So many schools are moving up from D2 to D1 looking for national reputation and success yet so many schools underperform when they move up. Off the top of my head, there aren't many schools that have been able to become a household name in D1 FCS or even non-football. The only ones I can come up with are:

Florida Gulf Coast (Joined in 2007)
North Dakota State (Joined in 2004)
South Dakota State (Joined in 2004)

and Cal Baptist which joined in 2018 and looks like they are primed for success in D1. Are some of the schools that found a lot of D2 success that moved up regretting their decisions now? It's difficult from a recruiting standpoint. Is it better to be a top D2 school that is competing for a national championship each year or is being D1 that much more important in recruiting (mostly because of scholarship limit increases likely)? What other schools am I missing from that list?

Belmont joined in 1999, and Lipscomb joined soon after. Belmont has had a lot of success, but Lipscomb is also in a good place.

Grand Canyon has to be part of this list.

Troy should probably be at the top of this list. Moved from D2 to D1 in 2001.

Someone want to start with a full list of our options?

Are you there David?

(07-08-2020 04:53 PM)Bobcat2013 Wrote:  Troy should probably be at the top of this list. Moved from D2 to D1 in 2001.

They were D1 FCS in 2000. I remember because Troy @ App was my first ever App game. Troy won, but App beat Troy in the playoffs rematch. I'm pretty sure they moved up to D1 in like '97 or '98.

Grand Canyon, North Dakota St, and South Dakota St for the fan bases each has built and sustained. NDSU/SDSU fan bases would fit into the G5 seamlessly and GCU has a Gonzaga-like fan base.

NDSU/SDSU FB and GCU BB could make a terrible hire and recover quickly because of the support systems in place.

(07-08-2020 05:07 PM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  

(07-08-2020 04:53 PM)Bobcat2013 Wrote:  Troy should probably be at the top of this list. Moved from D2 to D1 in 2001.

They were D1 FCS in 2000. I remember be mcause Troy @ App was my first ever App game. Troy won, but App beat Troy in the playoffs rematch. I'm pretty sure they moved up to D1 in like '97 or '98.

That's right. They moved from FCS (which is DI) to FBS in 2001. They transitioned from DII to FCS in 1991.

(07-08-2020 05:36 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  Grand Canyon, North Dakota St, and South Dakota St for the fan bases each has built and sustained. NDSU/SDSU fan bases would fit into the G5 seamlessly and GCU has a Gonzaga-like fan base.

NDSU/SDSU FB and GCU BB could make a terrible hire and recover quickly because of the support systems in place.

NDSU and SDSU arguably had bigger fan bases in D2. Basketball shows it. UND's fan base grew tremendously over that pre-DI period because of a new football stadium, a new hockey stadium, a new cable stateswide network, and hockey and football championships.
Can't speak for SDSU, but NDSU felt they had no choice but DI as they were getting knocked out at every turn in DII. Hell, they had to move to FCS because the football playoffs couldn't be met in DII any longer. The officials were forced off the field at lowly St Cloud St because of horrible NDSU performance be NDSU fans.

(07-08-2020 06:47 PM)NoDak Wrote:  

(07-08-2020 05:36 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  Grand Canyon, North Dakota St, and South Dakota St for the fan bases each has built and sustained. NDSU/SDSU fan bases would fit into the G5 seamlessly and GCU has a Gonzaga-like fan base.

NDSU/SDSU FB and GCU BB could make a terrible hire and recover quickly because of the support systems in place.

NDSU and SDSU arguably had bigger fan bases in D2. Basketball shows it. UND's fan base grew tremendously over that pre-DI period because of a new football stadium, a new hockey stadium, a new cable stateswide network, and hockey and football championships.
Can't speak for SDSU, but NDSU felt they had no choice but DI as they were getting knocked out at every turn in DII. Hell, they had to move to FCS because the football playoffs couldn't be met in DII any longer. The officials were forced off the field at lowly St Cloud St because of horrible NDSU performance be NDSU fans.

LOL, time heals all wounds. St Cloud State's head coach must have overcome the trauma of it all by becoming our heralded QB coach that has coached two drafted NFL QBs and a first round prospect. Try harder next time when you are trying to bash the Bison.

NDSU is number one by a mile. Their FCS success is astonishing. Plus they've made the NCAA tournament several times, and would have this year as well since they won the Summit League Tournament.

I'll echo what others have said for others on the list: SDSU, GCU, and possibly Cal Baptist. Merrimack certainly had a good first transition year this past season.

(07-08-2020 04:55 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  Someone want to start with a full list of our options?

Are you there David?

Yep, this is where DavidSt shines. I'm getting ready for the list.

(07-08-2020 08:38 PM)BisonCardinal Wrote:  

(07-08-2020 06:47 PM)NoDak Wrote:  

(07-08-2020 05:36 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  Grand Canyon, North Dakota St, and South Dakota St for the fan bases each has built and sustained. NDSU/SDSU fan bases would fit into the G5 seamlessly and GCU has a Gonzaga-like fan base.

NDSU/SDSU FB and GCU BB could make a terrible hire and recover quickly because of the support systems in place.

NDSU and SDSU arguably had bigger fan bases in D2. Basketball shows it. UND's fan base grew tremendously over that pre-DI period because of a new football stadium, a new hockey stadium, a new cable stateswide network, and hockey and football championships.
Can't speak for SDSU, but NDSU felt they had no choice but DI as they were getting knocked out at every turn in DII. Hell, they had to move to FCS because the football playoffs couldn't be met in DII any longer. The officials were forced off the field at lowly St Cloud St because of horrible NDSU performance be NDSU fans.

LOL, time heals all wounds. St Cloud State's head coach must have overcome the trauma of it all by becoming our heralded QB coach that has coached two drafted NFL QBs and a first round prospect. Try harder next time when you are trying to bash the Bison.

Never tried to bash the bison because I don't care. Before DI, the bison were evaluating Hockey. They didn't decide for it because their rink would have been so piss poor in comparison and they decided that would go all in on fb obtaining any player leaning to UND. UND made it easy by having a piss-poor AD now at SMU

Abilene Christian took their time, but they are getting better. Not top choice.

UCA have been great in football, and nearly got a P5 scalp a few years back.

Northern Colorado men's basketball.

Utah Valley is one top contender in the WAC's men's basketball

Cal Poly got a P5 scalp

South Dakota State been great in men's basketball and football

UC-Davis's football a couple years back

Kennesaw State's men's basketball and football

North Florida men's basketball

FGCU the same with UNF

South Dakota football

Bryant been in the news

Northern Kentucky men's basketball

Incarnate Word made the FCS' playoffs

Grand Canyon men's basketball

Verdict is out with a few others, and we do not know the incoming schools yet.

(07-08-2020 09:29 PM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  NDSU is number one by a mile. Their FCS success is astonishing. Plus they've made the NCAA tournament several times, and would have this year as well since they won the Summit League Tournament.

I'll echo what others have said for others on the list: SDSU, GCU, and possibly Cal Baptist. Merrimack certainly had a good first transition year this past season.

Cal Baptist has gone further since their starting point wasn't D2.

(07-08-2020 09:57 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  Abilene Christian took their time, but they are getting better. Not top choice.

UCA have been great in football, and nearly got a P5 scalp a few years back.

Northern Colorado men's basketball.

Utah Valley is one top contender in the WAC's men's basketball

Cal Poly got a P5 scalp

South Dakota State been great in men's basketball and football

UC-Davis's football a couple years back

Kennesaw State's men's basketball and football

North Florida men's basketball

FGCU the same with UNF

South Dakota football

Bryant been in the news

Northern Kentucky men's basketball

Incarnate Word made the FCS' playoffs

Grand Canyon men's basketball

Verdict is out with a few others, and we do not know the incoming schools yet.

Kennesaw St has been horrible in DI basketball, even though they won it in D2 .

N Kentucky had such a strong D2 basketball league that their DI performance is not that fantastic.

(07-08-2020 10:24 PM)NoDak Wrote:  

(07-08-2020 09:29 PM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  NDSU is number one by a mile. Their FCS success is astonishing. Plus they've made the NCAA tournament several times, and would have this year as well since they won the Summit League Tournament.

I'll echo what others have said for others on the list: SDSU, GCU, and possibly Cal Baptist. Merrimack certainly had a good first transition year this past season.

Cal Baptist has gone further since their starting point wasn't D2.

FGCU came from further back, since they weren't a school until 1997.

(07-08-2020 10:29 PM)NoDak Wrote:  

(07-08-2020 09:57 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  Abilene Christian took their time, but they are getting better. Not top choice.

UCA have been great in football, and nearly got a P5 scalp a few years back.

Northern Colorado men's basketball.

Utah Valley is one top contender in the WAC's men's basketball

Cal Poly got a P5 scalp

South Dakota State been great in men's basketball and football

UC-Davis's football a couple years back

Kennesaw State's men's basketball and football

North Florida men's basketball

FGCU the same with UNF

South Dakota football

Bryant been in the news

Northern Kentucky men's basketball

Incarnate Word made the FCS' playoffs

Grand Canyon men's basketball

Verdict is out with a few others, and we do not know the incoming schools yet.

Kennesaw St has been horrible in DI basketball, even though they won it in D2 .

N Kentucky had such a strong D2 basketball league that their DI performance is not that fantastic.

My bad about Kennesaw State.

Northern Kentucky did made an appearance in in the tournament as they won the Horizon League's men's basketball tournament for 2018/19 season. They also won the 2016/17 tournament and came close to going the next year with a 22-10 record. They won this year's Horizon League's tournament before the coronavirus cancelled the tournaments.

(07-08-2020 06:47 PM)NoDak Wrote:  

(07-08-2020 05:36 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  Grand Canyon, North Dakota St, and South Dakota St for the fan bases each has built and sustained. NDSU/SDSU fan bases would fit into the G5 seamlessly and GCU has a Gonzaga-like fan base.

NDSU/SDSU FB and GCU BB could make a terrible hire and recover quickly because of the support systems in place.

NDSU and SDSU arguably had bigger fan bases in D2. Basketball shows it. UND's fan base grew tremendously over that pre-DI period because of a new football stadium, a new hockey stadium, a new cable stateswide network, and hockey and football championships.
Can't speak for SDSU, but NDSU felt they had no choice but DI as they were getting knocked out at every turn in DII. Hell, they had to move to FCS because the football playoffs couldn't be met in DII any longer. The officials were forced off the field at lowly St Cloud St because of horrible NDSU performance be NDSU fans.

So, NDSU was struggling to find success in the DII football playoffs, and thus they decided to move up to DI to improve their chances.

Merrimack won their conference in basketball in their first transition year