football tradition and some rich ranchers banking them. War Memorial Stadium is a hellava stadium too. Nebraska and Texas have played their recently and they have P5 schools scheduled to visit Laramie in the future. Wyoming is solid.
Cheers!

Wonder why Nebraska and especially Texas played at Wyoming.