Originally Posted by
DM05
Comes down to two things: geography and money. Enough money can overcome the lack of a geographic fit.
Closest FBS members are UofM and Iowa State: Big 10 smallest enrollment/endowment (Northwestern: 21000/ Maryland $283 million), Big 12 (TCU: 10323/ K-State: $488 million), Big 10 average (41000, $3.2 billion) Big 12 averages (28700, $1.3 billion). Safe to say we can exclude P5 conferences from the discussion, from a strictly financial standpoint.
Closest G5 conference members: Northern Illinois (597 miles from Fargo to Dekalb) and Wyoming (790 miles). NDSU would have smallest enrollment in MAC by 4000 and third smallest in MWC (Air Force and Wyoming). NDSU currently has larger endowment than 5 MAC schools and 3 MWC schools. Much better fit financially, worse geographically. Need to consider facilities, coaching salaries, additional scholarships and COA for football and women's programs: would athletic programs need to be added to comply with title IX and/or new conference requirements? $$$$$$$$$$$
I'm all for moving up if the right situation comes along, but NDSU doesn't need to beg conferences for an invite. Raise a bunch more money (any chance for state support with, or even without, the current budget difficulties?) and become attractive enough to them that it overcomes the geographic hurdles and increased costs to the current conference members. The original post also said this is about moving forward; not certain that a move to the MAC is a move forward for the university.