Any chance some of the best Big Sky and MVFC teams could form a new G5 conference? Maybe add Wichita State? This would obviously require some coordination between all the schools, the existing conferences and the NCAA. Why should all the growing FCS schools be kept back just because G5 conferences are scarce in the west.
One possibility for a new G5 conference:
NDSU
SDSU
Northern Iowa
Illinois State
Montana
Montana State
Eastern Washington
Weber State
Wichita State
Maybe other teams are a better fit, but just my guess.
Of course average attendance and cost would be an issue for some of these schools. Maybe get some relief from the NCAA to transition scholarships, title IX, average attendance, etc. The Big Sky would still have 10 teams with Idaho soon being added, but the MVFC would shrink to 7 teams. This could be offset by UMD, Mankato State or others in the region moving up to FCS.
Just thinking outside the box so no personal attacks please.
The WAC is the only way to make something like this happen. Not saying siouxvolley was right but his idea is the only way it could work. In your scenario I would replace EWU with Idaho and Weber with Missouri State or New Mexico State. It would take a ton of collaboration and some large funding increases so I don't see it happening. There is definitely a need for another FBS conference but getting it done seems insurmountable.
Montana and possibly Montana State are the only 2 Big Sky teams that do anything for me personally. I realize foot ball stirs the drink but other sports do matter too, especially MBB. And the Big Sky is a bad basketball conference. EWU has been pretty good in football for a few years and you are still looking at 10K for playoff games. That to me says a lot.
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I think this is the only way we are going to get to the FBS level. There isn't another FBS conference that matches up with us in terms of enrollment, attendance and athletic budget and going out on our own would be prohibitively too expensive and a nightmare scheduling-wise.
Don't matter. FIVE-PEAT!
That is what got me thinking about a new football only G5 conference. Much as it would be difficult to accomplish it is the only realistic possibility. Tired of all the directional, no name schools out east being added to the FBS. It is time the NCAA sees the benefit of geographical balance in the top level of college football. Very good state schools from the upper midwest and northwest have long been ignored.