I'm not sure how realistic this would be, but I've always thought that this would make for a good FCS conference:
Idaho
Idaho State
Montana
Montana State
North Dakota
North Dakota State
South Dakota
South Dakota State
It will be the future Big Sky, with Eastern Washington and Weber State still in the conference. All the rest to the new WAC FCS conference.
If New Mexico State drops down to FCS -- not saying they will or should, but if they do -- they would be better off in a new WAC-sponsored FCS conference with Portland State, UC Davis, Sacramento State, Cal Poly, and Northern Arizona than they would as the 15th football member of the Big Sky.
(03-21-2016 05:02 PM)andy98 Wrote: [ -> ]I'm not sure how realistic this would be, but I've always thought that this would make for a good FCS conference:
Idaho
Idaho State
Montana
Montana State
North Dakota
North Dakota State
South Dakota
South Dakota State
"Great Northern Conference", after the old Great Northern Railway.
In University of Montana's FBS study, some of the strongest pro-FBS arguments were that Montana was percieved as a peer of their Big Sky partners. A flagships-and-landgrants football conference would be a help there. There could be room for SEattle and/or Denver, if they wanted to start football.
How about this realignment which would eliminate the Missouri Valley Conference:
BIG SKY:
Sacramento State
UC Davis
Cal Poly
Northern Arizona
New Mexico State
Northern Colorado
Southern Utah
Weber State
Portland State
Eastern Washington
GREAT NORTHERN:
Idaho
Idaho State
Montana
Montana State
North Dakota
North Dakota State
South Dakota
South Dakota State
OHIO VALLEY:
Southeast Missouri State
Western Illinois
Eastern Illinois
Southern Illinois
Youngstown State
Eastern Kentucky
Murray State
Austin Peay
East Tennessee State
Tennessee State
Tennessee Tech
Tennessee Martin
Jacksonville State
MAC:
Northern Iowa
Missouri State
Illinois State
Northern Illinois
Indiana State
Ball State
Western Michigan
Central Michigan
Eastern Michigan
Toledo
Akron
Bowling Green
Kent State
Miami OH
Ohio
Buffalo
(03-21-2016 07:11 PM)andy98 Wrote: [ -> ]How about this realignment which would eliminate the Missouri Valley Conference:
BIG SKY:
Sacramento State
UC Davis
Cal Poly
Northern Arizona
New Mexico State
Northern Colorado
Southern Utah
Weber State
Portland State
Eastern Washington
GREAT NORTHERN:
Idaho
Idaho State
Montana
Montana State
North Dakota
North Dakota State
South Dakota
South Dakota State
OHIO VALLEY:
Southeast Missouri State
Western Illinois
Eastern Illinois
Southern Illinois
Youngstown State
Eastern Kentucky
Murray State
Austin Peay
East Tennessee State
Tennessee State
Tennessee Tech
Tennessee Martin
Jacksonville State
MAC:
Northern Iowa
Missouri State
Illinois State
Northern Illinois
Indiana State
Ball State
Western Michigan
Central Michigan
Eastern Michigan
Toledo
Akron
Bowling Green
Kent State
Miami OH
Ohio
Buffalo
Dear god no.
(03-21-2016 05:02 PM)andy98 Wrote: [ -> ]I'm not sure how realistic this would be, but I've always thought that this would make for a good FCS conference:
Idaho
Idaho State
Montana
Montana State
North Dakota
North Dakota State
South Dakota
South Dakota State
A research heavy division of the Big Sky has been in the planning stage for years according to Commissioner Fullerton. Those schools include
UC Davis
Sac St
Cal Poly
Portland St
EWU
Idaho
Montana
Mt St
UND
NDSU, USD, SDSU, and NMSU would be welcome to join according to Fullerton. That division would be a precursor to an FBS league. EWU and Sac St don't have much research, but they are in metro area's that don't have FBS teams. For the most part, a league like that would easily exceed the Sun Belt in academics and would rival the MAC.
(03-21-2016 07:11 PM)andy98 Wrote: [ -> ]How about this realignment which would eliminate the Missouri Valley Conference:
BIG SKY:
Sacramento State
UC Davis
Cal Poly
Northern Arizona
New Mexico State
Northern Colorado
Southern Utah
Weber State
Portland State
Eastern Washington
GREAT NORTHERN:
Idaho
Idaho State
Montana
Montana State
North Dakota
North Dakota State
South Dakota
South Dakota State
OHIO VALLEY:
Southeast Missouri State
Western Illinois
Eastern Illinois
Southern Illinois
Youngstown State
Eastern Kentucky
Murray State
Austin Peay
East Tennessee State
Tennessee State
Tennessee Tech
Tennessee Martin
Jacksonville State
MAC:
Northern Iowa
Missouri State
Illinois State
Northern Illinois
Indiana State
Ball State
Western Michigan
Central Michigan
Eastern Michigan
Toledo
Akron
Bowling Green
Kent State
Miami OH
Ohio
Buffalo
If Geography is how your aligning the teams EWU and PSU belong with the Northern group.
Idaho ST is closer to Weber ST and your Big Sky group.
(03-21-2016 07:42 PM)NoDak Wrote: [ -> ] (03-21-2016 05:02 PM)andy98 Wrote: [ -> ]I'm not sure how realistic this would be, but I've always thought that this would make for a good FCS conference:
Idaho
Idaho State
Montana
Montana State
North Dakota
North Dakota State
South Dakota
South Dakota State
A research heavy division of the Big Sky has been in the planning stage for years according to Commissioner Fullerton. Those schools include
UC Davis
Sac St
Cal Poly
Portland St
EWU
Idaho
Montana
Mt St
UND
NDSU, USD, SDSU, and NMSU would be welcome to join according to Fullerton. That division would be a precursor to an FBS league. EWU and Sac St don't have much research, but they are in metro area's that don't have FBS teams. For the most part, a league like that would easily exceed the Sun Belt in academics and would rival the MAC.
Say the last four join wouldn't it rate above the MWC academically?
Only two MWC schools are ranked above Idaho isn't UC-Davis above all of them?
(03-21-2016 08:06 PM)MJG Wrote: [ -> ] (03-21-2016 07:42 PM)NoDak Wrote: [ -> ] (03-21-2016 05:02 PM)andy98 Wrote: [ -> ]I'm not sure how realistic this would be, but I've always thought that this would make for a good FCS conference:
Idaho
Idaho State
Montana
Montana State
North Dakota
North Dakota State
South Dakota
South Dakota State
A research heavy division of the Big Sky has been in the planning stage for years according to Commissioner Fullerton. Those schools include
UC Davis
Sac St
Cal Poly
Portland St
EWU
Idaho
Montana
Mt St
UND
NDSU, USD, SDSU, and NMSU would be welcome to join according to Fullerton. That division would be a precursor to an FBS league. EWU and Sac St don't have much research, but they are in metro area's that don't have FBS teams. For the most part, a league like that would easily exceed the Sun Belt in academics and would rival the MAC.
Say the last four join wouldn't it rate above the MWC academically?
Only two MWC schools are ranked above Idaho isn't UC-Davis above all of them?
Davis is AAU which is the top club of mostly P5 schools, Ivy, and some exclusive DIII.
Colo St, UNM, Utah St and Nevada would be ahead of all the Big Sky schools except Davis. UNLV, SJSU, SDSU, and Fresno are ranked lower than most of the Big Sky flagship and land grants, but they are huge and Cal St schools can't sponsor much research by law.
(03-21-2016 05:02 PM)andy98 Wrote: [ -> ]I'm not sure how realistic this would be, but I've always thought that this would make for a good FCS conference:
Idaho
Idaho State
Montana
Montana State
North Dakota
North Dakota State
South Dakota
South Dakota State
I agree with this. If they could ever get Wyoming to give up on FBS. They would actually have a good conference.
FCS WAC? where is that coming from lol
(03-21-2016 05:02 PM)andy98 Wrote: [ -> ]I'm not sure how realistic this would be, but I've always thought that this would make for a good FCS conference:
Idaho
Idaho State
Montana
Montana State
*Denver
North Dakota
North Dakota State
South Dakota
South Dakota State
* Omaha
*basketball only
Fixed it!
(03-21-2016 08:13 PM)NoDak Wrote: [ -> ] (03-21-2016 08:06 PM)MJG Wrote: [ -> ] (03-21-2016 07:42 PM)NoDak Wrote: [ -> ] (03-21-2016 05:02 PM)andy98 Wrote: [ -> ]I'm not sure how realistic this would be, but I've always thought that this would make for a good FCS conference:
Idaho
Idaho State
Montana
Montana State
North Dakota
North Dakota State
South Dakota
South Dakota State
A research heavy division of the Big Sky has been in the planning stage for years according to Commissioner Fullerton. Those schools include
UC Davis
Sac St
Cal Poly
Portland St
EWU
Idaho
Montana
Mt St
UND
NDSU, USD, SDSU, and NMSU would be welcome to join according to Fullerton. That division would be a precursor to an FBS league. EWU and Sac St don't have much research, but they are in metro area's that don't have FBS teams. For the most part, a league like that would easily exceed the Sun Belt in academics and would rival the MAC.
Say the last four join wouldn't it rate above the MWC academically?
Only two MWC schools are ranked above Idaho isn't UC-Davis above all of them?
Davis is AAU which is the top club of mostly P5 schools, Ivy, and some exclusive DIII.
Colo St, UNM, Utah St and Nevada would be ahead of all the Big Sky schools except Davis. UNLV, SJSU, SDSU, and Fresno are ranked lower than most of the Big Sky flagship and land grants, but they are huge and Cal St schools can't sponsor much research by law.
CSU is the top in the MWC followed by SDSU, WYO, and UNM in USN rankings
North Dakota is above Nevada
MWC schools in Tier 1 (the top 200) of the USN&WR "national university" rankings, with their 2014 research expenditures in parentheses:
127 Colorado State ($308mm)
149 San Diego State ($96mm)
161 Hawaii ($324mm)
168 Wyoming ($51mm)
180 New Mexico ($229mm)
187 Nevada ($87mm)
Big Sky schools in Tier 1, with research expenditures:
41 UC Davis ($712mm)
168 Idaho ($96mm)
180 North Dakota ($68mm)
Other Tier 1 schools brought up in the thread, with research expenditures:
86 Denver ($18mm)
180 South Dakota ($31mm)
185 North Dakota State ($154mm)
187 South Dakota State ($58mm)
199 New Mexico State ($134mm)
Research expenditures of the non-Tier 1 Big Sky schools included in Fullerton's "research heavy" division:
Montana State ($113mm)
Montana ($55mm)
Portland St ($55mm)
Cal Poly ($15mm)
Sac St ($13mm)
Eastern Washington ($2mm)
Research expenditures of the non-Tier 1 Big Sky schools excluded from Fullerton's "research heavy" division:
Northern Arizona ($32mm)
Idaho State ($21mm)
Northern Colorado ($4mm)
Southern Utah (-$0-)
Weber State (-$0-)
(03-21-2016 06:16 PM)HawaiiMongoose Wrote: [ -> ]If New Mexico State drops down to FCS -- not saying they will or should, but if they do -- they would be better off in a new WAC-sponsored FCS conference with Portland State, UC Davis, Sacramento State, Cal Poly, and Northern Arizona than they would as the 15th football member of the Big Sky.
If NMSU moves down to FCS, they might as well try to convince the Big West to bring it back.
Cal Poly (full member already)
UC Davis (full member already)
NMSU (full member)
Sac State (football only? currently affiliate in beach volleyball and men's soccer; UCD travel partner)
Portland State (football only? other sports to the WAC?)
NAU (football only? other sports to the WAC?).
Of course the pending UC San Diego vote will play a big role. If they pass it, then they are member #10. NMSU would be member #11 overall and then you can plug in Grand Canyon, Sac State, PSU or NAU as member #12. If they don't then it's likely NMSU, Sac State for all sports (ugh) and either Grand Canyon or NAU.
Note to a Portland State and Northern Arizona - baseball and men's soccer are important to the Big West. Sac State - please try to upgrade your h.s. gym.
(03-21-2016 10:56 PM)billings Wrote: [ -> ]FCS WAC? where is that coming from lol
Not coming from anything but a thought that the WAC will need FCS football to stay alive as a conference.
With the Big Sky being bloated, there will be a need to split the conference and reorganize.
The WAC would have a few non-fb schools to keep the Olympic sports going, but only need 6 for a FCS football conference.
It seems the WAC is on the cusp of having at least 3 members that will leave at some point (NMSU, UMKC & Chicago St. (due to funding).
So for the WAC to sponsor FCS football, would be the only way for the conference to survive down the road.
(03-22-2016 08:54 AM)MWC Tex Wrote: [ -> ] (03-21-2016 10:56 PM)billings Wrote: [ -> ]FCS WAC? where is that coming from lol
Not coming from anything but a thought that the WAC will need FCS football to stay alive as a conference.
With the Big Sky being bloated, there will be a need to split the conference and reorganize.
The WAC would have a few non-fb schools to keep the Olympic sports going, but only need 6 for a FCS football conference.
It seems the WAC is on the cusp of having at least 3 members that will leave at some point (NMSU, UMKC & Chicago St. (due to funding).
So for the WAC to sponsor FCS football, would be the only way for the conference to survive down the road.
The Big Sky is bloated and there is a limited number of FCS conferences west of the Mississippi (Southland, SWAC, Missouri Valley, and Big Sky). If
There are some D2 schools that have expressed interest in moving up, but there is no place for them to go currently.
Texas-
UT-Rio Grande Valley. D1 WAC member for olympics wants to start football. Southland and Sun Belt turned them down which is why they are in the WAC.
D2 schools Tarleton State (near Fort Worth), Angelo State (San Angelo, TX), West Texas A&M (near Amarillo) have all expressed interest in moving up to FCS.
There was talk on the WAC board about Colorado State-Pueblo, Central Washington may look at moving up. It is cost-prohibitive to have an FCS league that stretches from Texas to the Washington State, but if enough schools were interested in moving up, you could see the reshuffling of the western schools. WAC goes south from Cali-AZ-Utah-Colorado-NM-Texas. Big Sky goes from Oregon-Wash-Idaho-Montana-Dakotas
Schools may jump at an opportunity if a new league starts to pop up
(03-22-2016 09:47 AM)chrisattsu Wrote: [ -> ] (03-22-2016 08:54 AM)MWC Tex Wrote: [ -> ] (03-21-2016 10:56 PM)billings Wrote: [ -> ]FCS WAC? where is that coming from lol
Not coming from anything but a thought that the WAC will need FCS football to stay alive as a conference.
With the Big Sky being bloated, there will be a need to split the conference and reorganize.
The WAC would have a few non-fb schools to keep the Olympic sports going, but only need 6 for a FCS football conference.
It seems the WAC is on the cusp of having at least 3 members that will leave at some point (NMSU, UMKC & Chicago St. (due to funding).
So for the WAC to sponsor FCS football, would be the only way for the conference to survive down the road.
The Big Sky is bloated and there is a limited number of FCS conferences west of the Mississippi (Southland, SWAC, Missouri Valley, and Big Sky). If
There are some D2 schools that have expressed interest in moving up, but there is no place for them to go currently.
Texas-
UT-Rio Grande Valley. D1 WAC member for olympics wants to start football. Southland and Sun Belt turned them down which is why they are in the WAC.
D2 schools Tarleton State (near Fort Worth), Angelo State (San Angelo, TX), West Texas A&M (near Amarillo) have all expressed interest in moving up to FCS.
There was talk on the WAC board about Colorado State-Pueblo, Central Washington may look at moving up. It is cost-prohibitive to have an FCS league that stretches from Texas to the Washington State, but if enough schools were interested in moving up, you could see the reshuffling of the western schools. WAC goes south from Cali-AZ-Utah-Colorado-NM-Texas. Big Sky goes from Oregon-Wash-Idaho-Montana-Dakotas
Schools may jump at an opportunity if a new league starts to pop up
I suspect UTRGV might be attractive to at least the Southland now. There are a whole lot of very good things happening in the Valley since the merger of the two UT's. I would hope the Southland would reconsider a UTRGV request if asked.
It seems like there's an opening in the Southland with ORU's return to the Summit. The Vaqueros would make #12 for football and #14 for the other sports. They would set the conference up nicely for divisions. The conference may have been holding a slot open for UNO starting football per UNO's stated plan on joining the conference, but the prospect of football and UNO appears to be dimming.
From a selfish point of view, Lamar and UTPA had some pretty competitive games in basketball and baseball in the "old days" of the American South and Sun Belt conferences. One of the Cardinal/Bronc basketball games holds the UTRGV Fieldhouse attendance record of over 5,600 when the fieldhouse had a 4,000 seat capacity (2,500 capacity now after renovations).
(03-22-2016 09:47 AM)chrisattsu Wrote: [ -> ] (03-22-2016 08:54 AM)MWC Tex Wrote: [ -> ] (03-21-2016 10:56 PM)billings Wrote: [ -> ]FCS WAC? where is that coming from lol
Not coming from anything but a thought that the WAC will need FCS football to stay alive as a conference.
With the Big Sky being bloated, there will be a need to split the conference and reorganize.
The WAC would have a few non-fb schools to keep the Olympic sports going, but only need 6 for a FCS football conference.
It seems the WAC is on the cusp of having at least 3 members that will leave at some point (NMSU, UMKC & Chicago St. (due to funding).
So for the WAC to sponsor FCS football, would be the only way for the conference to survive down the road.
The Big Sky is bloated and there is a limited number of FCS conferences west of the Mississippi (Southland, SWAC, Missouri Valley, and Big Sky). If
There are some D2 schools that have expressed interest in moving up, but there is no place for them to go currently.
Texas-
UT-Rio Grande Valley. D1 WAC member for olympics wants to start football. Southland and Sun Belt turned them down which is why they are in the WAC.
D2 schools Tarleton State (near Fort Worth), Angelo State (San Angelo, TX), West Texas A&M (near Amarillo) have all expressed interest in moving up to FCS.
There was talk on the WAC board about Colorado State-Pueblo, Central Washington may look at moving up. It is cost-prohibitive to have an FCS league that stretches from Texas to the Washington State, but if enough schools were interested in moving up, you could see the reshuffling of the western schools. WAC goes south from Cali-AZ-Utah-Colorado-NM-Texas. Big Sky goes from Oregon-Wash-Idaho-Montana-Dakotas
Schools may jump at an opportunity if a new league starts to pop up
If we ever end up in a conference with Central Washington I'm mailing a bag of turds to our president's house every day for life.