(05-25-2018 03:08 PM)johnbragg Wrote: (05-25-2018 02:46 PM)Stugray2 Wrote: There is no problem here, beyond needing to find 5 FBS opponents (they can all schedule an FCS and they get 6 WAC games in a 7 school league counting NMSU).
No, that actually is the big problem, putting together 4 FBS home games. If your transitioning buddies can all count, it's easy. If you can only count one transitioner, you need 3 real FBS schools to come play at your stadium.
It's a problem for the schools for sure to get 11 FBS games. But it's not a p[roblem for potential opponents in that 2nd year of transition, because they count as FBS.
Since those schools are not eligible for post-seaosn, there is no reason they cannot still schedule 2 FCS schools that first year. Also playing the first year in FCS as an Independent when you don't count as an FBS means you have two years lead time to find opponents for the 2nd transition year, actually almost 3 years, and 3 to 4 years to find them for your first post season eligible year when you must have 11 FBS opponents.
It's obviously easier for a new league if you have 8 schools or even better 9 schools than 7, as more games are filled. But 7 can still work. Also remember you have 2+ years to get the first schedule together, and being ineligible for post season you can get away with a 2nd FCS opponent. Or worst case, you can have a few play each other twice with one not counting as a conference game (see NMSU and Liberty 2018 and 2019 schedule deal).
But while it would be difficult work to round up 30 opponents for these 6 moving up schools (joining NMSU who is already up), it can be done. The one advantage they have being in a league like the WAC, they would have the back 8 back end games of the schedule easily filled with 6 conference games, an FCS purchased opponent and a road kill revenue game against some P5 school (you may have to go cheaper to secure the spot, say $1.1M from some ACC or SEC school instead of $1.7M). Also there are still Independents like UMass, Liberty and BYU that would likely schedule one of them later in the year. That means you are just looking for 4 September OOC games like everyone else (another road kill game, and three G5 home and home series). So it's doable with 3 years of lead time.
My point is, this doesn't stop such a move. What will stop this from happening is money:
1. typically schools spend $40M or more to transition from FCS to FBS in upgrades
2. staffing upgrades (everyone gets a raise across the department! this is still killing Idaho in FCS as they pay staff FBS level)
3. playoff payout will be the bare minimum, as G5 wont part with their share, so into the Indy pool
4. no TV/Media value, so likely very low TV payout, somewhere between FCS (almost zero) and G5 (CUSA is around $1M or less per school)
5. Approval from regents, students where they get a say in fees, and genuine desire to move up
6. The WAC's existing members, who are basketball focused, don't play football, having 7 votes in favor of adding 6 football schools who will be getting most of the revenue, and taking NCAA Basketball share revenue away from them.
The reality is any moving up will be done one school at a time, and that makes this entire scenario of NoDak a masturbatory fantasy. As obstacles go in this right hand-male member-computer screen activity goes, scheduling is a pretty small one.
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Can FCS to FBS reclassifying teams count each other as FBS games? Source?
