A new and better FBS thread

[HerdBot]

My concern with Conference USA is they may not get out of this alive. Need to see them stabilize or see a plan that appears to be stable first.

Financially their TV contract is crap so all the money would have to be made in FBS games

I could see C-USA ultimately end up like the Summit. If you remember the Summit originally had teams in Louisiana, Michigan, Utah, and Indiana. Now it's basically the NCC 2.0

If NDSU and SDSU would jump, naturally trama like Montana, UNI, and any team in that geography could end up in the conference

But wouldn't it be interesting to have James Madison as a conference opponent in football only?

[Professor Chaos]

CUSA is a sinking ship... I'd say the next opportunity for NDSU looking to move FBS would be in a reclassified WAC. Apparently, there's a rule that allows a conference that was previously classified as an FBS/1A conference to reclassify as an FBS conference. It would make sense for the western remnants of CUSA like LA Tech and UTEP to join up (at least in football) with New Mexico St... then they'd have to fill the rest out with FCS move ups. Maybe they'd be able to look at some schools in the current WAC FCS conference like Sam Houston or Stephen F Austin but I'd think it would also make sense for them to look for the better programs in the Big Sky or MVFC who are ready to make the jump as affiliate members to build a stronger and more competitive G5 league. Not sure where that would leave the FCS schools currently in the WAC who have no means to field an FBS program like recent D2 move-ups Tarleton and Dixie but this might be the best scenario for NDSU to find a geographic fit in the FBS with some regional peers.

[BattleBorn]

I never realized how remote Fargo really is until I moved away. I can be in Chicago, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Columbus, Nashville, Detroit, St. Louis, Cincinnati in under six hours. That just blew my mind when I sat down and thought about it. I don't know how big of a deal this is for a football-only invite as those are all chartered anyway.

[ByeSonBusiness]

If NDSU doesn't get out now, something tells me it is just never going to happen. It is what it is I guess.

[NDSUstudent]

If NDSU doesn't get out now, something tells me it is just never going to happen. It is what it is I guess.

Sad thing is, I doubt our leadership has the guts or vision to make the jump. FCS football is dying and they seem blind to it.

[HerdBot]

If NDSU doesn't get out now, something tells me it is just never going to happen. It is what it is I guess.

I don't know... I think patience is the way to go. If you just jump for the sake of jumping, you may end up in a conference that is on the verge of collapse. The situation has to be right. You need teams to jump with and find a conference with football only because the Summit is such a good fit and has a really good long term prospect

Also the ultimate long term goal would be the Mountain West but it's easier to jump if you start smaller.

Eventually the WAC will convert their FCS Football Conference into an FBS. They are looking at 2030, which isn't as far away as we think. That would be attractive to any FBS only team west of the Mississippi. You can't play teams like Sam Houston in all sports, but football only would be fine. Same with Montana schools.

In a perfect world, the Mountain West loses 3 teams and we get in just based on limited options. But that may take a while. It all depends on Boise, Colorado State, and Air Force. If one of those teams leaves, that may change their POV

[Kevin]

If NDSU doesn't get out now, something tells me it is just never going to happen. It is what it is I guess.

I think it'll still happen. It'll just be way too late like the D1-AA jump.

Which will set us back from further growing with (or even outgrowing?) the NCAA landscape.

[Professorbum]

CUSA is a sinking ship... I'd say the next opportunity for NDSU looking to move FBS would be in a reclassified WAC. Apparently, there's a rule that allows a conference that was previously classified as an FBS/1A conference to reclassify as an FBS conference. It would make sense for the western remnants of CUSA like LA Tech and UTEP to join up (at least in football) with New Mexico St... then they'd have to fill the rest out with FCS move ups. Maybe they'd be able to look at some schools in the current WAC FCS conference like Sam Houston or Stephen F Austin but I'd think it would also make sense for them to look for the better programs in the Big Sky or MVFC who are ready to make the jump as affiliate members to build a stronger and more competitive G5 league. Not sure where that would leave the FCS schools currently in the WAC who have no means to field an FBS program like recent D2 move-ups Tarleton and Dixie but this might be the best scenario for NDSU to find a geographic fit in the FBS with some regional peers.

A CUSA invite would be a lifeboat, not a sinking ship. FCS is a sinking ship. The chance to go FBS may not materialize again. CUSA is a dingy, but it is an FBS dingy that can save us from the FCS-RMS Titanic. I think we need to get out of FCS by any means possible.

[NDSUstudent]

A CUSA invite would be a lifeboat, not a sinking ship. FCS is a sinking ship. The chance to go FBS may not materialize again. CUSA is a dingy, but it is an FBS dingy that can save us from the FCS-RMS Titanic. I think we need to get out of FCS by any means possible.

Could be the only real shot at a football only invite that many seem to desire, not sure people really grasp at how rare of a thing that is. Most FBS conferences want all-sports or nothing.

[Professor Chaos]

A CUSA invite would be a lifeboat, not a sinking ship. FCS is a sinking ship. The chance to go FBS may not materialize again. CUSA is a dingy, but it is an FBS dingy that can save us from the FCS-RMS Titanic. I think we need to get out of FCS by any means possible.

Everybody outside of the P5 is on the Titanic... we're all just re-arranging the deck chairs (saw that on Twitter recently).

Whether it's the clinging-to-life CUSA or the fledgling WAC it's going to be an island of misfit toys conference much like the Great West was in the move to FCS.... that's why I think it's important to have a landing spot that can accommodate some regional partners as well like one/both Montana schools and/or SDSU.

Could be the only real shot at a football only invite that many seem to desire, not sure people really grasp at how rare of a thing that is. Most FBS conferences want all-sports or nothing.

If these remaining FBS misfits are facing the prospect of going indy in football they'll make some accommodations I'd suspect to keep their FBS conference afloat. If not, NDSU better get comfortable in the FCS.