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Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
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LatahCounty Offline
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Post: #21
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
And then adding North Dakota and Southern Utah was a no-brainer because it's only a 1,400 mile commute from Cedar City to Grand Forks and everyone knows 13 is the perfect number for football. Plus, you want to just pack your 1-bid basketball league full of as many schools as possible.
11-03-2019 11:42 AM
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DavidSt Offline
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Post: #22
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
The Montana schools may like Wyoming, Air Force and Colorado State better than the mess the Big Sky is in right now. Utah State and Boise State sound better than Southern Utah. Some of their teams that qualified for the playoffs that did not get invited. A 6-5 sucky MVFC got that spot instead. Splitting the conference north and south could actually open more spots in the playoffs. If North could get 3 in, and the south get 3 in? Then, you get 6 schools into the FCS playoffs.
11-03-2019 11:54 AM
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MissouriStateBears Offline
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Post: #23
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
(11-03-2019 11:42 AM)LatahCounty Wrote:  And then adding North Dakota and Southern Utah was a no-brainer because it's only a 1,400 mile commute from Cedar City to Grand Forks and everyone knows 13 is the perfect number for football. Plus, you want to just pack your 1-bid basketball league full of as many schools as possible.

Well South Dakota was suppose to be in that at as well until the last minute the Summit League and MVFC came calling.
11-03-2019 01:37 PM
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LatahCounty Offline
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Post: #24
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
I know about the USD thing and the Big Sky also attempting to make things difficult for the Summit Conference because reasons. Again, it all seems to be about empire-building for the Big Sky conference as an entity, but with very little thought for the actual schools that make up the Big Sky.
11-03-2019 02:21 PM
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HawaiiMongoose Offline
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Post: #25
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
(11-03-2019 12:12 AM)LatahCounty Wrote:  
(11-02-2019 01:28 PM)HawaiiMongoose Wrote:  The Big Sky has historically viewed the WAC as a threat to its vision of being the only western D-I football alternative to the Pac-12 and MWC and it looks like that hasn’t changed.

I know this has been the corporate vision of the Big Sky going back to Fullerton. And I get how this serves the Big Sky Conference as a conglomerated entity. What I don't get is how it ever served the actual schools in the conference.

They helped kill WAC football, and what did it get them? A far-flung one-bid basketball league with too many teams in it, a stupidly bloated football conference, and no obvious escape route for anybody. Hooray?

Well said. I recall pointing out at the time that by supporting Fullerton’s strategy they were foreclosing any path to FBS for western FCS schools for the foreseeable future. And here we are.
11-03-2019 02:47 PM
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DavidSt Offline
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Post: #26
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
What it sounds like that some schools will break away from the Big Sky if the commish do not fixed the problems.
11-03-2019 03:33 PM
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Fighting Muskie Online
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Post: #27
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
Ideally Dixie St becomes a football affiliate of the Big Sky, bringing them to an even and manageable 14 while Tarleton St becomes a football affiliate of the 11 member Southland.

Both leagues preemptively bloated their numbers fearing a max exodus to FBS that never happened.
11-03-2019 03:51 PM
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jdgaucho Online
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Post: #28
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
(11-03-2019 03:51 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  Ideally Dixie St becomes a football affiliate of the Big Sky, bringing them to an even and manageable 14 while Tarleton St becomes a football affiliate of the 11 member Southland.

Both leagues preemptively bloated their numbers fearing a max exodus to FBS that never happened.

Again, it's ideal for Dixie State. But what about the WAC?
11-03-2019 04:58 PM
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DavidSt Offline
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Post: #29
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
(11-03-2019 04:58 PM)jdgaucho Wrote:  
(11-03-2019 03:51 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  Ideally Dixie St becomes a football affiliate of the Big Sky, bringing them to an even and manageable 14 while Tarleton St becomes a football affiliate of the 11 member Southland.

Both leagues preemptively bloated their numbers fearing a max exodus to FBS that never happened.

Again, it's ideal for Dixie State. But what about the WAC?


Big Sky do not want the WAC to have an FCS conference.
11-03-2019 05:21 PM
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Nerdlinger Offline
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Post: #30
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
(11-03-2019 04:58 PM)jdgaucho Wrote:  
(11-03-2019 03:51 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  Ideally Dixie St becomes a football affiliate of the Big Sky, bringing them to an even and manageable 14 while Tarleton St becomes a football affiliate of the 11 member Southland.

Both leagues preemptively bloated their numbers fearing a max exodus to FBS that never happened.

Again, it's ideal for Dixie State. But what about the WAC?

It doesn't really affect them, since the WAC lacks football.
11-03-2019 05:56 PM
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Nerdlinger Offline
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Post: #31
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
Here's a potential schedule setup for a Big Sky with Dixie State football. Each team has 3 protected annual opponents and rotates between half the other 10 every year.

Code:
CAL POLY            Northern Arizona    Sacramento State    UC Davis          
DIXIE STATE         Northern Colorado   Weber State         Southern Utah    
EASTERN WASHINGTON  Portland State      Montana             Idaho            
IDAHO               Montana             Idaho State         Eastern Washington
IDAHO STATE         Montana State       Idaho               Weber State      
MONTANA             Idaho               Eastern Washington  Montana State    
MONTANA STATE       Idaho State         Northern Colorado   Montana          
NORTHERN ARIZONA    Cal Poly            Southern Utah       Northern Colorado
NORTHERN COLORADO   Dixie State         Montana State       Northern Arizona  
PORTLAND STATE      Eastern Washington  UC Davis            Sacramento State  
SACRAMENTO STATE    UC Davis            Cal Poly            Portland State    
SOUTHERN UTAH       Weber State         Northern Arizona    Dixie State      
UC DAVIS            Sacramento State    Portland State      Cal Poly          
WEBER STATE         Southern Utah       Dixie State         Idaho State

Incidentally, having an "expendable" FB-only affiliate like Dixie State would be useful for balancing out FB numbers in the event of the future departure or addition of a full conference member. Kind of like how some independent baseball minor leagues temporarily have a traveling team to even out their numbers.
(This post was last modified: 11-03-2019 09:09 PM by Nerdlinger.)
11-03-2019 08:28 PM
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jdgaucho Online
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Post: #32
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
(11-03-2019 05:56 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  
(11-03-2019 04:58 PM)jdgaucho Wrote:  
(11-03-2019 03:51 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  Ideally Dixie St becomes a football affiliate of the Big Sky, bringing them to an even and manageable 14 while Tarleton St becomes a football affiliate of the 11 member Southland.

Both leagues preemptively bloated their numbers fearing a max exodus to FBS that never happened.

Again, it's ideal for Dixie State. But what about the WAC?

It doesn't really affect them, since the WAC lacks football.

Doesn't affect them - yet. The WAC is supposedly intent on bringing back football. If that's true they wouldn't be too thrilled seeing Dixie State join another conference for football.
11-03-2019 10:18 PM
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Nerdlinger Offline
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Post: #33
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
(11-03-2019 10:18 PM)jdgaucho Wrote:  
(11-03-2019 05:56 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  
(11-03-2019 04:58 PM)jdgaucho Wrote:  
(11-03-2019 03:51 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  Ideally Dixie St becomes a football affiliate of the Big Sky, bringing them to an even and manageable 14 while Tarleton St becomes a football affiliate of the 11 member Southland.

Both leagues preemptively bloated their numbers fearing a max exodus to FBS that never happened.

Again, it's ideal for Dixie State. But what about the WAC?

It doesn't really affect them, since the WAC lacks football.

Doesn't affect them - yet. The WAC is supposedly intent on bringing back football. If that's true they wouldn't be too thrilled seeing Dixie State join another conference for football.

An FCS WAC is a pipe dream. They're lucky to exist as a conference. In any case, if the WAC can't currently provide Dixie State with a FB home, who are they to say where their members can put their FB? They're not going to demand that Dixie State remain FCS independent on the off chance that years down the road the WAC might have just barely enough members with FB programs to maintain some semblance of a FB conference.
11-03-2019 10:51 PM
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johnbragg Online
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Post: #34
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
(11-03-2019 10:51 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  
(11-03-2019 10:18 PM)jdgaucho Wrote:  
(11-03-2019 05:56 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  
(11-03-2019 04:58 PM)jdgaucho Wrote:  
(11-03-2019 03:51 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  Ideally Dixie St becomes a football affiliate of the Big Sky, bringing them to an even and manageable 14 while Tarleton St becomes a football affiliate of the 11 member Southland.

Both leagues preemptively bloated their numbers fearing a max exodus to FBS that never happened.

Again, it's ideal for Dixie State. But what about the WAC?

It doesn't really affect them, since the WAC lacks football.

Doesn't affect them - yet. The WAC is supposedly intent on bringing back football. If that's true they wouldn't be too thrilled seeing Dixie State join another conference for football.

An FCS WAC is a pipe dream. They're lucky to exist as a conference. In any case, if the WAC can't currently provide Dixie State with a FB home, who are they to say where their members can put their FB? They're not going to demand that Dixie State remain FCS independent on the off chance that years down the road the WAC might have just barely enough members with FB programs to maintain some semblance of a FB conference.

Wellllllllllllllll, in FCS west of the Missouri river you've got the Big Sky with too many members, the Southland which is a little crowded, and the WAC with 2 maybe 3 FCS independents. There's kindling there for a 3rd western FCS conference, if you can work out the details.

The rules for FCS conferences are pretty free-and-easy--no 6-schools-for-5-years, no 8 year waiting period for a new conference, etc. On the other hand, it's close to impossible to force an odd-school-out to move if they don't want to (Northern Arizona, say)
11-04-2019 08:20 AM
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Fighting Muskie Online
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Post: #35
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
The irony about the Big Sky is that they whine that there is no one else for them to play OOC out west while simultaneously trying to thwart any creation of a 2nd FCS conference
11-04-2019 10:08 AM
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DavidSt Offline
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Post: #36
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
Montana and Montana State could grab N. Colorado, Idaho, Idaho State, Weber State, Eastern Washington and Portland State to create a new conference since the Montana schools want a split. That is 8 schools and could add Colorado Mesa, Central Washington and Western Oregon for a 11 team conference to go round robbin for the other sports. Be easier to schedule football better and teams could take turns every other year to play each other. It would balance the new conference better east/west with Idaho, Idaho State, Weber State and Mesa as the central anchors. Big Sky would be down to N. Arizona, Southern Utah and Sacramento State as members with UC-Davis and Cal-Poly as football affiliates. Dixie State, Seattle, Utah Valley, Grand Canyon, California Baptist, Azusa Pacific and CSU-Pueblo could be the new Big Sky schools. WAC could invite Lone Star, Central Oklahoma, Cameron and UAFS. WAC could be the southern plains. WAC could entice Lamar to join. Many of the Lone Star schools and Central Oklahoma could easily upgrade to be FBS conference in the future which New Mexico State wants.
11-04-2019 11:49 AM
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johnbragg Online
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Post: #37
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
(11-04-2019 11:49 AM)DavidSt Wrote:  Montana and Montana State could grab N. Colorado, Idaho, Idaho State, Weber State, Eastern Washington and Portland State to create a new conference since the Montana schools want a split.

Do they though? I think we all see the strategic logic of the Montanas getting away from the Eastern Washingtons and Northern Arizonas and Southern Utahs and Western--wait, your list has 2 directionals on it plus Weber State. That's dumb.

Instead of your list, keep it "classy", flagships and landgrants and major-league cities. UM, MSU, UI, ISU, Portland State, Sacramento State makes 6, bring in Cal Poly for 7, maybe UC Davis to make 8 in the Great Northern Football Conference.

That leaves the Big Sky Leftovers with EWU, Weber State, Southern Utah, Northern Colorado and Northern Arizona, 5 schools. They backfill from the WAC, Dixie State and Tarleton STate gets you to 7, 8 if UTRGV ever starts up.

Do we have evidence, though, that Montana and MSU really want change? the Montana FBS study was back in 2010-11, and it's 2019.

So maybe Montana and MSU aren't that unhappy with the status quo.
11-04-2019 12:11 PM
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Wedge Offline
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Post: #38
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
(11-04-2019 08:20 AM)johnbragg Wrote:  Wellllllllllllllll, in FCS west of the Missouri river you've got the Big Sky with too many members, the Southland which is a little crowded, and the WAC with 2 maybe 3 FCS independents.

The Southland isn't in the west. Those schools (along with Tarleton) are closer to the east coast than the west coast. The Southland is far closer to the Southern, OVC, and MVFC than to the Big Sky.

In the west, i.e., west of the central time zone, all of the (scholarship) FCS teams are already in the Big Sky. When Dixie State moves up they'll be the only one in the west that isn't in the Big Sky.
11-04-2019 12:14 PM
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dbackjon Offline
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Post: #39
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
(11-04-2019 10:08 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  The irony about the Big Sky is that they whine that there is no one else for them to play OOC out west while simultaneously trying to thwart any creation of a 2nd FCS conference

Again, proof?

Made up stories by David St, bitter Idaho fans, etc don't count.
11-04-2019 12:57 PM
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dbackjon Offline
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Post: #40
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
(11-04-2019 12:11 PM)johnbragg Wrote:  
(11-04-2019 11:49 AM)DavidSt Wrote:  Montana and Montana State could grab N. Colorado, Idaho, Idaho State, Weber State, Eastern Washington and Portland State to create a new conference since the Montana schools want a split.

Do they though? I think we all see the strategic logic of the Montanas getting away from the Eastern Washingtons and Northern Arizonas and Southern Utahs and Western--wait, your list has 2 directionals on it plus Weber State. That's dumb.

Instead of your list, keep it "classy", flagships and landgrants and major-league cities. UM, MSU, UI, ISU, Portland State, Sacramento State makes 6, bring in Cal Poly for 7, maybe UC Davis to make 8 in the Great Northern Football Conference.

That leaves the Big Sky Leftovers with EWU, Weber State, Southern Utah, Northern Colorado and Northern Arizona, 5 schools. They backfill from the WAC, Dixie State and Tarleton STate gets you to 7, 8 if UTRGV ever starts up.

Do we have evidence, though, that Montana and MSU really want change? the Montana FBS study was back in 2010-11, and it's 2019.

So maybe Montana and MSU aren't that unhappy with the status quo.


The Montana schools looked at FBS a decade ago - they couldn't afford it then, and at least for Montana, finances are even worse.

Yes, you get the occasional coach bitching, but they don't pay the bills, or make decisions.


The Big Sky didn't kill the WAC - the WAC killed itself when it tried to raid the MWC, that backfired, then Utah and BYU left. The WAC teams deserted it - if you want to blame anything, blame Boise, Utah State, San Jose State and Fresno St. To blame the BSC in anyway is idiotic.
11-04-2019 01:01 PM
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