Originally Posted by
Greenie
From Fullerton's interview:
TSN: Where does the Big Sky stand on getting a 14th member in football?
DF: Well, we absolutely want to go to 14. We would like a full-fledged member. We can go to divisions, mitigate some travel in football and then in basketball and all the other sports you can have partner-scheduling, which we don't have now. That would take us to 12 in basketball and volleyball and all that. Getting to an even number is really a goal we've got.
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If the Big Sky doesn't get Idaho or New Mexico State, and UND stays in Big Sky, will they go after NDSU as the 14th member for football and 12th member for everything else? And if this happens, would the Missouri Valley want NDSU enough to invite it into their conference for all sports (and not lose NDSU to the Big Sky). All the changes in the Summit league has to have NDSU concerned about the long-term future of that league.
I would think that the Big Sky would like to partner UND with someone else for travel partners, and NDSU would be the best fit geographically and program ability.
As an aside, I think that SDSU's partner is now USD since they are in the same state and same conference for everything. Politically I don't think the state of SD would like to see them split up again. So essentially NDSU is on its own for switching conferences -- MVC or Big Sky or a FBS league.
Lastly, it was very interesting to listen to Gene Taylor and President Bresciani talk about any potential NDSU move to FBS football. To summarize, Taylor said he is concerned about all the major programs in FCS moving up and FCS essentially becoming what happened to DII. He doesn't want NDSU to get left behind again. Bresciani said it is an ever changing landscape and cost is THE major factor to moving up. I think if cost wasn't an issue, and a conference would take NDSU, they would move NDSU to FBS. If alumni/corporate partners paid for it (like how hockey was going to be paid for at MSU-Moorhead), then NDSU would move up. Don't know if any FBS would be interested in NDSU -- MAC would be the most likely. Stay tuned, I think things are going to get real interesting.