Hello There, Guest! (LoginRegister)

Post Reply 
Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
Author Message
solohawks Offline
Hall of Famer
*

Posts: 20,782
Joined: May 2008
Reputation: 810
I Root For: UNCW
Location: Wilmington, NC
Post: #41
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
Big Sky schools can schedule non conference games against teams not on the conference schedule if they would like
11-04-2019 01:03 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
LatahCounty Online
1st String
*

Posts: 2,242
Joined: Sep 2015
Reputation: 128
I Root For: Idaho
Location:
Post: #42
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
(11-04-2019 01:01 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  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.

Nobody said the Big Sky killed the WAC. The WAC killed the WAC, and the Big Sky did what little it could to nudge that along. And now the Big Sky is a big unwieldy blob.
11-04-2019 01:21 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
dbackjon Offline
Hall of Famer
*

Posts: 12,010
Joined: May 2010
Reputation: 657
I Root For: NAU/Illini
Location:
Post: #43
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
(11-04-2019 01:21 PM)LatahCounty Wrote:  
(11-04-2019 01:01 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  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.

Nobody said the Big Sky killed the WAC. The WAC killed the WAC, and the Big Sky did what little it could to nudge that along. And now the Big Sky is a big unwieldy blob.

Plenty even on here are saying that. And again, how did it "nudge it along"?

Unwieldy blob? Not really. If anything, the Big Sky gave a lifeline to the Great West schools.

Adding the Great West schools put the Big Sky at 12 all sports and 13 football, and at that time, there was some rumbling that the Montana Schools might go FBS. Had that happened, BSC would have been in trouble, so they expanded. NAU had wanted SUU for years. The northern schools opposed them, but compromised with the Dakota schools (only to have the Summit/MVFC take South Dakota).

Idaho was still in the WAC/FBS at the time, with no indication they would bail

WAC made a power play and lost. Big Sky went into survival mode and added four (now three) good Football schools.
11-04-2019 01:52 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
SoCalBobcat78 Offline
All American
*

Posts: 3,861
Joined: Jan 2014
Reputation: 302
I Root For: TXST, UCLA, CBU
Location:
Post: #44
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
(11-04-2019 01:21 PM)LatahCounty Wrote:  
(11-04-2019 01:01 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  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.

Nobody said the Big Sky killed the WAC. The WAC killed the WAC, and the Big Sky did what little it could to nudge that along. And now the Big Sky is a big unwieldy blob.

The Commissioner of the Big Sky, Doug Fullerton, did a good job of convincing BSC schools from jumping to the WAC. Montana was considering it back when Texas State and UTSA joined, but decided against it at the last minute. If they could have convinced Montana to join, the dam would have broken and WAC football could have been saved. Dougie was a trash talker. He was always talking about how they were in better shape than the WAC, which turned out to be true. He used to also say that his conference was as good as the MWC. He deserves credit for keeping it together and then adding a few more schools to get to 13.

The 13 football schools are a bit of a problem for the Big Sky. With Dixie State and Tarleton State sitting out there as independents, along with a few more D2 schools that might move up and San Diego, someone is going to figure out that a second FCS conference in the west might be needed. That could end up being done through the BSC and/or the WAC.
11-04-2019 02:43 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
solohawks Offline
Hall of Famer
*

Posts: 20,782
Joined: May 2008
Reputation: 810
I Root For: UNCW
Location: Wilmington, NC
Post: #45
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
SoCal is right.

The Big Sky "killed" WAC football by helping convince the Montanas not to upgrade. Had they decided to upgrade, the floodgates for those jumping ship from Big Sky to WAC would have been opened
11-04-2019 02:49 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
dbackjon Offline
Hall of Famer
*

Posts: 12,010
Joined: May 2010
Reputation: 657
I Root For: NAU/Illini
Location:
Post: #46
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
(11-04-2019 02:43 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  
(11-04-2019 01:21 PM)LatahCounty Wrote:  
(11-04-2019 01:01 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  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.

Nobody said the Big Sky killed the WAC. The WAC killed the WAC, and the Big Sky did what little it could to nudge that along. And now the Big Sky is a big unwieldy blob.

The Commissioner of the Big Sky, Doug Fullerton, did a good job of convincing BSC schools from jumping to the WAC. Montana was considering it back when Texas State and UTSA joined, but decided against it at the last minute. If they could have convinced Montana to join, the dam would have broken and WAC football could have been saved. Dougie was a trash talker. He was always talking about how they were in better shape than the WAC, which turned out to be true. He used to also say that his conference was as good as the MWC. He deserves credit for keeping it together and then adding a few more schools to get to 13.

The 13 football schools are a bit of a problem for the Big Sky. With Dixie State and Tarleton State sitting out there as independents, along with a few more D2 schools that might move up and San Diego, someone is going to figure out that a second FCS conference in the west might be needed. That could end up being done through the BSC and/or the WAC.

If the Montana schools could afford to upgrade, and wanted to risk an unstable WAC, they would have.

No amount of politicing from a Commissioner is going to change a College President's mind.

The Montana schools are smart enough to figure out what is what on their own.

Does a Commissioner talk up their own conference? Of course they do. That is part of their job.

A second western FCS conference would be great, but it is going to have to grow organically, whether from current WAC schools adding the sport, or WAC adding more D2 football schools. No Big Sky team is going to leave a stable conference for a hope and a prayer.

BTW - how can it be trash-talking if the talking was accurate?


If the BSC ever did decide to split into two football conferences (this wouldn't affect any other sport), if would be done for the current members benefit (and they could do it now, if desired). Whether Dixie State or Tarleton State would be asked to affiliate would be irrelevant to the decision making.


Football travel costs are over-emphasised in the on these boards. NAU is going to play SUU every year, as well as Poly. They are adding Dixie as OOC. Beyond that, there really isn't any bus games (maybe Weber), and they would still needed the added OOC games that would require a flight, so no incentive there.

As for San Diego, the cost of going full scholarship is far greater than any travel savings.
11-04-2019 03:20 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
dbackjon Offline
Hall of Famer
*

Posts: 12,010
Joined: May 2010
Reputation: 657
I Root For: NAU/Illini
Location:
Post: #47
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
(11-04-2019 02:49 PM)solohawks Wrote:  SoCal is right.

The Big Sky "killed" WAC football by helping convince the Montanas not to upgrade. Had they decided to upgrade, the floodgates for those jumping ship from Big Sky to WAC would have been opened

If the Montana schools couldn't afford FBS, no other Big Sky school could have either.

All a pipe dream.
11-04-2019 03:21 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
LatahCounty Online
1st String
*

Posts: 2,242
Joined: Sep 2015
Reputation: 128
I Root For: Idaho
Location:
Post: #48
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
(11-04-2019 01:52 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  Plenty even on here are saying that. And again, how did it "nudge it along"?

Apparently you didn't read the article I posted the last time you asked this question, from the UC Davis/Cal Poly adds. So here are the relevant quotes:

After Boise State, Fresno State and Nevada recently announced their intention to leave the Western Athletic Conference and join the Mountain West Conference, WAC commissioner Karl Benson publicly identified both Cal Poly and UC Davis — which currently play in the shorthanded, far-flung Great West Conference — as possible replacement candidates

“I’m not going to try to kid you,” Fullerton said. “I would not be doing my job if I didn’t look ahead to these kinds of situations.“Obviously, that’s in the back of your mind,” Fullerton said of the WAC seeking current or future Big Sky schools.

Davis and Poly aren't full members and don't do anything for Big Sky conference stability. If the conference had been raided, those two schools as football affiliates wouldn't do anything to keep it viable. This goes with about a decade of Fullerton telling everyone he could in every possible outlet that FBS football is a terrible idea for virtually everyone in the west who isn't USC. If you're happy with the direction the Big Sky took, that's fine, and I'd say NAU made out OK. But the Big Sky clearly played a role in the death of WAC football. Not the main role by any means, but a role.
(This post was last modified: 11-04-2019 03:43 PM by LatahCounty.)
11-04-2019 03:30 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
dbackjon Offline
Hall of Famer
*

Posts: 12,010
Joined: May 2010
Reputation: 657
I Root For: NAU/Illini
Location:
Post: #49
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
(11-04-2019 03:30 PM)LatahCounty Wrote:  
(11-04-2019 01:52 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  Plenty even on here are saying that. And again, how did it "nudge it along"?

Apparently you didn't read the article I posted the last time you asked this question, from the UC Davis/Cal Poly adds. So here are the relevant quotes:

After Boise State, Fresno State and Nevada recently announced their intention to leave the Western Athletic Conference and join the Mountain West Conference, WAC commissioner Karl Benson publicly identified both Cal Poly and UC Davis — which currently play in the shorthanded, far-flung Great West Conference — as possible replacement candidates

“I’m not going to try to kid you,” Fullerton said. “I would not be doing my job if I didn’t look ahead to these kinds of situations.“Obviously, that’s in the back of your mind,” Fullerton said of the WAC seeking current or future Big Sky schools.

This goes with about a decade of Fullerton telling everyone he could in every possible outlet that FBS football is a terrible idea for virtually everyone in the west who isn't USC. If you're happy with the direction the Big Sky took, that's fine, and I'd say NAU made out OK. But the Big Sky clearly played a role in the death of WAC football. Not the main role by any means, but a role.


Again, if UC-Davis and Cal Poly wanted to go FBS, they would have. But neither have expressed any interest.

So you would have been ok with the WAC poaching multiple conferences, but you are offended because Bensen's poaching blew up in his face, and another conference was pro-active and actually had a product worth considering?

I know you are bitter that Staben moved Idaho to FCS. I get it. Blame Bensen for blowing up the WAC. Blame Staben for not wanting to wait it out. Blame Boise and Wazzou for refusing to play the same role that UNM and UTEP do for NMSU. Blame Texas State and UTSA for bailing Blame Utah State for the BYU power play attempt. Blame La Tech, Utah State and SJSU for leaving.


If you want to blame ANYONE for the demise of WAC football, look at the Mountain West - they poached Boise, then Hawaii and Fresno, then Utah State and SJSU.

Without those schools leaving, there would have still been WAC Football:

Idaho
NMSU
Texas State
UTSA
La Tech
Utah State
SJSU
11-04-2019 03:45 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
DavidSt Offline
Hall of Famer
*

Posts: 23,011
Joined: Dec 2013
Reputation: 732
I Root For: ATU, P7
Location:
Post: #50
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
Fullerton wanted the Big Sky to take in any schools that downgraded from MWC/WAC from the FBS. He was trash talking FBS schools out west that they are wasting their money being in FBS. Fullerton is full of BS. Those FCS Big Sky schools could save money if they upgraded, plus, they gey a bigger paycheck. No, this new commish wants to do the same thing. He is like Fullerton's mini-me. He wants to expand the conference bigger, and it is alienated the Montana schools. They could grab the academic schools, ( Northern Colorado is up there) in the north, and grab all the Dakota schools from the Summitt and you get a northern conference of Idaho, Idaho State, Montana, Montana State, Northern Colorado, N. Dakota, NDSU, S. Dakota, SDSU. Portland State is too far out, and you need E. Washington as a bridge. 11 schools from Oregon to Fargo is not bad.
11-04-2019 04:04 PM
Visit this user's website Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
LatahCounty Online
1st String
*

Posts: 2,242
Joined: Sep 2015
Reputation: 128
I Root For: Idaho
Location:
Post: #51
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
(11-04-2019 03:45 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  Again, if UC-Davis and Cal Poly wanted to go FBS, they would have. But neither have expressed any interest.

So you would have been ok with the WAC poaching multiple conferences, but you are offended because Bensen's poaching blew up in his face, and another conference was pro-active and actually had a product worth considering?

I know you are bitter that Staben moved Idaho to FCS. I get it. Blame Bensen for blowing up the WAC. Blame Staben for not wanting to wait it out. Blame Boise and Wazzou for refusing to play the same role that UNM and UTEP do for NMSU. Blame Texas State and UTSA for bailing Blame Utah State for the BYU power play attempt. Blame La Tech, Utah State and SJSU for leaving.

If you want to blame ANYONE for the demise of WAC football, look at the Mountain West - they poached Boise, then Hawaii and Fresno, then Utah State and SJSU.

Without those schools leaving, there would have still been WAC Football:

Idaho
NMSU
Texas State
UTSA
La Tech
Utah State
SJSU

Are you reading anything I'm writing? I'm not offended. I'm saying the Big Sky has created a big dumb conference that isn't particularly serving most of its members. It covers way too much territory and it has way too many members for either a reasonable FCS football conference or a good 1-bid basketball league. The only reason I brought up WAC football was because it was part of the Big Sky's motivation to create this monster, when for a large portion of Big Sky membership it would actually be beneficial for it to continue to exist whether they end up joining it or not.
11-04-2019 04:04 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
SoCalBobcat78 Offline
All American
*

Posts: 3,861
Joined: Jan 2014
Reputation: 302
I Root For: TXST, UCLA, CBU
Location:
Post: #52
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
(11-04-2019 03:20 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  If the Montana schools could afford to upgrade, and wanted to risk an unstable WAC, they would have.
No amount of politicing from a Commissioner is going to change a College President's mind.
The Montana schools are smart enough to figure out what is what on their own.
Does a Commissioner talk up their own conference? Of course they do. That is part of their job.
A second western FCS conference would be great, but it is going to have to grow organically, whether from current WAC schools adding the sport, or WAC adding more D2 football schools. No Big Sky team is going to leave a stable conference for a hope and a prayer.
BTW - how can it be trash-talking if the talking was accurate?

If the BSC ever did decide to split into two football conferences (this wouldn't affect any other sport), if would be done for the current members benefit (and they could do it now, if desired). Whether Dixie State or Tarleton State would be asked to affiliate would be irrelevant to the decision making.

Football travel costs are over-emphasised in the on these boards. NAU is going to play SUU every year, as well as Poly. They are adding Dixie as OOC. Beyond that, there really isn't any bus games (maybe Weber), and they would still needed the added OOC games that would require a flight, so no incentive there.

As for San Diego, the cost of going full scholarship is far greater than any travel savings.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/ne...id=5792840

Benson said he thought he would be announcing a nine-team football lineup with Montana, but was told a few hours earlier that the Grizzlies were staying in the lower-tier Football Championship Subdivision and the Big Sky Conference it has dominated at times over the years. Montana President Royce Engstrom said the FCS, in which playoffs determine the champion, "provides our student-athletes and fans with a great experience."

Montana changed their mind at the last minute. Maybe there was pressure from within the state. Supposedly, Montana State did not want to move up and the politicians pressured Montana into staying.
About a year later, the WAC came back and tried to get 4-6 schools to join, but with the focus on the Montana schools. The Idaho President was leading that fight, but that went nowhere. Once that was lost, Fullerton recruited Idaho to the Big Sky for Olympic sports.

Fullerton was a trash talker. It was not necessarily a bad thing. It kind of made him entertaining. When the WAC was making a run at the 4-6 schools, it was not difficult to sell all of the bad things that could happen if a school made the move to FBS. The second FCS western conference is going to happen over the next five years. It is just a question of how it comes together. It would be just for football.

San Diego has scholarship issues from Title IX restrictions. USD does not have the monetary freedom to add scholarships for football. They could compete in the Big Sky without full scholarships, but could they be competitive? It not just about travel expenses and the time spent traveling. It is more about developing regional rivalries, with California schools and schools like Northern Arizona.
11-04-2019 05:35 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
dbackjon Offline
Hall of Famer
*

Posts: 12,010
Joined: May 2010
Reputation: 657
I Root For: NAU/Illini
Location:
Post: #53
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
(11-04-2019 04:04 PM)LatahCounty Wrote:  
(11-04-2019 03:45 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  Again, if UC-Davis and Cal Poly wanted to go FBS, they would have. But neither have expressed any interest.

So you would have been ok with the WAC poaching multiple conferences, but you are offended because Bensen's poaching blew up in his face, and another conference was pro-active and actually had a product worth considering?

I know you are bitter that Staben moved Idaho to FCS. I get it. Blame Bensen for blowing up the WAC. Blame Staben for not wanting to wait it out. Blame Boise and Wazzou for refusing to play the same role that UNM and UTEP do for NMSU. Blame Texas State and UTSA for bailing Blame Utah State for the BYU power play attempt. Blame La Tech, Utah State and SJSU for leaving.

If you want to blame ANYONE for the demise of WAC football, look at the Mountain West - they poached Boise, then Hawaii and Fresno, then Utah State and SJSU.

Without those schools leaving, there would have still been WAC Football:

Idaho
NMSU
Texas State
UTSA
La Tech
Utah State
SJSU

Are you reading anything I'm writing? I'm not offended. I'm saying the Big Sky has created a big dumb conference that isn't particularly serving most of its members. It covers way too much territory and it has way too many members for either a reasonable FCS football conference or a good 1-bid basketball league. The only reason I brought up WAC football was because it was part of the Big Sky's motivation to create this monster, when for a large portion of Big Sky membership it would actually be beneficial for it to continue to exist whether they end up joining it or not.


Yes I am reading your posts.

I don't think that 11 for all sports is big or dumb. If a reasonable #12 comes along, add them. If UNC decided to go to the Summit, that would be fine as well. 13 is a bit large for football but given the alternative (UC-Davis and Cal Poly dropping football, etc if they kept having scheduling issues), etc.

I am glad SUU was added - gave NAU a reasonably close rival (I know, the conference revolves around the northern rockies and what is best for Montana), but NAU has been in the league since almost the beginning.
11-04-2019 05:48 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Fighting Muskie Offline
Senior Chief Realignmentologist
*

Posts: 11,795
Joined: Sep 2016
Reputation: 789
I Root For: Ohio St, UC,MAC
Location: Biden Cesspool
Post: #54
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
Had the Montanas upgraded and joined the WAC others would have followed, possibly the 3 CA schools.
11-04-2019 05:53 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
dbackjon Offline
Hall of Famer
*

Posts: 12,010
Joined: May 2010
Reputation: 657
I Root For: NAU/Illini
Location:
Post: #55
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
(11-04-2019 05:53 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  Had the Montanas upgraded and joined the WAC others would have followed, possibly the 3 CA schools.

With what money?

UC-Davis may have been able to pull it off. Sac and Poly? Nope. Unless they wanted to be the dregs of FBS budgets.



None of the other Big Sky schools have funding - Montana would have had to add multiple sports and 60+ scholarships just to meet NCAA FBS minimums.

As of 2017 (last year data available) - the only Big Sky schools that met NCAA minimum FBS requirements for scholarships were Sac State, NAU and UC-Davis.
11-04-2019 06:01 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
SDHornet Offline
Special Teams
*

Posts: 984
Joined: Jan 2017
Reputation: 28
I Root For: Sac State
Location:
Post: #56
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
(11-04-2019 06:01 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  
(11-04-2019 05:53 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  Had the Montanas upgraded and joined the WAC others would have followed, possibly the 3 CA schools.

With what money?

UC-Davis may have been able to pull it off. Sac and Poly? Nope. Unless they wanted to be the dregs of FBS budgets.



None of the other Big Sky schools have funding - Montana would have had to add multiple sports and 60+ scholarships just to meet NCAA FBS minimums.

As of 2017 (last year data available) - the only Big Sky schools that met NCAA minimum FBS requirements for scholarships were Sac State, NAU and UC-Davis.

davis didn't have the leadership in place when all this was going down. Benson just needed one CA FCS to move and the rest would have followed. Sac State would have been the best target of the 3 at the time. I recall all this going down when the CA budget was shot so I think that is what ultimately kept the CA FCS schools from moving. Had the CA FCS moved, the Montana's would have followed.

Idaho
NMSU
Texas State
UTSA
La Tech
Utah State
SJSU
Sac State
Cal Poly
davis
Montana's

12 FB programs that would have gave the WAC a buffer for future poaching (LaTech and TX schools).

Foolerton gets credit for outmaneuvering Benson during this whole ordeal and keeping the BSC and other potential FCS moveups (CP, davis) from joining a desperate WAC.

As far as what happens now, I think a FB only FCS conference can happen if a couple more "western" D2 schools make the move. What the Dixie State move shows is that scheduling as an FCS independent is not as difficult as it may seem. But long term it will be interesting to see how sustainable the scheduling becomes.
11-04-2019 07:53 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
SDHornet Offline
Special Teams
*

Posts: 984
Joined: Jan 2017
Reputation: 28
I Root For: Sac State
Location:
Post: #57
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
(11-04-2019 05:53 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  Had the Montanas upgraded and joined the WAC others would have followed, possibly the 3 CA schools.

I have no idea how Benson played it, but the better move would have been to target the CA FCS and use those and the recent TX adds as leverage (recruiting for both enrollment and athletics). IMO the montana's would have made the move at that point.
11-04-2019 07:56 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
dbackjon Offline
Hall of Famer
*

Posts: 12,010
Joined: May 2010
Reputation: 657
I Root For: NAU/Illini
Location:
Post: #58
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
(11-04-2019 07:53 PM)SDHornet Wrote:  
(11-04-2019 06:01 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  
(11-04-2019 05:53 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  Had the Montanas upgraded and joined the WAC others would have followed, possibly the 3 CA schools.

With what money?

UC-Davis may have been able to pull it off. Sac and Poly? Nope. Unless they wanted to be the dregs of FBS budgets.



None of the other Big Sky schools have funding - Montana would have had to add multiple sports and 60+ scholarships just to meet NCAA FBS minimums.

As of 2017 (last year data available) - the only Big Sky schools that met NCAA minimum FBS requirements for scholarships were Sac State, NAU and UC-Davis.

davis didn't have the leadership in place when all this was going down. Benson just needed one CA FCS to move and the rest would have followed. Sac State would have been the best target of the 3 at the time. I recall all this going down when the CA budget was shot so I think that is what ultimately kept the CA FCS schools from moving. Had the CA FCS moved, the Montana's would have followed.

Idaho
NMSU
Texas State
UTSA
La Tech
Utah State
SJSU
Sac State
Cal Poly
davis
Montana's

12 FB programs that would have gave the WAC a buffer for future poaching (LaTech and TX schools).

Foolerton gets credit for outmaneuvering Benson during this whole ordeal and keeping the BSC and other potential FCS moveups (CP, davis) from joining a desperate WAC.

As far as what happens now, I think a FB only FCS conference can happen if a couple more "western" D2 schools make the move. What the Dixie State move shows is that scheduling as an FCS independent is not as difficult as it may seem. But long term it will be interesting to see how sustainable the scheduling becomes.

LA Tech was gone the minute C-USA had an opening - too much of an outlier.

Whether UTSA or Texas State would have stuck around is an interesting question - both are semi-outliers in the conference they moved too.

I have a hard time seeing Utah State or San Jose State turning down a MWC invite, although had the above occurred, the MWC might have waited to see if a better candidate than SJSU emerged. Utah State was a no-brainer to get them back in Utah.

Another thing that hurt the WAC was the 12-game conference championship rule - which has since been waived. Would the MWC been so eager to go to 12 if that didn't exist?

Timing was against the WAC when all this happened.
11-04-2019 07:59 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
CoastalVANDAL Offline
Special Teams
*

Posts: 580
Joined: Apr 2013
Reputation: 21
I Root For: Idaho
Location:
Post: #59
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
Wasn't Fullerton claiming the Big sky could go FBS as a conference back then?
At that time MSU was adding seats PSU, Weber St, UM, Sacramento St and maybe NAU all had enough seating capacity.
I think seven full members is all you needed also.
11-04-2019 08:00 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
dbackjon Offline
Hall of Famer
*

Posts: 12,010
Joined: May 2010
Reputation: 657
I Root For: NAU/Illini
Location:
Post: #60
RE: Big Sky Conference Expansion Article
(11-04-2019 08:00 PM)CoastalVANDAL Wrote:  Wasn't Fullerton claiming the Big sky could go FBS as a conference back then?
At that time MSU was adding seats PSU, Weber St, UM, Sacramento St and maybe NAU all had enough seating capacity.
I think seven full members is all you needed also.

I don't remember - but wouldn't surprise me if he mentioned something like that.

Portland State played in a big stadium off campus, but no longer. NAU is well below 15K (they took out all the bleachers that counted a seat every 20" or so for all chairbacks).
11-04-2019 08:08 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Post Reply 




User(s) browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)


Copyright © 2002-2024 Collegiate Sports Nation Bulletin Board System (CSNbbs), All Rights Reserved.
CSNbbs is an independent fan site and is in no way affiliated to the NCAA or any of the schools and conferences it represents.
This site monetizes links. FTC Disclosure.
We allow third-party companies to serve ads and/or collect certain anonymous information when you visit our web site. These companies may use non-personally identifiable information (e.g., click stream information, browser type, time and date, subject of advertisements clicked or scrolled over) during your visits to this and other Web sites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services likely to be of greater interest to you. These companies typically use a cookie or third party web beacon to collect this information. To learn more about this behavioral advertising practice or to opt-out of this type of advertising, you can visit http://www.networkadvertising.org.
Powered By MyBB, © 2002-2024 MyBB Group.