NDSU to the FBS

[tony]

I am probably in a minority, but I don't think that a new stadium is necessary to go to the FBS. If so, NDSU is not going for decades.

The way to duplicate NDSU's level of success in another move is to make sure that NDSU is the top-funded program in our new conference. Being averagely funded will not cut it.

And I'm a little more pessimistic about fan interest... you haven't seen Bison fatigue until you've seen NDSU drop two of three to start the year after going around .500 the year before - at that point, there'd be more blue seats visible in FargoDome crowd shots than there'd be at a Smurf orgy.

Like 56bison73 posted - logistics are key. Beating a P5 team once a year is a battle, but going FBS is a war - and you have to a plan. Heck, I'd say the first thing NDSU would need to do to go FBS would be to get enrollment up to AT LEAST the Mountain West average of 25,000.

[OrygunBison]

This!!

Selfishly I would love to see NDSU in FBS. Sadly though my parents instilled common sense and basic understanding of logic in me and I see all the hurdles that prevent NDSU from making the move.

soo Fetal Position got it

This shit frustrates the living hell out of me. Everyone is so goddamn black and white about their opinions all of the time. Fuck you guys (not just the guys quoted) for being this way so reliably. The only black and white answers to the biggest questions that I have are as follows: Is it decently possible to make the bump and to be successful? Yes. Will it be incredibly difficult and fraught with obstacles and uncertainty? Most definitely. Will success be defined in a very different way when we go FBS? Without a doubt. Is it possible to absolutely love the success that we've had in D2 and FCS but simultaneously desire to move on? You bet your green and gold britches, it is!!! Does it make me a bad Bison fan or little minded if I am content with where we are? Absolutely not. If I don't hear specific evidence that ML has been reaching out to other schools/conferences to gauge NDSU's options does that mean that he's sitting on his hands. Obviously not.

Some less obvious queries:
Will the difficulty of the move be worth it? How would that even be measured? What becomes of the program if FCS gets more watered down? Will most Bison fans be okay with that future? Why consider a move at all? What does it actually do for the university? Is this just an ego thing?

Tirade done for now.

[OrygunBison]

Heck, I'd say the first thing NDSU would need to do to go FBS would be to get enrollment up to AT LEAST the Mountain West average of 25,000.

Based on what? I keep reading people here writing that enrollment needs to go up significantly. I personally don't see that. It is $upport that will help. Understanding that the anomalies to a thesis don't invalidate the entire idea, please at least consider the following enrollment numbers:

University of Miami - 17,000
Stanford University - 17,000
Notre Dame - 9,000
Northwestern - 21,000
Vanderbilt - 13,000
Rice - 7,000
TCU - 11,000
Wyoming - 13,000
University of Oregon - 23,000
Portland State - 27,000
Sacramento State - 32,000

Clearly something else is at play other than simple numbers of enrollment. NDSU is an odd duck in how you could potentially measure support. It is also hard to quantify how much support would increase. I actually think the number would be considerable.

[bruinbison]

Quote Originally Posted by SDbison

Now that most of Bisonville have seen the light and support the move to FBS how long will it take for NDSU to actively and seriously pursue this?

I dont understand where you got the impression that a majority of the people on BV were opposed to FBS? May be you conflated the fact that many had factual concerns on the logistics of such a move with them not being in approval????

Logistics have always been the major hurdle and still is.

56BISON73 answers this very well!!!
NDSU is most likely willing to work with flying to away games for football, but does the MWC want to fly to Fargo? Does the AAC want to fly to Fargo? So far the answer is no.....

I’m amazed to see how many Geography Deniers continue on......

I’m amazed to see how many No FBS Conference Invite Deniers continue on......

I’m amazed to see how, with just one article about Boise State’s past attempt to move their football team to the AAC, the FBS or Bust Crowd assumes all the logistics problems all of a sudden don’t matter any more......and the only thing stopping NDSU from joining the AAC/MWC is the anti-FBS crowd and the NDSU Administration not sending out obvious Bat Signals......

Quote Originally Posted by El_Chapo

soo Fetal Position got it

El Chapo continues on his tilting at windmills thing......

[tony]

Based on what? I keep reading people here writing that enrollment needs to go up significantly. I personally don't see that. It is $upport that will help. Understanding that the anomalies to a thesis don't invalidate the entire idea, please at least consider the following enrollment numbers:

Sure, private colleges can do what they want, but they don't have to deal with the North Dakota legislature. And commuter colleges like Portland State / Sacramento State aren't good comparisons to NDSU.

The enrollment deal is for a stable increase in revenue from student fees - a larger stadium doesn't guarantee a larger income. Plus, a higher academic profile and larger enrollment makes NDSU more attractive to a conference that has a decent TV contract. TV money, endowments, and student fees are steady income sources. Attendancea? Not so much.

Heck, I'd argue that the continued growth of Fargo, and, yes, even the consolidation of Fargo/West Fargo would all help NDSU make a successful move because any move starts with a conference invite. Fargo as a city of >200k in a metro of >400k is a way easier sell (in my opinion.)

[MankatoBison]

I dont understand where you got the impression that a majority of the people on BV were opposed to FBS? May be you conflated the fact that many had factual concerns on the logistics of such a move with them not being in approval????

Logistics have always been the major hurdle and still is.

Alexa, give me an example of "gaslighting" please

[MankatoBison]

Based on what? I keep reading people here writing that enrollment needs to go up significantly. I personally don't see that. It is $upport that will help. Understanding that the anomalies to a thesis don't invalidate the entire idea, please at least consider the following enrollment numbers:

University of Miami - 17,000
Stanford University - 17,000
Notre Dame - 9,000
Northwestern - 21,000
Vanderbilt - 13,000
Rice - 7,000
TCU - 11,000
Wyoming - 13,000
University of Oregon - 23,000
Portland State - 27,000
Sacramento State - 32,000

Clearly something else is at play other than simple numbers of enrollment. NDSU is an odd duck in how you could potentially measure support. It is also hard to quantify how much support would increase. I actually think the number would be considerable.

You are correct- enrollment plays approximately ZERO into FBS conversation. lol. zero. I would say you dont want to be SHRINKING but total number is almost a complete non factor

[heffray]

Alexa, give me an example of "gaslighting" please

I don’t think PL was gaslighting you, ‘Kato... I do think most people are genuinely interested in going FBS (this may have changed recently), but they remain skeptical that it is viable without a conference invite and no one here (that I know of) actually has any expertise in how that works.

That’s not “Anti-FBS,” that’s just good uncertainty and skepticism.

[reformedUNDfan]

Mcfeeley seems to have found his new angle. Gonna pump it up Lakes style

[Professor Chaos]

I am probably in a minority, but I don't think that a new stadium is necessary to go to the FBS. If so, NDSU is not going for decades.

The way to duplicate NDSU's level of success in another move is to make sure that NDSU is the top-funded program in our new conference. Being averagely funded will not cut it.

And I'm a little more pessimistic about fan interest... you haven't seen Bison fatigue until you've seen NDSU drop two of three to start the year after going around .500 the year before - at that point, there'd be more blue seats visible in FargoDome crowd shots than there'd be at a Smurf orgy.

Like 56bison73 posted - logistics are key. Beating a P5 team once a year is a battle, but going FBS is a war - and you have to a plan. Heck, I'd say the first thing NDSU would need to do to go FBS would be to get enrollment up to AT LEAST the Mountain West average of 25,000.

The two bolded statements contradict themselves. Unless there's a mysterious billionaire willing to throw Engelstead money at NDSU (and we know the can of worms that can open anyway) the only other way to get the athletic department funded at a level needed to have sustained success at the FBS level is to increase ticket and Team Maker revenue. That is unless you think the school/state or student body are ready to foot the extra bill.

Look at App St, Georgia Southern, Coastal Carolina, etc here: https://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/finances. School Funds + Student Fees doubled for each of them once they made the jump to nearly $20M annually for GSU and over $20M annually for App St and CCU. At NDSU in 2019 Student Fees were at $1.4M and school funds were at $6.9M in athletic revenue. Unless those numbers are able to more than double I just don't see where the extra money comes from without a new football stadium with more capacity from the premium pricing tier down to the cheap seats. Even if they doubled enrollment with the same student fees that's a pretty small bump relatively speaking.