NDSU to the FBS

[heffray]

I could see Boise going to the Big 12 but the PAC has way too much snobbery and BSU doesn't have the media market to overcome it.

Head over to the Oregon thread to see the snobbery in full effect.

[TAILG8R]

Are MAC schools that much closer than the MWC schools (I mean, not including Hawaii)? I'd be curious to see average miles away each school is.

MAC EAST
Kent, OH - 1,008
Bowling Green - 895
Oxford, OH - 926
Akron, OH - 1,009
Athens, OH - 1,072
Getzville, NY - 1,185
AVG - 1,015

MAC WEST
Toledo, OH - 885
Dekalb, IL - 597
Mount Pleasant, MI - 901
Ypsilanti, MI - 892
Muncie, IN - 972
Kalamazoo, MI - 788
AVG - 839


MWC
Colorado Springs, CO - 951
Boise, ID - 1,220
Fresno, CA - 1,851
Fort Collins, CO - 805
Reno, NV - 1,553
Paradise, NV - 1,523
Albuquerque, NM - 1,237
San Diego, CA 1,846
San Jose, CA - 1,803
Logan, UT - 1,098
Laramie, WY - 803
AVG - 1,197

I'm not sure how much the distances matter in travel for football. If you want to argue recruiting footprint or timezones for game times that might be something.

[MankatoBison]

MAC EAST
Kent, OH - 1,008
Bowling Green - 895
Oxford, OH - 926
Akron, OH - 1,009
Athens, OH - 1,072
Getzville, NY - 1,185
AVG - 1,015

MAC WEST
Toledo, OH - 885
Dekalb, IL - 597
Mount Pleasant, MI - 901
Ypsilanti, MI - 892
Muncie, IN - 972
Kalamazoo, MI - 788
AVG - 839


MWC
Colorado Springs, CO - 951
Boise, ID - 1,220
Fresno, CA - 1,851
Fort Collins, CO - 805
Reno, NV - 1,553
Paradise, NV - 1,523
Albuquerque, NM - 1,237
San Diego, CA 1,846
San Jose, CA - 1,803
Logan, UT - 1,098
Laramie, WY - 803
AVG - 1,197

I'm not sure how much the distances matter in travel for football. If you want to argue recruiting footprint or timezones for game times that might be something.

about a 400m average distance difference for the MWC and the MAC. thats less than the distance from fargo to Minneapolis. Which is a 80 minute flight.

[HerdBot]

MAC EAST
Kent, OH - 1,008
Bowling Green - 895
Oxford, OH - 926
Akron, OH - 1,009
Athens, OH - 1,072
Getzville, NY - 1,185
AVG - 1,015

MAC WEST
Toledo, OH - 885
Dekalb, IL - 597
Mount Pleasant, MI - 901
Ypsilanti, MI - 892
Muncie, IN - 972
Kalamazoo, MI - 788
AVG - 839


MWC
Colorado Springs, CO - 951
Boise, ID - 1,220
Fresno, CA - 1,851
Fort Collins, CO - 805
Reno, NV - 1,553
Paradise, NV - 1,523
Albuquerque, NM - 1,237
San Diego, CA 1,846
San Jose, CA - 1,803
Logan, UT - 1,098
Laramie, WY - 803
AVG - 1,197

I'm not sure how much the distances matter in travel for football. If you want to argue recruiting footprint or timezones for game times that might be something.

It means very little for football. Virtually all games in most conferences are flights. Outside if the Dakota schools, NDSU already flies to most games. Its not a bus trip to Ohio, Missouru and the 3 Illinois schools. I don't even think we bus to UNI

[TAILG8R]

I should say I left off Hawaii because it is such an outlier(3,800 miles)

[NDSUstudent]

A MWC football only spot would optimal could still keep our other sports in the cost efficent Summit. MAC only football would also be ok.

Travel doesn't mean a whole lot for FB when like has been mentioned we are already flying for most games anyway.

[MankatoBison]

MAC EAST
Kent, OH - 1,008
Bowling Green - 895
Oxford, OH - 926
Akron, OH - 1,009
Athens, OH - 1,072
Getzville, NY - 1,185
AVG - 1,015

MAC WEST
Toledo, OH - 885
Dekalb, IL - 597
Mount Pleasant, MI - 901
Ypsilanti, MI - 892
Muncie, IN - 972
Kalamazoo, MI - 788
AVG - 839


MWC
Colorado Springs, CO - 951
Boise, ID - 1,220
Fresno, CA - 1,851
Fort Collins, CO - 805
Reno, NV - 1,553
Paradise, NV - 1,523
Albuquerque, NM - 1,237
San Diego, CA 1,846
San Jose, CA - 1,803
Logan, UT - 1,098
Laramie, WY - 803
AVG - 1,197

I'm not sure how much the distances matter in travel for football. If you want to argue recruiting footprint or timezones for game times that might be something.

Addtionally, they have divisions- the Mountain and the West Division (so Creative!) but obviously, in this fantasy world, we would be in the Mountain division.
Colorado Springs, CO - 951
Boise, ID - 1,220
Fort Collins, CO - 805
Albuquerque, NM - 1,237
Logan, UT - 1,098
Laramie, WY - 803
Average: 1019

about 180 mile difference between MAC and MWC closest divisions. Thats a 31 minute longer average flight to go MWC than MAC. Thats nothing

[Hammersmith]

MAC EAST
Kent, OH - 1,008
Bowling Green - 895
Oxford, OH - 926
Akron, OH - 1,009
Athens, OH - 1,072
Getzville, NY - 1,185
AVG - 1,015

MAC WEST
Toledo, OH - 885
Dekalb, IL - 597
Mount Pleasant, MI - 901
Ypsilanti, MI - 892
Muncie, IN - 972
Kalamazoo, MI - 788
AVG - 839


MWC
Colorado Springs, CO - 951
Boise, ID - 1,220
Fresno, CA - 1,851
Fort Collins, CO - 805
Reno, NV - 1,553
Paradise, NV - 1,523
Albuquerque, NM - 1,237
San Diego, CA 1,846
San Jose, CA - 1,803
Logan, UT - 1,098
Laramie, WY - 803
AVG - 1,197

I'm not sure how much the distances matter in travel for football. If you want to argue recruiting footprint or timezones for game times that might be something.

I assume those are driving distances?

Here are the distances as the crow flies from the Fargodome to the respective football stadiums:

MAC
525 Northen Illinois
630 Central Michigan
635 Western Michigan
720 Eastern Michigan
735 Ball State
745 Toledo
755 Bowling Green
790 Miami
860 Akron
865 Kent State
905 Ohio
920 Buffalo

757 Avg
750 Median

MWC
580 Wyoming
600 Colorado State
680 Air Force Academy
820 Utah State
965 New Mexico
970 Boise State
1200 UNLV
1260 Nevada
1365 Fresno State
1435 San Jose State
1445 San Diego State
3800 Hawai'i

1029 Avg(w/o Hawai'i)
970 Median(w/o Hawai'i)

1260 Avg(w/ Hawai'i)
1085 Median(w/ Hawai'i)

[mnriverbison]

UND is a hockey school not the same to even compare

NDSU is the Mountain West. Rugged, Tough and like Universities like Colorado State, Wyoming Land Grant schools.

This "feels" accurate for how I "feel" about our program. Also feel like the brand names are better in the MWC. Air Force, CSU, Boise, UNLV to me are way bigger national brands than the MAC schools. I could be wrong. But I kind of think we'd have better recruiting luck in the midwest. To kids from MN, WI, IL, etc North Dakota isn't much of a stretch. To kids from CO, CA, AZ, etc (where the recruits are out west) I think moving to the midwest and especially ND is a bigger ask.

Plus MAC is building a good brand of fun football with a monopoly on mid-week CFB eyeballs. And it's become the breeding ground for Big Ten coaches. I wouldn't be mad at all about some MACtion.

[MankatoBison]

This "feels" accurate for how I "feel" about our program. Also feel like the brand names are better in the MWC. Air Force, CSU, Boise, UNLV to me are way bigger national brands than the MAC schools. I could be wrong. But I kind of think we'd have better recruiting luck in the midwest. To kids from MN, WI, IL, etc North Dakota isn't much of a stretch. To kids from CO, CA, AZ, etc (where the recruits are out west) I think moving to the midwest and especially ND is a bigger ask.

Plus MAC is building a good brand of fun football with a monopoly on mid-week CFB eyeballs. And it's become the breeding ground for Big Ten coaches. I wouldn't be mad at all about some MACtion.

If I could choose I would do MWC. But I dont disagree that MAC is a mega improvement than FCS. Perhaps the biggest advantage MAC has over MWC, is that NDSU would be pre season #1 immediately. Like, Day 1 , far and away conference favorites lol. an undefeated MAC team goes to the NY6, straight up. a 1 loss MAC team makes it to the NY6 if you win your P5 Games. I'm in