(07-14-2017 06:08 PM)teamvsn Wrote:  

(07-14-2017 05:52 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  Thanks for the input teamvsn.

Perhaps my viewpoint was skewed in that I know of many schools in Minnesota, the Dakotas, and Montana that were NAIA and have moved to NCAA D2. Based on what you've said, it really didn't make sense for them to do that ... I guess? But they did it anyway.

The Minnesota ones I am not familiar with. I know of the Dakota ones that moved in the last 10 years. The Montana ones must have been quite a while ago as well as the Frontier conference has been pretty stable.

But I ask you: how large are they, how big are their endowments, and are they competitive? If they're small, poor and uncompetitive, perhaps they aren't happy with their choice. Just because they went doesn't mean it was a good move. Lots of promises were made in the last 10 years by enthused ADs that didn't come true.

Of the ones in the Dakotas that I know of, Sioux Falls would be the most successful. They are a football school. From what I've heard, the rest of their sports aren't doing well at all. If football is all they care about, they are probably happy. But most small schools don't have single sport tunnel vision.

There have been three great waves of schools that have moved from the NAIA to the NCAA since the mid-80's. The MIAC schools from 1982-85, the NSC schools from 91-95 and the UMAC schools from 2004-06.