This is interesting. We know North Dakota State will never get a bid to a Power 5 league because the brands of Power 5's are too arrogant to call up an FCS no matter if you have 9 or 900 FCS titles. So what is a viable FBS league for NDSU? Sun Belt won't take them nor will the AAC. Mountain West? Would NDSU be okay being in a Mountain West that has only Hawaii, San Jose State, New Mexico, UTEP, & New Mexico State? And maybe South Dakota State and a couple of Big Sky teams? Because the Mountain West stands a very good chance of looking very much like that. Craig Thompson knew that too. That's why he's stepping down. It's not unusual for longtime commissioners to step down before a conference starts getting ripped apart. Look at us with Britton Banowsky, and the ASUN with Ted Gumbart as two more good examples of that.