When will Matt Larsen contact someone from the FBS about NDSU moving up?

[thundarsdaddy]

Believe this or not I agree with what you say and have said. We need visionary thinking...Amen. Its hard to see the traffic through when you're driving in pea-soup fog, and thats the way I see the windshield right now. NDSU's move TO D-1, was a lot more simple, as I had felt for several years that maybe...just maybe we were sand-bagging by staying D-2, while others were moving up. Were we going to be left with the Mankato State's and Augustana's left in the NCC? Plus, back then, this move "up" while questioned by most, including most NDSU fans, was very clear...move to FCS, here's the schools, here's the Conferences, try to get into one yada-yada-yada.
But moving up to FBS not only has "fog" distorting our vision...it has a true road-block, in the $$$. First of which, similar to the move to FCS, we had 5 years to prove to the NCAA that we-NDSU could raise enough $$$ to support 60+ scholarships...we had that done in roughly 3 years. Read Kolpacks book, for a good reference on that. Now we will need the $$$ to support 80+ scholarships? Then of course all the $$$ needed for travel, then of course the stadium...issues talked about over and over. Trouble is no one can provide a realistic solution to the $$$ problems, they only say "we can beat a lot of FBS-FB teams we have proven that"! THIS is why we ALL want to move up to FBS....yes I said we ALL want to move up to FBS, including me!!! A season ticket holder for well over a decade, who sat through sparse crowds, sat through a 3-8 FB season, with the worst NDSU teamwork ever seen on a FB field, and lets not forget I have sat through the last 3 seasons with stage 4 cancer...yes I WANT us to go FBS...but only when the time is right. To me this is not Pro-FBS versus Anti-FBS argument....its simply WHEN do we pull the trigger?
So right now I'd like to see Matt Larsen ask the NCAA the question..."What does the future hold for College FB...FBS...FCS..and where does NDSU sit? We need to know NCAA...what are you folks thinking?" I really think the ball is in the NCAA’s court.

[tjbison]

If and when the power 5 splits we'd still need to move up. At our current level we'd be the third level down from the top. Is it all of a sudden going to be free to move up to the next level then when that happens? What will your argument be then when that happens "WE CAN'T AFFORD IT"? Leadership back when NDSU made the move up didn't hide it. Folks who say we need to keep it quiet do you really think that would lessen the blowback from Bismarck and the rest of the state if we "kept it quiet"? If talking about planning for a move brings raises your ire what will you do if they actually do it? You better have your doctor on speed dial so he can prescribe some sedatives. People just want to know there is a plan. Just saying we can't afford it is just as bad as those you are critical of for saying we need to do it without a plan.

how do you know we would have to move up? lots of the programs that will be left out of the P5 are financially strapped and some are contemplating dropping to FCS anyway. Our level may very well stay the second level in reality with the DI non-Scholarship being 3rd? does anybody really know? I doubt it, it may never actually happen but a rash decision to jump could cripple NDSU in a state with a leadership that already hates NDSU would be devastating. 3 big things that are against us

Conference affiliation/Location
Stadium
Money/State/alum support

hopefully it changes, i just am in the camp to not do anything spur of the moment, and I have faith the powers that be know and understand this. I guarantee they know fans feelings on both sides, its a really hard sell right now unless they get some major guaranteed funding/donations

[SDbison]

But then what would they use for a reason to stay status quo?

Lack of leadership? Stubborn backward thinking? Clinging to past successes? Fear of taking risks inherent with a move to the next level?

[tjbison]

But then what would they use for a reason to stay status quo?

then you make your decision based on those facts, right now nobody knows what the future holds

[SDbison]

then you make your decision based on those facts, right now nobody knows what the future holds

Nobody knows what the future holds. That is why true leadership is needed. Somebody with the balls to show they have thoroughly researched the options and can make a decision.

[tjbison]

Nobody knows what the future holds. That is why true leadership is needed. Somebody with the balls to show they have thoroughly researched the options and can make a decision.

i agree, im only saying behind closed doors we dont know, im guessing its been looked at

A formal study by a consultant is probably needed to ease all our minds

[BisonBacker]

how do you know we would have to move up? lots of the programs that will be left out of the P5 are financially strapped and some are contemplating dropping to FCS anyway. Our level may very well stay the second level in reality with the DI non-Scholarship being 3rd? does anybody really know? I doubt it, it may never actually happen but a rash decision to jump could cripple NDSU in a state with a leadership that already hates NDSU would be devastating. 3 big things that are against us

Conference affiliation/Location
Stadium
Money/State/alum support

hopefully it changes, i just am in the camp to not do anything spur of the moment, and I have faith the powers that be know and understand this. I guarantee they know fans feelings on both sides, its a really hard sell right now unless they get some major guaranteed funding/donations

Planning and having open discussions in my mind doesn't constitute a rash decision. Keeping it quiet in the hope that it won't piss off anyone isn't a realistic attitude. NDSU having it's detractors all over the State won't change either way. As to the different levels of competition do you think the NCAA will allow teams who are cash strapped to move down to the FCS and keep 85 scholarships? Do you think all teams outside the P5 are going to cut scholarships? I doubt they will but neither of us knows that. My opinion is if you are going to step to the level below the P5 you will have to fund the extra scholarhsips. Either way trying to envision the details of scholarships, stadium issues ect don't go away if nobody talks about them and in fact just pushes any move on it farther back. Conference affiliation/location isn't going to change whether we were to plan something in the next 5-10 years or 30 years from now. Not unless you are talking about trying to move an existing MVFC up to the next level which I don't see happening. You see the arguments you have are no different than the ones used to try to sway NDSU to stay DII. As a matter of fact they sound eerily similar to a fanbase and administration up North who fought the move to FCS.

[BisonBacker]

Lack of leadership? Stubborn backward thinking? Clinging to past successes? Fear of taking risks inherent with a move to the next level?

It was more of a rhetorical question. I know they will find excuses.

[BisonBacker]

then you make your decision based on those facts, right now nobody knows what the future holds

Nobody ever will. If you do let me know I'd like to partner with you to buy some powerball tickets.

[NDSUstudent]

What if I told you a school went FBS and made more revenue?

Steve Berkowitz‏Verified account
@ByBerkowitz

ODU AD Wood Selig tells @KnightAthletics mtg school's increase in revenue from move to FBS has been greater than its increase in expense

https://twitter.com/ByBerkowitz/stat...38803620712448


ODU btw plays in a facility that is of similar size to the Dome. I would love to go FBS, problem is the conference part of the puzzle. I don't think money is really an issue, the Dome can work and just maybe a move to a new level might encourage people to look at increasing capacity or a new facility more seriously. People say it can't be done but I've seen this school prove doubters wrong time after time when it was motivated.