Delaware to CUSA

[cats2506]

This has been my position on this. If App State, JMU, Sam Houston were still around I would be happy where we are but they aren't and I don't think the xDSU's are around much longer as well. MSU needs to be in a position that if the opportunity arises, we're ready.

This season Cats played in Bozeman:
A team that doesn't offer athletic scholarships
A team that plays their home games at a high school (even Northern has a stadium now)
A team the seriously considered dropping football

Agreed. This year's playoff bracket just seemed so watered down outside of the Dakota & Montana schools.

Wait until the Mountain West schools form a new Pac 12(+-) with OSU and WSU. The Montana schools and the Dakota schools form a new Prairie-Mountain West conference and play each other for the chance of......uh..... playing other low end FBS programs, with the same 3-star or below talent we've always had, for the chance at the Jimmy Kimmel bowl.

Playoffs are slowly turning into Big Sky vs MVFC... You have to go back to 2013 to find a University that is still in the FCS that played in the championship game that is not from either of those conferences (Townson).

The FBS isn't any different. SEC, Big Ten and a rotation of the ACC or Big12. Won't change next year either when the top G5 team gets a playoff spot, and the other 11 are from the SEC, Big Ten, Big12 (maybe) and ACC.

That's what I see too. If you think the FCS is loaded with crappy teams, just look at what the top of the FBS sees when they look at the rest of the FBS, and then they see teams like Delawhere moving up to add to it.

[84CatGrad]

I'm very excited for the 2028 Duke's Mayo Bowl.

[AFCAT]

I'm very excited for the 2028 Duke's Mayo Bowl.

Me too!

[ND0479]

This has been my position on this. If App State, JMU, Sam Houston were still around I would be happy where we are but they aren't and I don't think the xDSU's are around much longer as well. MSU needs to be in a position that if the opportunity arises, we're ready.

This season Cats played in Bozeman:
A team that doesn't offer athletic scholarships
A team that plays their home games at a high school (even Northern has a stadium now)
A team the seriously considered dropping football

Agreed. This year's playoff bracket just seemed so watered down outside of the Dakota & Montana schools.

Wait until the Mountain West schools form a new Pac 12(+-) with OSU and WSU. The Montana schools and the Dakota schools form a new Prairie-Mountain West conference and play each other for the chance of......uh..... playing other low end FBS programs, with the same 3-star or below talent we've always had, for the chance at the Jimmy Kimmel bowl.

I'd care about the Jimmy Kimmel Bowl if the Cats were playing in it! I'd certainly care more about the FCS Championship, but the only people that care about the FCS Championship are people with ties to the FCS, much like the only people that care about the crappy bowl games are the people affiliated with the schools involved.

[AFCAT]

This has been my position on this. If App State, JMU, Sam Houston were still around I would be happy where we are but they aren't and I don't think the xDSU's are around much longer as well. MSU needs to be in a position that if the opportunity arises, we're ready.

This season Cats played in Bozeman:
A team that doesn't offer athletic scholarships
A team that plays their home games at a high school (even Northern has a stadium now)
A team the seriously considered dropping football

Agreed. This year's playoff bracket just seemed so watered down outside of the Dakota & Montana schools.

Wait until the Mountain West schools form a new Pac 12(+-) with OSU and WSU. The Montana schools and the Dakota schools form a new Prairie-Mountain West conference and play each other for the chance of......uh..... playing other low end FBS programs, with the same 3-star or below talent we've always had, for the chance at the Jimmy Kimmel bowl.

I'd care about the Jimmy Kimmel Bowl if the Cats were playing in it! I'd certainly care more about the FCS Championship, but the only people that care about the FCS Championship are people with ties to the FCS, much like the only people that care about the crappy bowl games are the people affiliated with the schools involved.

I can't wait to hang the Jimmy Kimmel Bowl championship banner in the Brick someday. We can put it right next to the Camellia Bowl championship banner and reminisce about the game that Cat fans so fondly remember....oh wait...nevermind.

[BleedingBLue]

Conference USA is going to be 1/3 recent FCS teams in 2 years. SHSU, Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State (who has no business in FBS) and Delaware. Good stuff. Not to mention they have powerhouses Florida International, Middle Tennessee State and UTEP in the conference as well.

[coloradocat]

This has been my position on this. If App State, JMU, Sam Houston were still around I would be happy where we are but they aren't and I don't think the xDSU's are around much longer as well. MSU needs to be in a position that if the opportunity arises, we're ready.

This season Cats played in Bozeman:
A team that doesn't offer athletic scholarships
A team that plays their home games at a high school (even Northern has a stadium now)
A team the seriously considered dropping football

Agreed. This year's playoff bracket just seemed so watered down outside of the Dakota & Montana schools.

Wait until the Mountain West schools form a new Pac 12(+-) with OSU and WSU. The Montana schools and the Dakota schools form a new Prairie-Mountain West conference and play each other for the chance of......uh..... playing other low end FBS programs, with the same 3-star or below talent we've always had, for the chance at the Jimmy Kimmel bowl.

I'd care about the Jimmy Kimmel Bowl if the Cats were playing in it! I'd certainly care more about the FCS Championship, but the only people that care about the FCS Championship are people with ties to the FCS, much like the only people that care about the crappy bowl games are the people affiliated with the schools involved.

I can't wait to hang the Jimmy Kimmel Bowl championship banner in the Brick someday. We can put it right next to the Camellia Bowl championship banner and reminisce about the game that Cat fans so fondly remember....oh wait...nevermind.

Imagine winning a post-season game and getting a banner. I'd much rather just get blown out by a DSU every year.

[Cataholic]

Conference USA is going to be 1/3 recent FCS teams in 2 years. SHSU, Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State (who has no business in FBS) and Delaware. Good stuff. Not to mention they have powerhouses Florida International, Middle Tennessee State and UTEP in the conference as well.

Liberty was also FCS but they are currently 12-0 and ranked 20th in the country. With the new playoff format coming to FBS, they would probably be the one G5 team to qualify.

[MTnative]

Delaware is just doing what other schools have already done. They are following precedent because they think they have to.

And that’s just stupid.

[84CatGrad]

I can't wait to hang the Jimmy Kimmel Bowl championship banner in the Brick someday. We can put it right next to the Camellia Bowl championship banner and reminisce about the game that Cat fans so fondly remember....oh wait...nevermind.

Idaho has three gigantic banners hanging in the Kibbie Dome representing wins in the Humanitarian/Famous Potatoes Bowl, 1998, 2009, 2016. They look ridiculous.

[AFCAT]

This has been my position on this. If App State, JMU, Sam Houston were still around I would be happy where we are but they aren't and I don't think the xDSU's are around much longer as well. MSU needs to be in a position that if the opportunity arises, we're ready.

This season Cats played in Bozeman:
A team that doesn't offer athletic scholarships
A team that plays their home games at a high school (even Northern has a stadium now)
A team the seriously considered dropping football

Agreed. This year's playoff bracket just seemed so watered down outside of the Dakota & Montana schools.

Wait until the Mountain West schools form a new Pac 12(+-) with OSU and WSU. The Montana schools and the Dakota schools form a new Prairie-Mountain West conference and play each other for the chance of......uh..... playing other low end FBS programs, with the same 3-star or below talent we've always had, for the chance at the Jimmy Kimmel bowl.

I'd care about the Jimmy Kimmel Bowl if the Cats were playing in it! I'd certainly care more about the FCS Championship, but the only people that care about the FCS Championship are people with ties to the FCS, much like the only people that care about the crappy bowl games are the people affiliated with the schools involved.

I can't wait to hang the Jimmy Kimmel Bowl championship banner in the Brick someday. We can put it right next to the Camellia Bowl championship banner and reminisce about the game that Cat fans so fondly remember....oh wait...nevermind.

Imagine winning a post-season game and getting a banner. I'd much rather just get blown out by a DSU every year.

It's beautiful.

On another note, I know the 1984 team didn't receive anything from the Big Sky conference when they won the title that year. They got rings for winning the Natty but nothing for the conference. Does anyone know when that changed?

[aucat]

Might want to ask Idaho how well it worked out.

[rfischer94]

This has been my position on this. If App State, JMU, Sam Houston were still around I would be happy where we are but they aren't and I don't think the xDSU's are around much longer as well. MSU needs to be in a position that if the opportunity arises, we're ready.

This season Cats played in Bozeman:
A team that doesn't offer athletic scholarships
A team that plays their home games at a high school (even Northern has a stadium now)
A team the seriously considered dropping football

Agreed. This year's playoff bracket just seemed so watered down outside of the Dakota & Montana schools.

Wait until the Mountain West schools form a new Pac 12(+-) with OSU and WSU. The Montana schools and the Dakota schools form a new Prairie-Mountain West conference and play each other for the chance of......uh..... playing other low end FBS programs, with the same 3-star or below talent we've always had, for the chance at the Jimmy Kimmel bowl.

But we could play in the Pop-Tart Bowl! Winner gets to take a bite out of the mascot!
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-release ... 96281.html

[onceacat]

There isn’t a G5 conference out there that’s going to want MSU. They’ll either have to make a new one that has the Dakotas and some other western schools in it, or stay in the FCS.

I’m not sure MSU and UM can afford to be a competitive FBS school. The coach at UConn was just saying they need $1.5 million in NIL money a year to be competitive recruiting. We can’t do that, our fan base isn’t that big. I have no desire to be a mid to low level FBS school either.

I think in 10-15 years we see a lot of schools drop football. It’s just getting to be too expensive.

The Pac Whatever and/or the Mountain West are in desperate need of new schools.

I have a really hard time seeing how OSU. WSY, Wyoming, Utah State, Boise State etc make it work but the DSUs & Montanas cant?

I think more likely the Big 4 conferences go their own way & the G5 plus become a new version of 1-AA.

[onceacat]

Might want to ask Idaho how well it worked out.

Or JMU. Or Boise State. Or Liberty.

[AFCAT]

This has been my position on this. If App State, JMU, Sam Houston were still around I would be happy where we are but they aren't and I don't think the xDSU's are around much longer as well. MSU needs to be in a position that if the opportunity arises, we're ready.

This season Cats played in Bozeman:
A team that doesn't offer athletic scholarships
A team that plays their home games at a high school (even Northern has a stadium now)
A team the seriously considered dropping football

Agreed. This year's playoff bracket just seemed so watered down outside of the Dakota & Montana schools.

Wait until the Mountain West schools form a new Pac 12(+-) with OSU and WSU. The Montana schools and the Dakota schools form a new Prairie-Mountain West conference and play each other for the chance of......uh..... playing other low end FBS programs, with the same 3-star or below talent we've always had, for the chance at the Jimmy Kimmel bowl.

But we could play in the Pop-Tart Bowl! Winner gets to take a bite out of the mascot!
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-release ... 96281.html

We need a Depends Undergarments Bowl or the Viagra Bowl. I wonder what the Viagra Bowl banner would look like hanging in the Brick? Or would it be hanging?

[rfischer94]

This has been my position on this. If App State, JMU, Sam Houston were still around I would be happy where we are but they aren't and I don't think the xDSU's are around much longer as well. MSU needs to be in a position that if the opportunity arises, we're ready.

This season Cats played in Bozeman:
A team that doesn't offer athletic scholarships
A team that plays their home games at a high school (even Northern has a stadium now)
A team the seriously considered dropping football

Agreed. This year's playoff bracket just seemed so watered down outside of the Dakota & Montana schools.

Wait until the Mountain West schools form a new Pac 12(+-) with OSU and WSU. The Montana schools and the Dakota schools form a new Prairie-Mountain West conference and play each other for the chance of......uh..... playing other low end FBS programs, with the same 3-star or below talent we've always had, for the chance at the Jimmy Kimmel bowl.

But we could play in the Pop-Tart Bowl! Winner gets to take a bite out of the mascot!
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-release ... 96281.html

We need a Depends Undergarments Bowl or the Viagra Bowl. I wonder what the Viagra Bowl banner would look like hanging in the Brick? Or would it be hanging?

[BleedingBLue]

Might want to ask Idaho how well it worked out.

Or JMU. Or Boise State. Or Liberty.

We can play this game all day. Or Nevada. Or Marshall. Or Georgia Southern. Now you go.

[John K]

Total attendance for all 8 FCs games last weekend was less than 50,000 and that includes both North Dakota schools which were less than half full. Excitement for this league of football is almost limited to UM and MSU it seems. Is it sustainable?

I think it's a very telling statistic that all 16 teams left in the FCS playoffs this year come from four conferences. The pool of FCS teams good enough to contend for a National Title is rapidly shrinking and nobody wants to be the last one left in the bottom of the pool when it dries up completely. Hopefully once WSU and OSU figure out what they're going to do there can be movement towards some kind of Western realignment involving the Montana and Dakota schools moving up to FBS.

It's nothing new, that the FCS playoffs are being dominated by just 4 conferences this season. The BSC, MVFC, CAA, and SoCon have been the 4 dominant conferences by far, for as long as I can remember. In the past you probably could have added the Southland to that list, but they weren't usually too competitive nationally, except for SHSU. Over the years, very few teams from outside of those 4 (or 5) conferences have ever made it beyond the QF.

[John K]

This has been my position on this. If App State, JMU, Sam Houston were still around I would be happy where we are but they aren't and I don't think the xDSU's are around much longer as well. MSU needs to be in a position that if the opportunity arises, we're ready.

This season Cats played in Bozeman:
A team that doesn't offer athletic scholarships
A team that plays their home games at a high school (even Northern has a stadium now)
A team the seriously considered dropping football

Agreed. This year's playoff bracket just seemed so watered down outside of the Dakota & Montana schools.

It would be hard to imagine a 6 seed with 3 FCS losses with JMU or Sam Houston still around.

It's not at all hard to imagine that, regardless of whether JMU, SHSU, or any other program is still in the FCS, when that #6 seed's losses were to the #1 seed (by 4 points), the #2 seed, and the #4 seed (by 3 points), and all 3 on the road. MSU is not a typical 3 loss team this season