(10-27-2019 12:40 PM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  

(10-27-2019 10:53 AM)DavidSt Wrote:  I think you may need schools to be close by to also draw fans including fans that would travel to the games. That is a problem with far flung conferences that do not have fans in the same region. With less media deals for G5, you need fans to go the games that can go by car. Look a t Alabama State versus UAB? 40,000 fans and a lot of them from Alabama State. The fanbase at HBCUs seemed to come out even if their team sucks. Incarnate Word fans also came out to help sell tickets for UTSA. Eastern Washington, North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Montana, Montana State and James Madison fans are more passionate as well. E. Washington had over 10,000 people for one of their home games this year. They must have put in temp seatings to sell more tickets?

Fans in the stands are predicated on winning. If you take the top FCS teams and put them into the G5 down goes their winning percentages especially some of the small market, limited recruiting base programs you suggest.

NDSU, SDSU, JMU... not one of their winning percentage goes down in a G5 league. You may want to take a look at the rosters of the two "Dakota" State schools to see where they get their kids from. Strong FB programs with facilities that are better than a lot of G5 schools plus FCOA and they aren't having any issues recruiting outside their area.

EWU, Montana, MSU? Possibly, can't speak for them.