A converstion on this board got me thinking about how FBS resources (state support, in-state recruiting and so forth) are carved up for each state. So with Saturday time to kill and football still 2 months away, I thought I'd look at the ratio of the 41 FBS state populations to their number of FBS schools, and see how they rank. This isn't a perfect way to look at it: Navy is probably not heavily recruiting Maryland, no consideration for pecking order, school size, border state recruiting, etc. The stats don't necessarily match on-field results, although Temple has worked out pretty good lately.

AAC States
Rank * State * #FBS Schools * 2016 Population * Pop/#FBS
1 * Pennsylvania * 3 * 12,784,227 * 4,261,409
2 * Connecticut * 1 * 3,576,452 * 3,576,452
3 * Maryland * 2 * 6,016,447 * 3,008,224
4 * Florida * 7 * 20,612,439 * 2,944,634
5 * Texas * 12 * 27,862,596 * 2,321,883
6 * Tennessee * 4 * 6,651,194 * 1,662,799
7 * Ohio * 8 * 11,646,273 * 1,455,784
8 * North Carolina * 7 * 10,146,788 * 1,449,541
9 * Oklahoma * 3 * 3,923,561 * 1,307,854
10 * Louisiana * 5 * 4,681,666 * 936,333

All 41 FBS States
Rank * State * #FBS Schools * 2016 Population * Pop/#FBS
1 * New Jersey * 1 * 8,944,469 * 8,944,469
2 * New York * 3 * 19,745,289 * 6,581,763
3 * Missouri * 1 * 6,093,000 * 6,093,000
4 * Wisconsin * 1 * 5,778,708 * 5,778,708
5 * California * 7 * 39,250,017 * 5,607,145
6 * Minnesota * 1 * 5,519,952 * 5,519,952
7 * Illinois * 3 * 12,801,539 * 4,267,180
8 * Pennsylvania * 3 * 12,784,227 * 4,261,409
9 * Washington * 2 * 7,288,000 * 3,644,000
10 * Connecticut * 1 * 3,576,452 * 3,576,452
11 * Arizona * 2 * 6,931,071 * 3,465,536
12 * Massachusetts * 2 * 6,811,779 * 3,405,890
13 * Maryland * 2 * 6,016,447 * 3,008,224
14 * Florida * 7 * 20,612,439 * 2,944,634
15 * Virginia * 3 * 8,411,808 * 2,803,936
16 * Georgia * 4 * 10,310,371 * 2,577,593
17 * South Carolina * 2 * 4,961,119 * 2,480,560
18 * Texas * 12 * 27,862,596 * 2,321,883
19 * Oregon * 2 * 4,093,465 * 2,046,733
20 * Michigan * 5 * 9,928,301 * 1,985,660
21 * Nebraska * 1 * 1,907,116 * 1,907,116
22 * Colorado * 3 * 5,540,545 * 1,846,848
23 * Tennessee * 4 * 6,651,194 * 1,662,799
24 * Indiana * 4 * 6,633,053 * 1,658,263
25 * Iowa * 2 * 3,134,693 * 1,567,347
26 * Arkansas * 2 * 2,988,248 * 1,494,124
27 * Kentucky * 3 * 4,436,974 * 1,478,991
28 * Nevada * 2 * 2,940,058 * 1,470,029
29 * Ohio * 8 * 11,646,273 * 1,455,784
30 * Kansas * 2 * 2,907,289 * 1,453,645
31 * North Carolina * 7 * 10,146,788 * 1,449,541
32 * Hawaii * 1 * 1,428,557 * 1,428,557
33 * Oklahoma * 3 * 3,923,561 * 1,307,854
34 * Alabama * 4 * 4,863,300 * 1,215,825
35 * New Mexico * 2 * 2,081,015 * 1,040,508
36 * Utah * 3 * 3,051,217 * 1,017,072
37 * Mississippi * 3 * 2,988,726 * 996,242
38 * Louisiana * 5 * 4,681,666 * 936,333
39 * West Virginia * 2 * 1,831,102 * 915,551
40 * Idaho * 2 * 1,683,140 * 841,570
41 * Wyoming * 1 * 585,501 * 585,501

Who knew that Rutgers would be #1?

Thats an interesting list. It shows me that FL and TX really have the population to support the large number of FBS they have.

So when Idaho drops down to FCS next year, Boise St will be the only FBS school and will jump from 40 to 23!

Other schools rumored to be dropping/adding would cause the following:
New Mexico St drops: that jumps New Mexico to 19 from 35
Louisiana Monroe drops only raises the 4 remaining Louisiana schools 3 spots from 38 to 35.
App St and Charlotte moving up has North Carolina at 31 instead of top 20.--too many FBS schools
Liberty and Old Dominion joining FBS had Virginia at 15 instead of 8. JMU added would drop Virginia to 24.
Georgia Southern & Georgia St drops Georgia 10 spots from 6 to 16
Boston College was 2 until UMASS. Now Massachusetts is 12 with UMASS moving up.

I really think up to 10 schools will drop FBS football in the next decade and see only 1 school moving up, JMU.

If someone could figure out how to get all those kids in New York to play football growing up instead of water polo, they could build something big.

(07-01-2017 01:50 PM)Hurricane Drummer Wrote:  If someone could figure out how to get all those kids in New York to play football growing up instead of water polo, they could build something big.

You need space for grass or turf to do that

(07-01-2017 01:50 PM)Hurricane Drummer Wrote:  If someone could figure out how to get all those kids in New York to play football growing up instead of water polo, they could build something big.

It would be terrifying. New York and New Jersey have 30 million people combined with only 3 FBS schools to choose from and Army which is really in a different category as they don't eat into the local recruiting base.
Rutgers: Big 10
Syracuse: ACC
Buffalo: MAC
Buffalo has so much potential. AAU school with money...If the Bills ever leave and the gigantic Canadian city across the way ever started getting into high school football....wow. Buffalo could explode.

(07-01-2017 02:35 PM)Knightbengal Wrote:  

(07-01-2017 01:50 PM)Hurricane Drummer Wrote:  If someone could figure out how to get all those kids in New York to play football growing up instead of water polo, they could build something big.

You need space for grass or turf to do that

I'm pretty sure the entire state doesn't look like NYC. Heck, I'm pretty sure the other parts of NYC don't all look like Manhattan.

(07-02-2017 07:14 AM)_C2_ Wrote:  

(07-01-2017 02:35 PM)Knightbengal Wrote:  

(07-01-2017 01:50 PM)Hurricane Drummer Wrote:  If someone could figure out how to get all those kids in New York to play football growing up instead of water polo, they could build something big.

You need space for grass or turf to do that

I'm pretty sure the entire state doesn't look like NYC. Heck, I'm pretty sure the other parts of NYC don't all look like Manhattan.

Correct. Most of NY is extremely rural.