Big Sky Conference officially added Northern Colorado on Friday. Northern Colorado moves from D-II to D-I.

OUBOBCATJOHN Wrote:Big Sky Conference officially added Northern Colorado on Friday. Northern Colorado moves from D-II to D-I.

UNC made the move to D-I a year ahead of NDSU and SDSU. The Bears have been members of the D-IAA Great West Football Conference since its inception two seasons ago. They are about done with the transition period. The Big Sky liked the idea of a presence in the Denver marketplace and added UNC while rejecting the Dakota schools.

DexterEagle Wrote:

OUBOBCATJOHN Wrote:Big Sky Conference officially added Northern Colorado on Friday. Northern Colorado moves from D-II to D-I.

UNC made the move to D-I a year ahead of NDSU and SDSU. The Bears have been members of the D-IAA Great West Football Conference since its inception two seasons ago. They are about done with the transition period. The Big Sky liked the idea of a presence in the Denver marketplace and added UNC while rejecting the Dakota schools.

Im not exactly sure what you mean here. NDSU and SDSU are already D-IAA in the great west conference. No. Colo is moving to a different conference in I-AA football. OR are you talking about basketball? I believe the dakots are independent in basketball division I. I believe that qualifies as NDSU and SDSU both being d-I before N. Colorado no?

Quote:Im not exactly sure what you mean here. NDSU and SDSU are already D-IAA in the great west conference. No. Colo is moving to a different conference in I-AA football. OR are you talking about basketball? I believe the dakots are independent in basketball division I. I believe that qualifies as NDSU and SDSU both being d-I before N. Colorado no?

OUBOBCATJOHN said that UNC moves from D2 to D1. I was just pointing out that UNC is in its 3rd year of transition and have been participating in D1 sports before their joining the Big Sky. I had thought that UNC jumped to D1 before the Dakotas but that appears to be incorrect. All 3 schools left the NCC and changed division status at the same time.

Look for NDSU and SDSU to get in the Mid Continent for everything but football, and play football in the Great West. Supposedly the MidCon and the GWFC are working together since the Mid Continent doesn't offer football, it gives the MidCon teams that need one a football home.

I'd expect North Dakota (who's moving to Div I in '07) and SOuth Dakota (who will likely jump soon) to have the same arrangement.

The Mid-Con expansion committee visited IPFW this week. I'd expect them to join for all sports for 2007-08.

Adding IPFW to the Mid-Con makes perfect sense with Oakland and UiPUi in the Mid-con too. Mid-con is behind MVC, MAC and Horizon league with all four in Big Ten's shadow. MAC has D-A football which sets it apart from the Horizon, MVC, and Mid-con. MVC has superior basketball, but Horizon has caught the MAC. They added Valpo in a nice move which will boost rpi.

catdaddy_2402 Wrote:Look for NDSU and SDSU to get in the Mid Continent for everything but football, and play football in the Great West. Supposedly the MidCon and the GWFC are working together since the Mid Continent doesn't offer football, it gives the MidCon teams that need one a football home.

I'd expect North Dakota (who's moving to Div I in '07) and SOuth Dakota (who will likely jump soon) to have the same arrangement.

The Mid-Con and GWFC more than work together. The Mid-Con founded and operates the GWFC for those I-AA schools who had no conference home for football after moving up from D-II. We will see a Mid-Con/GWFC alliance much the same as the MVC/Gateway alliance. I also believe that UND and USD will eventually be members of the Mid-Con/GWFC.

Northern Colorado, North Dakota State, and South Dakota State have played GWFC football and been independent in everything else since moving to NCAA Division I a couple of years ago. Northern Colorado joins the Big Sky for the upcoming 2006-07 school year.

The Mid-Con is visiting North Dakota State, South Dakota State, and IPFW over the next few weeks. The will probably invite those schools in August or September. They will officially become members in the 2007-08 school year as replacements for Valparaiso then.

North Dakota has announced they will move to NCAA Division I. South Dakota is now investigating their options. Expect them to follow their rivals. They really don't have a choice. The Mid-Con will probably visit them next summer and invite them to play in 2008-09.

MID-CONTINENT CONFERENCE 2006-07
Oakland
Valparaiso
IUPUI
Western Illinois
UMKC
Centenary
Oral Roberts
Southern Utah

MID-CONTINENT CONFERENCE 2007-08
Oakland
IPFW
IUPUI
Western Illinois
UMKC
Centenary
North Dakota State
South Dakota State
Oral Roberts
Southern Utah

MID-CONTINENT CONFERENCE 2008-09
E - Oakland
E - IPFW
E - IUPUI
E - Western Illinois
E - UMKC
E - Centenary
W - North Dakota
W - North Dakota State
W - South Dakota
W - South Dakota State
W - Oral Roberts
W - Southern Utah

Once the Mid-Con builds up to 12 members in 2008-09 it looks pretty solid. They would actually be better off as a 10 team conference if they could somehow lose Centenary and Southern Utah. We know, however, that those two schools have no other places to go.