(10-22-2020 09:38 AM)Bobcat2013 Wrote:  

(10-22-2020 09:32 AM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  If the door is open for FBS aspirations, the expansion would have to focus on the Texas schools and exclude SUU. ACU/SFA/SHSU/Lamar/Tarleton/NMSU can be built on for an FBS moveup, but SUU is a school with no FBS capability.

If SUU has no FBS capability then how do any of the others you listed besides NMSU?

I can only speak for Tarleton. We could have beaten any one of those FCS teams last year as a D2 squad. And we actually did beat SFA, in a dominating fashion, on their own field. Again.
I'd really like to see us play FBS Nmsu this Spring to see where we're at right now as an FCS indy.

(10-22-2020 09:38 AM)Bobcat2013 Wrote:  

(10-22-2020 09:32 AM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  If the door is open for FBS aspirations, the expansion would have to focus on the Texas schools and exclude SUU. ACU/SFA/SHSU/Lamar/Tarleton/NMSU can be built on for an FBS moveup, but SUU is a school with no FBS capability.

If SUU has no FBS capability then how do any of the others you listed besides NMSU?

Texas schools are better positioned to raise everything to FBS levels -- facilities, stadiums, fan support, budget, recruiting.

Capacity/Attendance
LU 16000/7173
SFA 14575/8324
SHSU 12593/4878
ACU 12000/7882
TSU 10000/8952
SUU 8500/4797

Budget
SHSU 19.1 M
LU 18.4 M
SFA 17.5 M
SUU 14.7 M

(Knight Commission doesn't list ACU/TSU)

(10-22-2020 09:20 AM)PojoaquePosse Wrote:  

(10-22-2020 09:09 AM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  

(10-21-2020 04:42 PM)NMSUPistolPete Wrote:  I think the hopeful addition of SFA and Sam Houston State would bring immediate respectability to the WAC in basketball; along with the recent success of Abilene Christian and past success of Lamar. An addition like this would put the WAC on par with the Missouri Valley.

This isn't true.

If you remove Chicago St (NMSU/GCU/UTRGV/UVU/CBU/SU + SFA/ACU/SHSU/Lamar), the WAC still comes out far behind the Missouri Valley.

8 of the top 10 NET hail from the MVC while the MVC's median ranking (129) outpaces the WAC's median ranking (227) by nearly 100 spots.

48 UNI (MVC)
77 SFA (WAC)
98 LUC (MVC)
102 BU (MVC)
104 NMSU (WAC)
105 INST (MVC)
119 MOST (MVC)
138 VU (MVC)
156 DU (MVC)
162 SIU (MVC)
194 ACU (WAC)
196 ILST (MVC)
200 CBU (WAC)
226 SU (WAC)
228 SHSU (WAC)
250 UVU (WAC)
260 UTRGV (WAC)
264 UE (MVC)
267 Lamar (WAC)
278 GCU (WAC)

Also, going by NCAA Tournament wins by these 20 schools:

Since 2015
MVC 6
WAC 1

MVC had 2 teams finish top-15 in the postseason coaches poll (#7 Loyola-'18, #14 UNI-'15).

Good stuff, Woke. The WAC would not be on par with the MVC. But I think we would have 2 teams consistently in the top 100 of the NET rankings every year and a punchers chance at getting 2 bids into the NCAA if all the cards fell just right.

Keep in mind the MVC is a tightly bundled group strength wise. On the top end, I think the WAC might become capable of being on par with the MVC schools. It is the the bottom end of the WAC that always drag down the top school's RPIs and the conference RPI as a whole. There is not a Chicago State level team in the MVC that negatively impacts the other conference school's RPI. SFA, SHSU, ACU, and Lamar would give the WAC an RPI (or NET) bump in the middle and toward the top of the conference. Also, if the WAC champion could get 10 or 11 seed in the NCAA tourney instead of a 12 seed or lower, it might be enough to actually garner a few NCAA tournament wins. On the bottom end of the conference, the WAC will always trail the MVC. But on the top end, I think the WAC could prove to be as formidable as the the MVC. GCU is a sleeping giant. CBU is an up and comer. And, NMSU has already establish a high level of success. SFA, SHSU, ACU, and Lamar would only add to that cause.

(10-22-2020 09:50 AM)Itinerant Texan Wrote:  

(10-22-2020 09:25 AM)NobleNewt Wrote:  

(10-22-2020 09:01 AM)PojoaquePosse Wrote:  

(10-22-2020 08:02 AM)wisdomgymrat Wrote:  Just letting you guys know what I hear... like last year when I said that WT and 4 SLC teams would receive in invite... well?

I haven't heard WT's name come up anywhere other than this board. Are you saying someone is telling you the WAC has FBS aspirations? What I was told was the WAC was looking at FCS. From what I have read, most, if not all, the football stadiums of these schools can't even hold 15k. The FBS minimum attendance is 15k every 2 years. That is a very large leap for the attendance numbers these schools currently have.

If Tarleton can fudge the numbers as bad as they did last football season to go FCS, anyone can fudge the numbers to go FBS. I went to every Tarleton home game last season and never once were there more than about 7-8,000 people in the seats and they reported over 10K for one game and over 11K for another. I don't believe for a second that 3-4,000 people purchased tickets and didn't come, so nullify that argument.

Heck, if they had played this fall, they would have averaged over 25K for the year!

You must be referring to the West Texas A&M game where we were up 51-0 at halftime. I can 100% vouch it was standing room only capacity when the game started. But for some unknown reason, there was a mass exodus of WTAMU fans at the half. That's probably when you decided to show up.

https://www.texasfootball.com/article/20...view_title

No, I was in my seat at kickoff. There were never 10,000 people in that stadium. Including standing room, TSU reports that the stadium seats 12,000 (meaning that every seat was absolutely full and there were another 1,500-2,000 standing around on both concourses). I just don't buy it. While the home side was full, the visiting side was at best 50%. And I would argue that the Commerce game with a reported 11,500 attendance had even fewer in attendance.

I'll buy 7-8,000 at any one of those home games, but 10-11,000 is a bit of a stretch, even for an eyeball count.

(10-22-2020 09:58 AM)Itinerant Texan Wrote:  

(10-22-2020 09:38 AM)Bobcat2013 Wrote:  

(10-22-2020 09:32 AM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  If the door is open for FBS aspirations, the expansion would have to focus on the Texas schools and exclude SUU. ACU/SFA/SHSU/Lamar/Tarleton/NMSU can be built on for an FBS moveup, but SUU is a school with no FBS capability.

If SUU has no FBS capability then how do any of the others you listed besides NMSU?

I can only speak for Tarleton. We could have beaten any one of those FCS teams last year as a D2 squad. And we actually did beat SFA, in a dominating fashion, on their own field. Again.
I'd really like to see us play FBS Nmsu this Spring to see where we're at right now as an FCS indy.

Not disagreeing, but as you know there's a lot more to being FBS than having a good team. See NDSU, JMU, etc. Y'all would probably give NSMU a good game.

My comment was more at football facilities and support. Especially SHSU and SFAs. Theirs are terrible. ACU and Lamar have nice stadiums that look like they could easily be expanded to FBS specs, but they lack the success that SHSU and SFA have had in football/baseball and basketball respectively. Not sure what their fan support looks like either

SFA seems to get decent basketball support. I'd be surprised if the others do.

(10-22-2020 09:58 AM)Itinerant Texan Wrote:  

(10-22-2020 09:38 AM)Bobcat2013 Wrote:  

(10-22-2020 09:32 AM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  If the door is open for FBS aspirations, the expansion would have to focus on the Texas schools and exclude SUU. ACU/SFA/SHSU/Lamar/Tarleton/NMSU can be built on for an FBS moveup, but SUU is a school with no FBS capability.

If SUU has no FBS capability then how do any of the others you listed besides NMSU?

I can only speak for Tarleton. We could have beaten any one of those FCS teams last year as a D2 squad. And we actually did beat SFA, in a dominating fashion, on their own field. Again.
I'd really like to see us play FBS Nmsu this Spring to see where we're at right now as an FCS indy.

Playing us in FB may not be much of a litmus test. There is not a single NMSU fan that would be surprised if Tarleton won the football game.

(10-22-2020 10:55 AM)PojoaquePosse Wrote:  

(10-22-2020 09:58 AM)Itinerant Texan Wrote:  

(10-22-2020 09:38 AM)Bobcat2013 Wrote:  

(10-22-2020 09:32 AM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  If the door is open for FBS aspirations, the expansion would have to focus on the Texas schools and exclude SUU. ACU/SFA/SHSU/Lamar/Tarleton/NMSU can be built on for an FBS moveup, but SUU is a school with no FBS capability.

If SUU has no FBS capability then how do any of the others you listed besides NMSU?

I can only speak for Tarleton. We could have beaten any one of those FCS teams last year as a D2 squad. And we actually did beat SFA, in a dominating fashion, on their own field. Again.
I'd really like to see us play FBS Nmsu this Spring to see where we're at right now as an FCS indy.

Playing us in FB may not be much of a litmus test. There is not a single NMSU fan that would be surprised if Tarleton won the football game.

Fair enough. So let me ask you this: if Tarleton were to beat FBS Nmsu at home in its first transitiinal year as FCS, would that be an indicator that Nmsu should strongly consider moving down to FCS, or that Tarleton is already capable of being in the same FBS league as Nmsu?

(10-22-2020 11:07 AM)Itinerant Texan Wrote:  

(10-22-2020 10:55 AM)PojoaquePosse Wrote:  

(10-22-2020 09:58 AM)Itinerant Texan Wrote:  

(10-22-2020 09:38 AM)Bobcat2013 Wrote:  

(10-22-2020 09:32 AM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  If the door is open for FBS aspirations, the expansion would have to focus on the Texas schools and exclude SUU. ACU/SFA/SHSU/Lamar/Tarleton/NMSU can be built on for an FBS moveup, but SUU is a school with no FBS capability.

If SUU has no FBS capability then how do any of the others you listed besides NMSU?

I can only speak for Tarleton. We could have beaten any one of those FCS teams last year as a D2 squad. And we actually did beat SFA, in a dominating fashion, on their own field. Again.
I'd really like to see us play FBS Nmsu this Spring to see where we're at right now as an FCS indy.

Playing us in FB may not be much of a litmus test. There is not a single NMSU fan that would be surprised if Tarleton won the football game.

Fair enough. So let me ask you this: if Tarleton were to beat FBS Nmsu at home in its first transitiinal year as FCS, would that be an indicator that Nmsu should strongly consider moving down to FCS, or that Tarleton is already capable of being in the same FBS league as Nmsu?

Any school is capable of being in the same FBS league as NMSU. We are the Chicago State of FBS. I'm being serious.

As for FCS, I don't think that will ever happen. If the minors and NuM are our peers, we sure as heck are not going to drop down to FCS. We would never play them again. Plus we get $2-3M for body bag games every year. That's a lot of coin.

At the end of the day, NM is a basketball state and NMSU/NuM are basketball schools. You should see the turnout we get for the HS state basketball tournament. Tiny schools from the far reaches of the state, hundreds of miles away, will sell out Wise Pies Arena.

(10-22-2020 10:33 AM)Bobcat2013 Wrote:  

(10-22-2020 09:58 AM)Itinerant Texan Wrote:  

(10-22-2020 09:38 AM)Bobcat2013 Wrote:  

(10-22-2020 09:32 AM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  If the door is open for FBS aspirations, the expansion would have to focus on the Texas schools and exclude SUU. ACU/SFA/SHSU/Lamar/Tarleton/NMSU can be built on for an FBS moveup, but SUU is a school with no FBS capability.

If SUU has no FBS capability then how do any of the others you listed besides NMSU?

I can only speak for Tarleton. We could have beaten any one of those FCS teams last year as a D2 squad. And we actually did beat SFA, in a dominating fashion, on their own field. Again.
I'd really like to see us play FBS Nmsu this Spring to see where we're at right now as an FCS indy.

Not disagreeing, but as you know there's a lot more to being FBS than having a good team. See NDSU, JMU, etc. Y'all would probably give NSMU a good game.

My comment was more at football facilities and support. Especially SHSU and SFAs. Theirs are terrible. ACU and Lamar have nice stadiums that look like they could easily be expanded to FBS specs, but they lack the success that SHSU and SFA have had in football/baseball and basketball respectively. Not sure what their fan support looks like either

SFA seems to get decent basketball support. I'd be surprised if the others do.

Here are last season's attendance averages for the four SLC universities and SUU compared last season's WAC.

Grand Canyon - 6,978
New Mexico State - 6,503
Stephen F. Austin - 3,222 (Highest: 5,337)
California Baptist - 3,181
Utah Valley - 2,453
Southern Utah - 2,332 (Highest: 4,021)
CSU Bakersfield - 2,271
Lamar - 2,256 (Highest: 4,254)
Abilene Christian - 1,472 (Highest: 2,893)
UTRGV - 1,289
Kansas City - 1,069
Sam Houston State - 1,024 (Highest: 2,889)
Seattle - 899
Chicago St - 348

Link - NCAA Attendance

For Lamar, here's the Montagne Center history from the Wikipedia page. Attendance took a hit during and after the Pat Knight debacle, but is slowly recovering. Like most, attendance has dropped over the years.

Season............Average.........High
2019–20.......... 2,256..........4,254
2018–19...........2,355..........5,218
2017–18...........1,560..........2,196
2016–17...........1,890..........2,774
2015–16...........1,776..........2,312
2014–15...........2,173..........3,543
2013–14...........2,170..........3,984
2012–13...........2,664..........6,059
2011–12...........2,834..........5,138
2010–11...........3,176..........5,083
2009–10...........2,970..........4,675
2008–09...........3,673..........6,182
2007–08...........3,704..........8,338
2006–07...........3,579..........7,497
2005–06...........3,269..........5,173
2004–05...........3,986..........6,164
2003–04...........4,063..........5,347
2002–03...........3,338..........4,537
2001–02...........2,670..........4,147
2000–01...........2,768..........5,033
1999–2000........3,704..........6,271
1998–99...........3,382..........6,193
1997–98...........4,442..........7,584
1996–97...........2,638..........5,089
1995–96...........2,822..........8,454
1994–95...........2,294..........4,142
1993–94...........2,987..........3,876
1992–93...........3,861..........8,033
1991–92...........3,602..........5,642
1990–91...........5,437..........7,641
1989–90...........1,629..........2,932
1988–89...........4,562..........6,615
1987–88...........4,562..........7,504
1986–87...........6,615.........10,010
1985–86...........6,326...........9,467
1984–85...........6,306...........8,310

(10-22-2020 11:20 AM)PojoaquePosse Wrote:  

(10-22-2020 11:07 AM)Itinerant Texan Wrote:  

(10-22-2020 10:55 AM)PojoaquePosse Wrote:  

(10-22-2020 09:58 AM)Itinerant Texan Wrote:  

(10-22-2020 09:38 AM)Bobcat2013 Wrote:  If SUU has no FBS capability then how do any of the others you listed besides NMSU?

I can only speak for Tarleton. We could have beaten any one of those FCS teams last year as a D2 squad. And we actually did beat SFA, in a dominating fashion, on their own field. Again.
I'd really like to see us play FBS Nmsu this Spring to see where we're at right now as an FCS indy.

Playing us in FB may not be much of a litmus test. There is not a single NMSU fan that would be surprised if Tarleton won the football game.

Fair enough. So let me ask you this: if Tarleton were to beat FBS Nmsu at home in its first transitiinal year as FCS, would that be an indicator that Nmsu should strongly consider moving down to FCS, or that Tarleton is already capable of being in the same FBS league as Nmsu?

Any school is capable of being in the same FBS league as NMSU. We are the Chicago State of FBS. I'm being serious.

As for FCS, I don't think that will ever happen. If the minors and NuM are our peers, we sure as heck are not going to drop down to FCS. We would never play them again. Plus we get $2-3M for body bag games every year. That's a lot of coin.

At the end of the day, NM is a basketball state and NMSU/NuM are basketball schools. You should see the turnout we get for the HS state basketball tournament. Tiny schools from he far reaches of the state, hundreds of miles away, will sell out Wise Pies Arena.

I get and respect all that. To drill down a little further...we now know the WAC is definitely trying to rebuild a football conference, and there's alot of guesswork and ballyhoo about whether it will be FCS or FBS.
Nmsu is, and must be, at the forefront of that conversation. The WAC does want to lose Nmsu. Its brand has value and brings legitimacy to the conference's pursuits, beyond just basketball. And Nmsu does not want to go on being a homeless FBS Indy forever. Sure it brings in some much needed cash, but its not sustainable long-term. The ideal situation for Nmsu and the WAC is to build an FBS conference around Nmsu by bringing in schools that can grow into what you would view as "your peers" ala UNM and UTEP. Otherwise, its Nmsu dropping down to FCS and actually winning some games/championships, or, moving out of the WAC altogether, which i don't see happening. So quite simply, the WAC will be going FBS if Nmsu sticks around, FCS if it doesn't. I don't see it happening any other way.

(10-21-2020 11:51 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  

(10-21-2020 05:23 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  I’ll believe when I see it. Not sure why these schools would leave to join the WAC. Increased travel expenses and it’s not like there’s a large media contract waiting to be had.

Yeah. How often does a mass of lower-budget schools shift to a more expensive, geographically dispersed conference? This isn’t a group climbing the ladder into the P5, AAC, or MWC. This would be unprecedented. I’m filing this under ‘pipe dream’ until better sources come out.

I don’t think it’s totally unlikely, like Fresno or UCLA joining the WAC, I just don’t see the appeal. I don’t know how the President/Athletics Director at Stephen F Austin can go and say to boosters, “Instead of playing Houston Baptist, TAMU-CC, and McNeese St, we’re going to be playing Chicago St, RGV, Tarleton, Seattle, and Cal Baptist”; during the middle of a pandemic. Things are still uncertain around the country and maybe the country will recover, maybe not.

Unless this is a straight ticket to FBS, I don’t get it. I love the WAC and hope it happens, but hard for me to get a handle on this.

(10-22-2020 11:52 AM)Itinerant Texan Wrote:  

(10-22-2020 11:20 AM)PojoaquePosse Wrote:  

(10-22-2020 11:07 AM)Itinerant Texan Wrote:  

(10-22-2020 10:55 AM)PojoaquePosse Wrote:  

(10-22-2020 09:58 AM)Itinerant Texan Wrote:  I can only speak for Tarleton. We could have beaten any one of those FCS teams last year as a D2 squad. And we actually did beat SFA, in a dominating fashion, on their own field. Again.
I'd really like to see us play FBS Nmsu this Spring to see where we're at right now as an FCS indy.

Playing us in FB may not be much of a litmus test. There is not a single NMSU fan that would be surprised if Tarleton won the football game.

Fair enough. So let me ask you this: if Tarleton were to beat FBS Nmsu at home in its first transitiinal year as FCS, would that be an indicator that Nmsu should strongly consider moving down to FCS, or that Tarleton is already capable of being in the same FBS league as Nmsu?

Any school is capable of being in the same FBS league as NMSU. We are the Chicago State of FBS. I'm being serious.

As for FCS, I don't think that will ever happen. If the minors and NuM are our peers, we sure as heck are not going to drop down to FCS. We would never play them again. Plus we get $2-3M for body bag games every year. That's a lot of coin.

At the end of the day, NM is a basketball state and NMSU/NuM are basketball schools. You should see the turnout we get for the HS state basketball tournament. Tiny schools from he far reaches of the state, hundreds of miles away, will sell out Wise Pies Arena.

I get and respect all that. To drill down a little further...we now know the WAC is definitely trying to rebuild a football conference, and there's alot of guesswork and ballyhoo about whether it will be FCS or FBS.
Nmsu is, and must be, at the forefront of that conversation. The WAC does want to lose Nmsu. Its brand has value and brings legitimacy to the conference's pursuits, beyond just basketball. And Nmsu does not want to go on being a homeless FBS Indy forever. Sure it brings in some much needed cash, but its not sustainable long-term. The ideal situation for Nmsu and the WAC is to build an FBS conference around Nmsu by bringing in schools that can grow into what you would view as "your peers" ala UNM and UTEP. Otherwise, its Nmsu dropping down to FCS and actually winning some games/championships, or, moving out of the WAC altogether, which i don't see happening. So quite simply, the WAC will be going FBS if Nmsu sticks around, FCS if it doesn't. I don't see it happening any other way.

We already kinda have a case study. When the BW dropped football, NMSU was a part of the upstart SunBelt. We never considered any of those schools our peers. We had been D1 much longer, we had a rich basketball legacy and we had a much larger budget, at the time.

Then we got a WAC invite and were on cloud 9. Finally, peer institutions. We know how that ended up. We came crawling back to the SB with our tail between our legs. They took us in for a few seasons then gave us the boot.

All that being said, I think at this point, any NMSU fan would be content to be in one conference for FBS football and Oly sorts. If the WAC can pull that off, I would be thrilled.

As long as Moccia is AD, I don't see NMSU dropping down to the FCS level. I'm not sure NMSU can make its athletic budget work without the P5 money games each year currently as a FBS school. A drop down to the FCS level could put a financial strain on NMSU basketball as the only other money maker. I think for the time being, NMSU will allow the WAC to move forward with a FCS plan; and hope the schools added have a ultimate goal of developing an FBS football programs down the road. A lot of the schools will need stadium upgrade and expansions. That will not happen over night. In the meantime, if an FBS slot opens up in another conference, NMSU will surely jump ship if the opportunity arises.

I do not think Chicago State will last any much longer in the WAC for money issues overall. They are eyeing Horizon or OVC. That is why West Texas A&M comes in. They already play in an off campus stadium that have a capacity of holding 20,000 fans, and one of their record was that they had over 22,000 fans. West Texas A&M were a former foe to New Mexico State in the Border and MVC when they were West Texas State. From what I understand, both New Mexico State and Tarleton State are pushing for West Texas A&M, and the West Texas A&M's AD is pretty mad at the D2 leadership ignoring the needs of the larger schools. He is mad at them for pushing fall sports to the spring during the pandemics which is why about 6 to 8 D2 school defy the leadership to play fall football.

Matt Brown said this on Reddit:

Quote:FWIW:

I've heard from multiple folks in this industry that the WAC is absolutely targeting Texas-based Southland schools to fill out an FCS football conference, although I haven't been able to specifically confirm this exact list yet like I have with SUU. I don't know where anybody is getting the idea about the WAC sponsoring FBS football from though. That is not on the table. This is going to be an FCS league.

(10-22-2020 11:07 AM)Itinerant Texan Wrote:  

(10-22-2020 10:55 AM)PojoaquePosse Wrote:  

(10-22-2020 09:58 AM)Itinerant Texan Wrote:  

(10-22-2020 09:38 AM)Bobcat2013 Wrote:  

(10-22-2020 09:32 AM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  If the door is open for FBS aspirations, the expansion would have to focus on the Texas schools and exclude SUU. ACU/SFA/SHSU/Lamar/Tarleton/NMSU can be built on for an FBS moveup, but SUU is a school with no FBS capability.

If SUU has no FBS capability then how do any of the others you listed besides NMSU?

I can only speak for Tarleton. We could have beaten any one of those FCS teams last year as a D2 squad. And we actually did beat SFA, in a dominating fashion, on their own field. Again.
I'd really like to see us play FBS Nmsu this Spring to see where we're at right now as an FCS indy.

Playing us in FB may not be much of a litmus test. There is not a single NMSU fan that would be surprised if Tarleton won the football game.

Fair enough. So let me ask you this: if Tarleton were to beat FBS Nmsu at home in its first transitiinal year as FCS, would that be an indicator that Nmsu should strongly consider moving down to FCS, or that Tarleton is already capable of being in the same FBS league as Nmsu?

Honestly, neither. It would just be one game. Aggies aren’t going down a level. If we haven’t by now, we’re clearly dedicated to that level.

And I for one would be surprised if NMSU lost to Tarleton. The Aggies have handled FCS teams enough to give a good indication of the difference between the levels. And a team that was D2 a year or so ago is an even different story.

(10-22-2020 12:40 PM)Inkblot Wrote:  Matt Brown said this on Reddit:

Quote:FWIW:

I've heard from multiple folks in this industry that the WAC is absolutely targeting Texas-based Southland schools to fill out an FCS football conference, although I haven't been able to specifically confirm this exact list yet like I have with SUU. I don't know where anybody is getting the idea about the WAC sponsoring FBS football from though. That is not on the table. This is going to be an FCS league.

Also from Matt:

https://twitter.com/mattbrownep/status/1...36512?s=21

(10-22-2020 12:32 PM)NMSUPistolPete Wrote:  As long as Moccia is AD, I don't see NMSU dropping down to the FCS level. I'm not sure NMSU can make its athletic budget work without the P5 money games each year currently as a FBS school. A drop down to the FCS level could put a financial strain on NMSU basketball as the only other money maker. I think for the time being, NMSU will allow the WAC to move forward with a FCS plan; and hope the schools added have a ultimate goal of developing an FBS football programs down the road. A lot of the schools will need stadium upgrade and expansions. That will not happen over night. In the meantime, if an FBS slot opens up in another conference, NMSU will surely jump ship if the opportunity arises.

Agree on all points. Going all the way back to NMSU’s days in the Missouri Valley, all decisions point toward FBS. The FBS/FCS divide is why the Valley went the way it did in the 1983-85 era. For 30 years we could have probably had a more certain “present” and predictable

Here is Matt Brown's newsletter. He gives a WAC update and still insists SUU is coming:

https://extrapoints.substack.com/p/umass...riversides

I just don't see how SUU could make it to FBS. An FCS WAC yes. They would be in hog heaven if some of the items described in this thread come true. Dixie State would still be years away from FBS, but I could see them eventually making it there. I've heard of some of the Southland schools having an interest in FBS.

I can see why NMSU would want an FBS WAC, but is SUU really a part of that plan?

Get an FBS conference ball rolling now so that when it is time for the next round of negotiations for P5 money, they can be in on it. The only other thing I can think of (and I'm putting on a conspiracy hat here) is that NMSU hopes that a MWC, CUSA or Sun Belt snags them to stop a WAC FBS from forming and cutting into the other conferences P5 money?

Some of this still doesn't add up.