GSU and App state possibly to the Sun Belt.

[fulle44]

It's looking like the Sun Belt is going to be inviting GSU and Appalachian State to join their conference soon.

http://www.macon.com/2013/02/03/2341524/sun-belt-conference-could-be-in.html

[riceweb]

The flight from the FBS continues... but so long as Northern Iowa and the rest of the MVFC stay put, I hope NDSU doesn't get an itchy trigger finger

[TAILG8R]

That will be fun for them. I'm sure we will see them on TV and in big time bowl games regularly now, since they will be in the great FBS!

[Bison03]

Let me be the first to say good luck in the NobodyGivesAShitThatsWhyThereIsOnly5000PeopleInAtt endanceNotAChampionship.com Bowl.

[HerdBot]

Easier path for us to the FCS Championship. That is 2 really solid programs. Lets build a dynasty bigger than in the 60s and 80s and then take the FBS by storm in a decade after our banner runs out of space. That would give us ample time to prep. Maybe we could make the move with other regional teams

[onbison09]

Welcome to the conference known as the Shit Belt. A couple good programs but that's it really. Not a horrible league in other sports but I'm assuming football is the main driver. The Belt was decent this year but it still was just about as good as the MAC. I've spent 4 years at a Belt school on the whole it sucks. No way you can recreate drama like our semifinal game. This also sucks for NDSU and FCS at large.

[KSBisonFan]

It's looking like the Sun Belt is going to be inviting GSU and Appalachian State to join their conference soon.

http://www.macon.com/2013/02/03/2341524/sun-belt-conference-could-be-in.html

This is the article that caught my eye when I clicked on your link:

http://www.macon.com/2013/01/05/2306141/georgia-southern-focusing-on-kicker.html#wgt=rcntnews

Can't help but laugh a little....

[MNLonghorn10]

the sun belt is the laughing joke of all FBS conferences, have fun!

[Hammerhead]

The Sun Belt had 5 teams in the top 100 Sagarin Ratings. So did the MVFC. :)


Welcome to the conference known as the Shit Belt. A couple good programs but that's it really. Not a horrible league in other sports but I'm assuming football is the main driver. The Belt was decent this year but it still was just about as good as the MAC. I've spent 4 years at a Belt school on the whole it sucks. No way you can recreate drama like our semifinal game. This also sucks for NDSU and FCS at large.

[BadlandsBison]

the sun belt is the laughing joke of all FBS conferences, have fun!

They are victims of their own little-man syndrome. FBS does not equal happiness.

[perthbison]

They are victims of their own little-man syndrome. FBS does not equal happiness.You nailed it. If a school wants to go to the fbs, they should do it for real or not at all.

[ndsubison1]

Let me be the first to say good luck in the NobodyGivesAShitThatsWhyThereIsOnly5000PeopleInAtt endanceNotAChampionship.com Bowl.

umm they play on espn networks more than we do and their bowl games have more viewers than the fcs title game

[BisonTeacher]

Let me be the first to say good luck in the NobodyGivesAShitThatsWhyThereIsOnly5000PeopleInAtt endanceNotAChampionship.com Bowl.

Man are they gonna be pissed when on national television they lose another national Semifin....um...oh wait a crappy bowl ga.....oh wait...they probably won't make a crappy bowl game. Great decision. Good luck and good riddance.

Can the Sun Belt take their fans that post on this board too.

[MNLonghorn10]

umm they play on espn networks more than we do and their bowl games have more viewers than the fcs title game

Meh...ill take the 3 home games come tourney time over a trip to shreveport

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[onbison09]

The Sun Belt had 5 teams in the top 100 Sagarin Ratings. So did the MVFC. :)

That's exactly what I mean. And this was the best year the Belt has had in years (maybe ever). And good luck getting excited for a game. No natural rivalries or history between schools. People really discount that.

[onbison09]

Man are they gonna be pissed when on national television they lose another national Semifin....um...oh wait a crappy bowl ga.....oh wait...they probably won't make a crappy bowl game. Great decision. Good luck and good riddance.

Can the Sun Belt take their fans that post on this board too.

Meh. I think they'll be very competitive in the Belt. It took Western Kentucky awhile though

[BisonTeacher]

Meh. I think they'll be very competitive in the Belt.

Im sure they will. That wasnt the point. What does being competitive in the Belt get you? A whole lot of nothing in FBS!

[onbison09]

Im sure they will. That wasnt the point. What does being competitive in the Belt get you? A whole lot of nothing in FBS!

Exactly the point of my first post

[56BISON73]

Im sure they will. That wasnt the point. What does being competitive in the Belt get you? A whole lot of nothing in FBS!

Its a stepping stone. Build their program for the next level of play. Then after being established look for a better conference. Or by that time may be FBS will have a better playoff system established some what like FCS is now.

What I dont understand is why people are putting GSU down for making this move. If I remember correctly werent many of these same comments directed to NDSU when they made their move?

[onbison09]

Its a stepping stone. Build their program for the next level of play. Then after being established look for a better conference. Or by that time may be FBS will have a better playoff system established some what like FCS is now.

What I dont understand is why people are putting GSU down for making this move. If I remember correctly werent many of these same comments directed to NDSU when they made their move?

I see your point. D2 was pretty watered down by then though.

[Tatanka]

I see your point. D2 was pretty watered down by then though.http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v133/Drewski217/LOL/gifs/dcgd4j.gif
:hide: just sayin'.

[DePereBisonFan]

No way you can recreate drama like our semifinal game. This also sucks for NDSU and FCS at large.

This......

[NDSUguy]

I see your point. D2 was pretty watered down by then though.

If i'm going to be honest.... There are realistically only about 10 teams that could ever win an FCS championship title (and that includes Appy and Georgia Southern). As it currently stands today there are 127 FCS teams.

I think that we have an inflated sense of what FCS really is. This is primarily because conferences that we are familiar with typically make up about half of the teams that could realistically win the title. While I had a great time in Frisco and I would love to see more championships, I think that we can't pretend that the FCS product (as a whole) isn't much different than what D2 was back when we were looking to move.

The playoffs are wonderful but if the FBS ever gets their act together and gets a real playoff system (more than 4 teams), there will be NO comparison between FBS and FCS.


My two cents on what will happen 10 years from now:
1. FBS as we know it will be gone. The top 5 conferences will create their own division
2. The remaining FBS schools will continue to play at their level (and will institute a playoff system)
3. Teams will be scrambling to move up to this division to get away from the "watered down" FCS division

We have to be very careful with how we choose to handle this situation. If you leave FCS too early you get stuck in the FBS mire. If you leave too late you will have to wait until one of the new FBS conferences invites you.

Best Answer: Have the top conferences of the FCS all apply to be FBS conferences. This will ensure that old rivalries still exist as well as position ourselves for the future.

[The_Sicatoka]

It'll be great when GSU and AppSU move up just in time for Nick Saban's idea to come to fruition:


On the recent changes in the landscape of college football, Saban explained that the loss of traditional rivalries is one of the biggest casualties, but also noted that ultimately, he'd like to see the FBS shrink down to 60 or 70 teams.

"But I think, eventually in college football, we're going to have to get to where there's 60 or 70 teams in this Division I, whatever you want to call it. And these teams need to be playing each other." Saban said.

http://www.footballscoop.com/news/7144-saban-wants-only-60-70-teams-at-the-fbs-level#FCS

Heck, even the Sun Belt Commissioner sees some sort of split in FBS coming:


''The goal of the Sun Belt right now is to be the best of the quote, 'below the line conferences,''' Benson said in a recent interview. ''There's going to be five (conferences) above the line and five below the line. The Sun Belt's goal is going to be to compete with those other conferences.''

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/sun-belt-sets-sights-catching-084224055--ncaaf.html

I believe something is in the works and Saban and Benson are hinting at it. Given there are about 120 FBS and 120 FCS schools now, I could see something like this shaking out:

Top 80 or so (today's major FB conferences: SEC, Pac-12, Big Ten, ACC, Big 12)
Next 80 or so (bottom 1/3 of FBS plus top 1/3 of FCS: Sun Belt, MAC, C-USA, Mountain West, MVFC, SoCon, Big Sky)
Lowest 80 (the remainder of FCS and maybe some DI FBS schools who want to go non-scholly to save money yet still claim "DI")

[BisonTeacher]

Its a stepping stone. Build their program for the next level of play. Then after being established look for a better conference. Or by that time may be FBS will have a better playoff system established some what like FCS is now.

What I dont understand is why people are putting GSU down for making this move. If I remember correctly werent many of these same comments directed to NDSU when they made their move?

My ripping on them is because I think the current FBS bowl system is crap, and they are moving up and becoming LESS relavant IMO.

YOu are assuming that the FBS will have a better playoff system someday. It took them this long to agree to 4 teams from power conferences. YOu might be right, but I wouldnt hold my breath that all FBS teams will be eligible for a playoff system any time soon.

[56BISON73]

If i'm going to be honest.... There are realistically only about 10 teams that could ever win an FCS championship title (and that includes Appy and Georgia Southern). As it currently stands today there are 127 FCS teams.

I think that we have an inflated sense of what FCS really is. This is primarily because conferences that we are familiar with typically make up about half of the teams that could realistically win the title. While I had a great time in Frisco and I would love to see more championships, I think that we can't pretend that the FCS product (as a whole) isn't much different than what D2 was back when we were looking to move.

The playoffs are wonderful but if the FBS ever gets their act together and gets a real playoff system (more than 4 teams), there will be NO comparison between FBS and FCS.


My two cents on what will happen 10 years from now:
1. FBS as we know it will be gone. The top 5 conferences will create their own division
2. The remaining FBS schools will continue to play at their level (and will institute a playoff system)
3. Teams will be scrambling to move up to this division to get away from the "watered down" FCS division

We have to be very careful with how we choose to handle this situation. If you leave FCS too early you get stuck in the FBS mire. If you leave too late you will have to wait until one of the new FBS conferences invites you.

Best Answer: Have the top conferences of the FCS all apply to be FBS conferences. This will ensure that old rivalries still exist as well as position ourselves for the future.

Excellent post.

[EndZoneQB]

If i'm going to be honest.... There are realistically only about 10 teams that could ever win an FCS championship title (and that includes Appy and Georgia Southern). As it currently stands today there are 127 FCS teams.

I think that we have an inflated sense of what FCS really is. This is primarily because conferences that we are familiar with typically make up about half of the teams that could realistically win the title. While I had a great time in Frisco and I would love to see more championships, I think that we can't pretend that the FCS product (as a whole) isn't much different than what D2 was back when we were looking to move.



I could literally substitute FBS/BCS for FCS in this discussion. It's not different what level you are at currently...there is still only going to be a handful of teams that REALLY have a shot at winning a title. Think about it.

[NDSUguy]

I could literally substitute FBS/BCS for FCS in this discussion. It's not different what level you are at currently...there is still only going to be a handful of teams that REALLY have a shot at winning a title. Think about it.

I can't disagree with your post. Most FBS teams realistically have no shot at winning a championship (in its current setup)

The purpose of my post was to demonstrate a few things:
1. The FCS is just as watered down at D2 was before we made the move. Sure, the football being played is FAR superior to D2 but in reality there is no difference in the "watered down" nature of the division.
2. The conference/division affiliation game is much like musical chairs. When the music stops you better have a chair. ASU and GSU understand this. They understand that it would be better to have a chair (and maybe a few irrelevant years) than to not have a chair when the shit hits the fan.
3. NDSU better have a strategy. Like it or not, the FCS as we currently know it will not be around forever. We will move up to FBS (or some equivalent sooner or later). That new conference likely WILL have a playoff.
4. I don't think that ASU or GSU are stupid. Where there is smoke there is fire. If they think that it's important enough to leave a division that they have had a TON of success at, we should at least be considering the possibility. They know something is changing. I'm not sure what but I do know that whatever it is made them want to move up.

[Hammerhead]

If the current FBS conferences could initiate a 16-team playoff, my guess is that the current 6 BCS autobid conferences would probably get locks on at least 12 of those playoff spots. Maybe even 14 or 15 with 1 or 2 spots for the "smaller" conferences.

[MNLonghorn10]

If the current FBS conferences could initiate a 16-team playoff, my guess is that the current 6 BCS autobid conferences would probably get locks on at least 12 of those playoff spots. Maybe even 14 or 15 with 1 or 2 spots for the "smaller" conferences.

Yeaa so still no virtual shot for ndsu, ever.

I wouldnt mind ndsu moving up if all lower fbs conferences disbanded and had their own national championship..you cant tell me fans of wyomig, troy and smu love football season to the fact that they know they wont have any shot at a national championship..

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[BisonTeacher]

Yeaa so still no virtual shot for ndsu, ever.

I wouldnt mind ndsu moving up if all lower fbs conferences disbanded and had their own national championship..you cant tell me fans of wyomig, troy and smu love football season to the fact that they know they wont have any shot at a national championship..

This ++++++++++

[tony]

I can't disagree with your post. Most FBS teams realistically have no shot at winning a championship (in its current setup)

The purpose of my post was to demonstrate a few things:
1. The FCS is just as watered down at D2 was before we made the move. Sure, the football being played is FAR superior to D2 but in reality there is no difference in the "watered down" nature of the division.
2. The conference/division affiliation game is much like musical chairs. When the music stops you better have a chair. ASU and GSU understand this. They understand that it would be better to have a chair (and maybe a few irrelevant years) than to not have a chair when the shit hits the fan.
3. NDSU better have a strategy. Like it or not, the FCS as we currently know it will not be around forever. We will move up to FBS (or some equivalent sooner or later). That new conference likely WILL have a playoff.
4. I don't think that ASU or GSU are stupid. Where there is smoke there is fire. If they think that it's important enough to leave a division that they have had a TON of success at, we should at least be considering the possibility. They know something is changing. I'm not sure what but I do know that whatever it is made them want to move up.

How has the FCS been watered down?

NDSU joining the FCS is not the same as Winona/SW Minnesota/Crookston/Mary/Bemidji/Upper Iowa/Concordia-St. Paul/Lindenwood joining D2. D2 isn't even recognizable as the D2 of 1989 much less 1979. Heck, the FCS has more national universities than ever with NDSU, SDSU, USD, UND, UC Davis joining. Unlike D2, there have been no scholarship cuts in the FCS. Then D2 watered down the playoffs with their assinine rating system and regionalization.

NDSU doesn't have to join an FBS conference because if the BCS splits from the FBS, the FCS and remaining FBS terams will, in all likelihood, combine into one big division. The ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-12, and SEC (or the teams we used to think of as belonging to those conferences) will be in their division. The Sun Belt, Mountain West, CUSA, and MAC don't have enough teams to exist independently so they could just combine with the FCS. That'd be pretty exciting.

[SlickVic]

Fcs is dead once they leave time to full court press the mountain west chea reno we comin

[TAILG8R]

Even if the FBS goes to a 24 game playoff system App St and G Southern are not going to be in that mix. So now you have a bowl system replaced by a playoff system that you are not going to be good enough to get into. Do they do away with the other bowls at that point and everyone on the outside is just that, outside looking in? Or are they going to have "playoff" bowls and "non playoff" bowls, which means your meaningless bowl game just became even more meaningless. I am fine with waiting to see how things might shake out before jumping the gun into mediocrity.

[NDSUguy]

Even if the FBS goes to a 24 game playoff system App St and G Southern are not going to be in that mix. So now you have a bowl system replaced by a playoff system that you are not going to be good enough to get into. Do they do away with the other bowls at that point and everyone on the outside is just that, outside looking in? Or are they going to have "playoff" bowls and "non playoff" bowls, which means your meaningless bowl game just became even more meaningless. I am fine with waiting to see how things might shake out before jumping the gun into mediocrity.

I still think that this is a "where there is smoke there is fire" situation. It has been outlined many times before but some of the negatives of moving up to FBS are as follows:

1. increase in scholorships = $$$$
2. no chance of a playoff
3. meaningless bowl games (if they can be competitive and win 6 games)
4. less home games (unless they want to dip into FCS teams - which will require them to pay more for the game)

What are the positives? Why would they choose to move up if there are so many negatives from being a small fish in a big pond. Also, why don't the have not FBS schools look to move down?

There must be some reasoning behind these decisions....

[344Johnson]

I still think that this is a "where there is smoke there is fire" situation. It has been outlined many times before but some of the negatives of moving up to FBS are as follows:

1. increase in scholorships = $$$$
2. no chance of a playoff
3. meaningless bowl games (if they can be competitive and win 6 games)
4. less home games (unless they want to dip into FCS teams - which will require them to pay more for the game)

What are the positives? Why would they choose to move up if there are so many negatives from being a small fish in a big pond. Also, why don't the have not FBS schools look to move down?

There must be some reasoning behind these decisions....

Pride, money.

[onbison09]

If i'm going to be honest.... There are realistically only about 10 teams that could ever win an FCS championship title (and that includes Appy and Georgia Southern). As it currently stands today there are 127 FCS teams.

I think that we have an inflated sense of what FCS really is. This is primarily because conferences that we are familiar with typically make up about half of the teams that could realistically win the title. While I had a great time in Frisco and I would love to see more championships, I think that we can't pretend that the FCS product (as a whole) isn't much different than what D2 was back when we were looking to move.

The playoffs are wonderful but if the FBS ever gets their act together and gets a real playoff system (more than 4 teams), there will be NO comparison between FBS and FCS.


My two cents on what will happen 10 years from now:
1. FBS as we know it will be gone. The top 5 conferences will create their own division
2. The remaining FBS schools will continue to play at their level (and will institute a playoff system)
3. Teams will be scrambling to move up to this division to get away from the "watered down" FCS division

We have to be very careful with how we choose to handle this situation. If you leave FCS too early you get stuck in the FBS mire. If you leave too late you will have to wait until one of the new FBS conferences invites you.

Best Answer: Have the top conferences of the FCS all apply to be FBS conferences. This will ensure that old rivalries still exist as well as position ourselves for the future.

Awesome post. My original posts in this thread was just to say I would much rather be in the Valley (even if it is watered down and you could argue FBS is getting watered down) than the Belt

[JSUBison]

Enjoy your new conference App and GSU. WKU,ArkState and ULL are rumored to be leaving soon to CUSA. If they do indeed leave here is what App and GSU can look forward to in the FB side of things.

South Alabama
Troy
ULM
Georgia State
Texas State
App State
Georgia Southern

lol.

Sunbelt presser at 5pm.

[tjbison]

Enjoy your new conference App and GSU. WKU,ArkState and ULL are rumored to be leaving soon to CUSA. If they do indeed leave here is what App and GSU can look forward to in the FB side of things.

South Alabama
Troy
ULM
Georgia State
Texas State
App State
Georgia Southern

lol.

Sunbelt presser at 5pm.

It's just a fcs conference basically