"North Dakota State is a big part of the fabric of college football right now."
"North Dakota State is alive on the college football map."
-Lee Fitting ESPN
They will do everything possible to create that "best of G5" conference, and put themselves at least back on the edge of being considered a power conference. The 4 schools they added are a very big step that direction, and something our MWC friend didn't seem to think would happen (due to exit fees).
Presuming they've got the money to do so, they will pull a couple from AAC next.
Honestly my biggest fear is that SDSU isn’t interested and/or ready for a move up. Auto relegates us to a football only option at best and probably even that would be too much for MW to stomach.
Mountain West, hope for the best.
Long been known that Air Force almost moved (with CSU and Boise) to the AAC years ago. The only reason Air Force stayed, the other two backed out and they saw their relationship with CSU as important to maintain membership in the MWC. Minus the big 4 (especially CSU) who are leaving, there is no reason for Air Force to stay and both Navy, and Army would love to have them in the AAC. I would not be surprised if the MWC could lose another 2 or 3 additional teams to either the new PAC, or to the AAC with Air Force being one. No, that is not just speculation, I've heard it from West Point alums.
SDSU has never said they weren't interested in moving. What Sell has said, they would be prepared to move if the right opportunity arose. No way SDSU stays in FCS if they get an invite along with NDSU to leave for the MWC, especially if the Montana schools are involved.
1. Army and navy are football only members
1a. Doubt Air Force goes football only to AAC
1b. How much pull do two bottom dweller football only members have in the AAC?
2. What does Air Force bring the rest of the conference? What makes SE teams want to fly cross country for a mediocre program to be added?
I could be wrong but it always just seemed like people wanting to group them together because it seems to make sense. That’s not how conferences work lol
Mountain West, hope for the best.
Honestly, thats what some of those proposed PAC tweets look like. And what the MWC is more likely to evolve to.
MWC will most likely backfill with some "mashup" of Big Sky/MVFC, and I hope we are part of it.
It will likely be the remainder of MWC combining with "best of FCS"