The power in the FCS has shifted strongly to the Midwest and West with the influx of new FBS schools in the mid Atlantic and southeast. Over the last 5 years the FBS has added 8 schools from VA to TX that is a lot of scholarships that used to go the FCS programs.

(01-11-2015 10:17 AM)Saint3333 Wrote:  The power in the FCS has shifted strongly to the Midwest and West with the influx of new FBS schools in the mid Atlantic and southeast. Over the last 5 years the FBS has added 8 schools from VA to TX that is a lot of scholarships that used to go the FCS programs.

Yes. Good observation.

(01-11-2015 12:04 AM)Steve1981 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.

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.

Didn't know that and wasn't trying to single out Kent St.
NDSU averages more fans than a lot of FBS teams.
Averaging a near sell out is a big plus for atmosphere and TV.What do those empty seats do for other programs. I was answering the reply about Kent St stupid phone.

(01-10-2015 06:16 PM)OrangeCrush22 Wrote:  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.

Oddly enough, this was the MVC conference championship game. They didn't play during the season and both lost one conference game, to Northern Iowa, who ISU beat in the rematch in the playoffs.

(01-11-2015 12:04 AM)Steve1981 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.

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.

Why would strong schools mean anything negative ?
My point is any of the schools listed would receive invites if they were in the South.

(01-10-2015 06:16 PM)OrangeCrush22 Wrote:  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.

Come to FBS already, I bet they could instantly be a contender in the MWC.

(01-11-2015 10:10 AM)Georgia_Power_Company Wrote:  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...

Seems pretty crappy that a school can instantly move to FBS if their in a Southern city.
Like Georgia St and Charlotte before Georgia Southern.
Despite a great history and strong support for Georgia Southern.

Too bad NDSU and similar schools have no current options.

I am sure if NDSU really wanted to go FBS, they could negotiate a UMass type deal with the MAC. Football only in MAC for 2 years, then go independent. They could play NMSU, Idaho, UMass, Wyoming in home&home series. 1 home game a year with FCS team. Then fill the rest of schedule with mix of MWC, B10, B12, SBC teams.

Let's be clear about this for a moment... I am not trying to take anything away from North Dakota State...

The issue is that there are already TOO MANY FBS level teams. There needs to be movement back towards FCS, not away from it, for both FCS and FBS.

Winning a 4th consecutive FCS Championship is great. Way to go, Bison! But that doesn't mean anything about moving up to FBS.

AS Long as there is an NCAA moratorium on any new FBS conferences and as long as the new media playoff Contract penalizes a conference for going above 12 teams there will be zero additions from the FCS to the FBS unless the P5 do some more rearranging.

Even then, the Death of the WAC, which left only 2 FBS conferences in the west has killed any chance NDSU had of moving up.

(01-11-2015 02:28 PM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  Let's be clear about this for a moment... I am not trying to take anything away from North Dakota State...

The issue is that there are already TOO MANY FBS level teams. There needs to be movement back towards FCS, not away from it, for both FCS and FBS.

Winning a 4th consecutive FCS Championship is great. Way to go, Bison! But that doesn't mean anything about moving up to FBS.

FCS is a big money loser. won't happen and as in the case of UAB you are better off dropping football then try to negotiate a move down and the mess that involves with loss of conference affiliation, destruction of BB program, PR hit, etc

(01-11-2015 02:28 PM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  Let's be clear about this for a moment... I am not trying to take anything away from North Dakota State...

The issue is that there are already TOO MANY FBS level teams. There needs to be movement back towards FCS, not away from it, for both FCS and FBS.

Winning a 4th consecutive FCS Championship is great. Way to go, Bison! But that doesn't mean anything about moving up to FBS.

Ohio State and the B1G sent a shot to the G5 when Urban Meyer stated that they would need 110 or so scholarships to expand to more than 4 CFP teams. The P5 may be able to do that if the ESPN money ratchets up. The G5 could be forced to move to FCS.

(01-11-2015 03:46 PM)NoDak Wrote:  

(01-11-2015 02:28 PM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  Let's be clear about this for a moment... I am not trying to take anything away from North Dakota State...

The issue is that there are already TOO MANY FBS level teams. There needs to be movement back towards FCS, not away from it, for both FCS and FBS.

Winning a 4th consecutive FCS Championship is great. Way to go, Bison! But that doesn't mean anything about moving up to FBS.

Ohio State and the B1G sent a shot to the G5 when Urban Meyer stated that they would need 110 or so scholarships to expand to more than 4 CFP teams. The P5 may be able to do that if the ESPN money ratchets up. The G5 could be forced to move to FCS.

Schools in the G5 would do everything possible to remain FBS as they want no part of FCS.

(01-11-2015 03:54 PM)ARSTATEFAN1986 Wrote:  

(01-11-2015 03:46 PM)NoDak Wrote:  

(01-11-2015 02:28 PM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  Let's be clear about this for a moment... I am not trying to take anything away from North Dakota State...

The issue is that there are already TOO MANY FBS level teams. There needs to be movement back towards FCS, not away from it, for both FCS and FBS.

Winning a 4th consecutive FCS Championship is great. Way to go, Bison! But that doesn't mean anything about moving up to FBS.

Ohio State and the B1G sent a shot to the G5 when Urban Meyer stated that they would need 110 or so scholarships to expand to more than 4 CFP teams. The P5 may be able to do that if the ESPN money ratchets up. The G5 could be forced to move to FCS.

Schools in the G5 would do everything possible to remain FBS as they want no part of FCS.

Again... Irrelevant.

(01-11-2015 02:36 PM)billings Wrote:  

(01-11-2015 02:28 PM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  Let's be clear about this for a moment... I am not trying to take anything away from North Dakota State...

The issue is that there are already TOO MANY FBS level teams. There needs to be movement back towards FCS, not away from it, for both FCS and FBS.

Winning a 4th consecutive FCS Championship is great. Way to go, Bison! But that doesn't mean anything about moving up to FBS.

FCS is a big money loser. won't happen and as in the case of UAB you are better off dropping football then try to negotiate a move down and the mess that involves with loss of conference affiliation, destruction of BB program, PR hit, etc

So.... Your point is what?

If conferences like the Sunbelt and MAC were smart, they would be already exploring what it would involve to drop down as full conferences. Notice, I said "exploring." But there is an undeniable value in staying together as a conference rather than losing pieces in dribs-and-drabs.

But I expect most of these conferences to try and stick it out and go the way of the WAC. That's their choice. New FCS conferences will spring up to take the dribs-and-drabs as they fall victim to the new economic realities. Or existing conferences like the MVFC and the SoConn and the Great West will profit by the influx of programs.

(01-11-2015 05:20 PM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  

(01-11-2015 02:36 PM)billings Wrote:  

(01-11-2015 02:28 PM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  Let's be clear about this for a moment... I am not trying to take anything away from North Dakota State...

The issue is that there are already TOO MANY FBS level teams. There needs to be movement back towards FCS, not away from it, for both FCS and FBS.

Winning a 4th consecutive FCS Championship is great. Way to go, Bison! But that doesn't mean anything about moving up to FBS.

FCS is a big money loser. won't happen and as in the case of UAB you are better off dropping football then try to negotiate a move down and the mess that involves with loss of conference affiliation, destruction of BB program, PR hit, etc

So.... Your point is what?

If conferences like the Sunbelt and MAC were smart, they would be already exploring what it would involve to drop down as full conferences. Notice, I said "exploring." But there is an undeniable value in staying together as a conference rather than losing pieces in dribs-and-drabs.

But I expect most of these conferences to try and stick it out and go the way of the WAC. That's their choice. New FCS conferences will spring up to take the dribs-and-drabs as they fall victim to the new economic realities. Or existing conferences like the MVFC and the SoConn and the Great West will profit by the influx of programs.

The other G5 conferences should do the same as the MAC and Sun Belt. As far as the P5 is concerned, there is no difference. Just a couple years ago the MAC went like 4-4 against the AAC and that was without the top MAC teams playing them. The MAC's been around since the 1940s, they aren't going anywhere. I know some AAC fans would like that as it's less competition for them and they would like to pretend that they're more big-time, even though they aren't.

If this isn't a doomsday scenario thread, I don't know what is.

"*Insert G5 conference here* should just look to move back to the FCS."
"The G5 could be forced to move to FCS."

In any case, in tune with the actual thread, I'd like to congratulate NDSU on yet another FCS championship. Impressive. If the MAC wasn't opposed to it, I wouldn't mind NDSU in the MAC. Football runs things, and the MAC needs strong football programs.

(01-11-2015 05:20 PM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  

(01-11-2015 02:36 PM)billings Wrote:  

(01-11-2015 02:28 PM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  Let's be clear about this for a moment... I am not trying to take anything away from North Dakota State...

The issue is that there are already TOO MANY FBS level teams. There needs to be movement back towards FCS, not away from it, for both FCS and FBS.

Winning a 4th consecutive FCS Championship is great. Way to go, Bison! But that doesn't mean anything about moving up to FBS.

FCS is a big money loser. won't happen and as in the case of UAB you are better off dropping football then try to negotiate a move down and the mess that involves with loss of conference affiliation, destruction of BB program, PR hit, etc

So.... Your point is what?

If conferences like the Sunbelt and MAC were smart, they would be already exploring what it would involve to drop down as full conferences. Notice, I said "exploring." But there is an undeniable value in staying together as a conference rather than losing pieces in dribs-and-drabs.

But I expect most of these conferences to try and stick it out and go the way of the WAC. That's their choice. New FCS conferences will spring up to take the dribs-and-drabs as they fall victim to the new economic realities. Or existing conferences like the MVFC and the SoConn and the Great West will profit by the influx of programs.

Idaho AD did a story and a study on what it would be like to drop to FCS and how difficult it would be $$ wise to pull it off. Concluded it would be a very bad move. There is a reason UAB dropped it all together rather then go FCS and try to support football with an instant $2 million or more drop in revenue.

Hundreds of kids lose scholarships and opportunities to play at the college level. Nice thing for you to root for

The only negative to adding one or two small FBS conferences is splitting the play off money.

Easy solution let them form new football only conferences .
Make a rule only all sports conferences can receive the G5 play off pay out.
These eight to twenty teams could be eligible for the APR money and the current independent pay out. So six hundred thousand possible pay out for a total of 4.8 to twelve million .

The P5 would benefit by being able to all but eliminate FCS games.
The G5 would benefit by having a competitive advantage over these teams.
Two new bowl games would be needed or three if two conferences.
Football only would help stabilize conferences like the WAC or Summit.

A low number for the stipend or no stipend .
A ceiling on coaches pay along with lower cost for travel for Olympic sports makes it possible .