I shared this in another post but thought it needed a standalone post.
With UTRGV's announcement and my inclination that they would not be going down this path if FBS was not a thing for their institution, I am presenting what I believe will be the timeline for FBS football for the Western Athletic Conference.
Timeline
Late 2021/early 2022 - UTRGV students pass the fee and the dominoes start to fall for a '25 start to UTRGV football
2022 - WAC feasibility study occurs; feasibility studies usually go the way the parties want. The WAC announces a five-year plan to become FBS
2025 - UTRGV begins a two-year transition period as a FCS program en route to FBS. League initiates its transition for '25 football season
2026 - As part of second year transition, New Mexico State formally joins the WAC for football and all schools play a 'league schedule'. Only NMSU is bowl eligible.
2027 - League is FBS with bowl eligibility for each of the nine football playing institutions - Sam Houston, Stephen F Austin, Lamar, Abilene Christian, New Mexico State, Tarleton State, UTRGV, Utah Tech and Southern Utah.
(09-02-2021 09:42 AM)TexasTerror Wrote: [ -> ]I shared this in another post but thought it needed a standalone post.
With UTRGV's announcement and my inclination that they would not be going down this path if FBS was not a thing for their institution, I am presenting what I believe will be the timeline for FBS football for the Western Athletic Conference.
Timeline
Late 2021/early 2022 - UTRGV students pass the fee and the dominoes start to fall for a '25 start to UTRGV football
2022 - WAC feasibility study occurs; feasibility studies usually go the way the parties want. The WAC announces a five-year plan to become FBS
2025 - UTRGV begins a two-year transition period as a FCS program en route to FBS. League initiates its transition for '25 football season
2026 - As part of second year transition, New Mexico State formally joins the WAC for football and all schools play a 'league schedule'. Only NMSU is bowl eligible.
2027 - League is FBS with bowl eligibility for each of the nine football playing institutions - Sam Houston, Stephen F Austin, Lamar, Abilene Christian, New Mexico State, Tarleton State, UTRGV, Utah Tech and Southern Utah.
I like this!!! Hope it comes to fruition.
Why another thread on FBS? Don't we have 37 of them already?
Quite frankly, I think this timeline is unrealistic as hell operating under the assumption that the FBS’s structure will more or less remain the same (which I assume you are, based on the fact that you’re discussing bowl eligibility). Only Lamar is FBS ready right now, and there’s nothing to indicate that would increase beyond three or four schools within the next five years. Yes, facilitates and interest is improving across the board. But you’re in way over your head.
You don’t really believe Utah Poly, Southern Utah and Tarleton will be FBS ready by 2027 do you?
Look, if the FBS stays as is, any potential move would probably come closer to 2037 than 2027. If there wasn’t that “golden ticket” rumor out there, would this even be a discussion? Maybe with the Texas4 and UTRGV, but let’s get real here.
Now if you think the P5 breaks away and the upper tier FCS combines with the remaining G5, then that’s a different story. The WAC could handle that collectively as is, although I think the new “D1” wouldn’t have bowl games but an FCS style 16/24 team playoff.
(09-02-2021 01:57 PM)SammyH Wrote: [ -> ]Look, if the FBS stays as is, any potential move would probably come closer to 2037 than 2027. If there wasn’t that “golden ticket” rumor out there, would this even be a discussion? Maybe with the Texas4 and UTRGV, but let’s get real here.
The "golden ticket" is not a rumor, it is a reality. We appreciate your feedback though!
(09-02-2021 01:57 PM)SammyH Wrote: [ -> ]Now if you think the P5 breaks away and the upper tier FCS combines with the remaining G5, then that’s a different story. The WAC could handle that collectively as is, although I think the new “D1” wouldn’t have bowl games but an FCS style 16/24 team playoff.
Happy to add an asterisk; I am certainly on the record that Sam Houston should and will be in whatever comes of a 'second tier' of Division I football which to me will see the autonomous schools break away (at least in football) to create what amounts to an NFL. The bowl games? Not sure what that future looks like but a 'NCAA championship' tournament featuring what's left (and a step above FCS) would be fun!
There’s still be zilch confirmation from anyone with credibility that the “golden ticket” thing exists here 10 years later.
(09-02-2021 03:05 PM)SammyH Wrote: [ -> ]There’s still be zilch confirmation from anyone with credibility that the “golden ticket” thing exists here 10 years later.
I am pretty sure that this is false.
It is baked within one of these various threads and pretty certain that it may have even been the AD at New Mexico State who confirmed it in an interview or podcast, but I do not think a narrative like this would continue if we did not all know it was otherwise confirmed.
Quote: (08-04-2021 10:57 AM)TexasTerror Wrote: [ -> ]Reminder to all.
The Western Athletic Conference is conducting a conference-wide feasibility study of going FBS in the next year or so. Let's not start our umpteenth conversation on whether the WAC will be going FBS and let's wait for the study and hopefully transparency by all partners on what this looks like, what it means down the road.
This^
No more FBS hypothetical threads until after the study is complete.
https://csnbbs.com/thread-926409.html
That was less than a month ago and applies today. There is a mega thread to talk about this stuff.