NDSU finally moving up soon? How would it affect us?

[BlueAndGoldNation]

Here is a very interesting video I found about NDSU today and it got me thinking about how this would affect us...



I am aware this is speculation, and I know that NDSU has desperately been trying to move up for years, but they kept getting denied due to TV market money. However, it looks like some things are finally moving for them... and the NDSU AD has said that they are seeing the realignment happening very soon and that they will be ready for it when it happens.

It is undeniable that this weakened version of the Mountain West Conference are desperate for decent football programs to join them. I think it is apparent that Leon knows this and is trying to prepare us for a move as well. I wonder if this possible move was brought up to Vigen and Poleseck to sway their decions to stay? I also wonder if the mythical "Big Gift" has something to do with this possible move as well. Maybe some big donor or donors are waiting on confirmation that we can secure a spot in the MWC or Pac12, and then we get the sign off on a big check for the athletic department, stadium expansions, etc..?

There seems to be something going on in the background that only the Commissioners and ADs know what is going on, and the timing of it all is waiting on the current MWC legal battle with the Pac12. It just seems inevitable at this point that MSU, NDSU, Montana and SDSU could all move up in the next 5-10 years.

On a side note, if NDSU moves up without us, I'd also be estatic. It would do wonders for the competition in the FCS if the big daddy of the FCS leaves. Just imagine how many other champions there would have been without them the last 15 years. We might have had another couple of banners! God I hate them

[84CatGrad]

Recent FCS to FBS Move-ups:

Western Kentucky (2009) 114-95 Highlight: 2015, 12-2 Won Miami Beach Bowl
Texas State (2012) 56-102 Highlight: 2023 and 24, 8-5, Won First Responder Bowl each year
UMASS (2013) 25-111 Highlight: None
UTSA (2012) 87-75 Highlight: 9-4, Won Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl
South Alabama (2013) 65-83 Highlight: 10-3, Lost R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Georgia State (2013) 55-92 Highlight: 8-5 Won Tax Act Camelia Bowl
Appalachian State (2014) 100-41 Highlight: 13-1 Won R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Georgia Southern (2014) 76-66 Highlight: 10-3 Won Raycom Media Camellia Bowl
Old Dominion 2014) 51-72 Highlight 10-3 Popeyes Bowl Win
Charlotte (2015) 37-78 Highlight: 7-6 Lost Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl
Coastal Carolina (2017) 58-42 Highlight: 11-2 Won Tailgreeter Cure Bowl
Liberty (2018) 61-27 Highlight 10-1 Won FBC Mortgage Cure Bowl
James Madison (2022) 28-9 Highlight 9-4 Won Boca Raton Bowl
Sam Houston (2023) 13-12 Highlight: 10-3 Won New Orleans Bowl
Jacksonville State (2023) 18-9 Highlight: 9-4 Won R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Kennesaw State (2024) 2-10 Highlight: None

If you'd be chock full of vim with a Bobcat season culminating in the Tailgreeter Cure Bowl, or the Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl, then moving up to FBS is for you.

If you'd much rather a Bobcat season ending in an FCS championship game, then, like me, you'd rather maintain the current course. It's a no brainer for me.

[coloradocat]

Recent FCS to FBS Move-ups:

Western Kentucky (2009) 114-95 Highlight: 2015, 12-2 Won Miami Beach Bowl
Texas State (2012) 56-102 Highlight: 2023 and 24, 8-5, Won First Responder Bowl each year
UMASS (2013) 25-111 Highlight: None
UTSA (2012) 87-75 Highlight: 9-4, Won Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl
South Alabama (2013) 65-83 Highlight: 10-3, Lost R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Georgia State (2013) 55-92 Highlight: 8-5 Won Tax Act Camelia Bowl
Appalachian State (2014) 100-41 Highlight: 13-1 Won R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Georgia Southern (2014) 76-66 Highlight: 10-3 Won Raycom Media Camellia Bowl
Old Dominion 2014) 51-72 Highlight 10-3 Popeyes Bowl Win
Charlotte (2015) 37-78 Highlight: 7-6 Lost Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl
Coastal Carolina (2017) 58-42 Highlight: 11-2 Won Tailgreeter Cure Bowl
Liberty (2018) 61-27 Highlight 10-1 Won FBC Mortgage Cure Bowl
James Madison (2022) 28-9 Highlight 9-4 Won Boca Raton Bowl
Sam Houston (2023) 13-12 Highlight: 10-3 Won New Orleans Bowl
Jacksonville State (2023) 18-9 Highlight: 9-4 Won R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Kennesaw State (2024) 2-10 Highlight: None

If you'd be chock full of vim with a Bobcat season culminating in the Tailgreeter Cure Bowl, or the Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl, then moving up to FBS is for you.

If you'd much rather a Bobcat season ending in an FCS championship game, then, like me, you'd rather maintain the current course. It's a no brainer for me.

As I was reading the list I was thinking "is this an argument for or against moving up?"

[GoldstoneCat]

I'm with you to a point. Moving up for that fate is not appetizing, especially with the way the mega conferences and current playoff format have devalued the college football regular season for 90% of the country. I still think there's a break-away coming, where the top 40 or top 50 programs organize themselves and govern themselves differently, under the mantle of the CFP or some other entity. At that point the group of 6 becomes the NCAA D1 football championship. Its own playoff. Etc. If and when that happens, we, ndsu, Montana, and the few others at the fcs level that are basically playing G5 football right now need to be in that group. So if we had to suffer some potato bowls in the MWC for a few years to put ourselves in position, I would understand, with the caveat that it's hard to restart momentum around a program if you lose it. Would we still be selling out for an 8-4, 7-5, 6-6 team in the mountain west whose ceiling is the Frisco bowl? I have questions.

[catscat]

I like where we are now and the way college football is currently organized, I don't believe it's feasible to move up. If someone can explain where the money will come from to make us competitive at the next level, I might be swayed into changing my thoughts. First, there's the stadium upgrades. Second, where do we get the additional 2 million for the head coach's salary plus who knows what additional for assistant coaches. Third, how do we fund the additional scholarships? Fourth, where does the NIL money come from to get the players to be competitive. Fifth, how is full cost of attendance funded as this will most likely be required to be competitive. Sixth, additional funding for athletic department current and probably additional staff. Seventh, what other sports will we have to add and at what cost including scholarships. Then there's the funding for the half dozen or more things I'm not aware of or can't contemplate.

Show me the money!!

[MinnesotaBobcat]

I honestly wonder why there aren’t more teams trying to drop into the FCS. For the last 5 years we’ve gotten to look forward to meaningful football throughout December, with the exception of 2023. For the most part, MEAC, Sun Belt, Mountain West etc. get to look forward to a second rate bowl game. No thanks.

With the exception of Boise State, none of the teams that have moved up during the last 30 years has been relevant at the FBS level for more than a season or two, and outside of a 5 or 6 year run, Boise State has come back to the pack in the Mountain west. Five years ago Sam Houston was chasing top seeds and championships. This year they were chasing two wins.

Anyway, instead of moving up, maybe FCS schools should actively recruit some of these schools into moving into the FCS, rather than moving up.

[84CatGrad]

I also wonder what moving up would mean to the number of Montana kids on the roster. We usually have about 40. Would that drop to 30? 20?

[Norsky19]

I've seen predictions that the FCS will go the way of the Dodo. Either move up to a FBS Tier 4 or down to DII. I sure hope that doesn't happen. I like where we're at right now.

[coloradocat]

I've seen predictions that the FCS will go the way of the Dodo. Either move up to a FBS Tier 4 or down to DII. I sure hope that doesn't happen. I like where we're at right now.

We don't belong in the current FCS or the current G6. I think it would be ideal if the P4 finally breaks off so that the G6 can create their own championship and then our transition is a little easier. Then the 110 FCS teams that are left, after the top 10-15 move up, should probably just drop down to D2 (as long as they can stay D1 for other sports). If they aren't going to expend the money to take football seriously they should just drop down.

[RockyBearCat]

I keep coming back to the Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday games in lower FBS. YUCK. Gamedays would be ruined. That will devastate the gameday culture and attendance.

[coloradocat]

I keep coming back to the Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday games in lower FBS. YUCK. Gamedays would be ruined. That will devastate the gameday culture and attendance.

How often does the MWC (the only conference we would be moving to) play games outside of Saturdays?

[D-Wreck]

I keep coming back to the Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday games in lower FBS. YUCK. Gamedays would be ruined. That will devastate the gameday culture and attendance.

How often does the MWC (the only conference we would be moving to) play games outside of Saturdays?

Might have missed some, but going through the MWC schedule YTD I count 3 Thursday games (all week 1) and 13 total Friday games.

[coloradocat]

I keep coming back to the Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday games in lower FBS. YUCK. Gamedays would be ruined. That will devastate the gameday culture and attendance.

How often does the MWC (the only conference we would be moving to) play games outside of Saturdays?

Might have missed some, but going through the MWC schedule YTD I count 3 Thursday games (all week 1) and 13 total Friday games.

That's more than I expected. I don't think one home weekday game a season would be the end of the world, especially on a Friday, but I definitely wouldn't want more than one.

[RockyBearCat]

I keep coming back to the Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday games in lower FBS. YUCK. Gamedays would be ruined. That will devastate the gameday culture and attendance.

How often does the MWC (the only conference we would be moving to) play games outside of Saturdays?

Might have missed some, but going through the MWC schedule YTD I count 3 Thursday games (all week 1) and 13 total Friday games.

That's more than I expected. I don't think one home weekday game a season would be the end of the world, especially on a Friday, but I definitely wouldn't want more than one.

I agree with this take that one Friday game isn't the end all of it, but even if not MWC, I do see midweek games on ESPN every week. With so many out of towners that come to fill Bobcat Stadium, that is one of my big worries. Let alone a Tulsa Tampon Bowl rather than a national championship run. IF (big IF), there is a split and G6 gets a playoff, that would help one of the worries.

[Bobcat Sig]

I've seen predictions that the FCS will go the way of the Dodo. Either move up to a FBS Tier 4 or down to DII. I sure hope that doesn't happen. I like where we're at right now.

We don't belong in the current FCS or the current G6. I think it would be ideal if the P4 finally breaks off so that the G6 can create their own championship and then our transition is a little easier. Then the 110 FCS teams that are left, after the top 10-15 move up, should probably just drop down to D2 (as long as they can stay D1 for other sports). If they aren't going to expend the money to take football seriously they should just drop down.

This is the way. Though I'd say the power conference that breaks away will be comprised of the B1G, SEC, some Big XII, and some ACC schools. This nets you a 50 - 60 school new conference playing for their own national championship.

What remains is where the Cats belong. And there too will have its own national championship.

While I understand the desire to stay in the FCS, the competition is not rising to our level. If anything, the competition and quality of schools are largely being diluted. To say another way, you'd rather play the likes of UNCU and Central Connecticut State instead of the new PAC-12 and Mountain West? I wouldn't. Give me the latter all day. We'd compete immediately.

[CalgaryCat]

I've seen predictions that the FCS will go the way of the Dodo. Either move up to a FBS Tier 4 or down to DII. I sure hope that doesn't happen. I like where we're at right now.

We don't belong in the current FCS or the current G6. I think it would be ideal if the P4 finally breaks off so that the G6 can create their own championship and then our transition is a little easier. Then the 110 FCS teams that are left, after the top 10-15 move up, should probably just drop down to D2 (as long as they can stay D1 for other sports). If they aren't going to expend the money to take football seriously they should just drop down.

The problem for waiting for the P4/G6 split to move up is that when the split happens, the G6 is going to lose access to a lot of money. They aren’t going to be looking at sharing it with more teams at that point.

[coloradocat]

I've seen predictions that the FCS will go the way of the Dodo. Either move up to a FBS Tier 4 or down to DII. I sure hope that doesn't happen. I like where we're at right now.

We don't belong in the current FCS or the current G6. I think it would be ideal if the P4 finally breaks off so that the G6 can create their own championship and then our transition is a little easier. Then the 110 FCS teams that are left, after the top 10-15 move up, should probably just drop down to D2 (as long as they can stay D1 for other sports). If they aren't going to expend the money to take football seriously they should just drop down.

This is the way. Though I'd say the power conference that breaks away will be comprised of the B1G, SEC, some Big XII, and some ACC schools. This nets you a 50 - 60 school new conference playing for their own national championship.

What remains is where the Cats belong. And there too will have its own national championship.

While I understand the desire to stay in the FCS, the competition is not rising to our level. If anything, the competition and quality of schools are largely being diluted. To say another way, you'd rather play the likes of UNCU and Central Connecticut State instead of the new PAC-12 and Mountain West? I wouldn't. Give me the latter all day. We'd compete immediately.

Yeah, it's all about what you want to be.

I agree with the anti-FBS arguments that we'd be moving up to a level that's way more expensive and be playing for pre-Christmas bowl games instead of championships but I also agree with the pro-FBS arguments that the present FCS is really just 4-6 teams vying for a championship and about 120 other schools that are only at this level so their other sports can be D1.

The current FBS is a bad idea but it's not going to look like this forever and not long after it changes the doors may be permanently locked so as soon as we get an invite we have to take it and hope things fall into place.

[coloradocat]

I've seen predictions that the FCS will go the way of the Dodo. Either move up to a FBS Tier 4 or down to DII. I sure hope that doesn't happen. I like where we're at right now.

We don't belong in the current FCS or the current G6. I think it would be ideal if the P4 finally breaks off so that the G6 can create their own championship and then our transition is a little easier. Then the 110 FCS teams that are left, after the top 10-15 move up, should probably just drop down to D2 (as long as they can stay D1 for other sports). If they aren't going to expend the money to take football seriously they should just drop down.

The problem for waiting for the P4/G6 split to move up is that when the split happens, the G6 is going to lose access to a lot of money. They aren’t going to be looking at sharing it with more teams at that point.

That's what I'm hinting at in the post right after yours. We have to move up as soon as it is available because the window for access is only going to be open for a little longer.

The G6 access to P4 money is another good point that isn't often brought up. I think their budgets will shrink a little once their subsidies go away which will make it easier for us to adapt.

[Bobcat Sig]

I've seen predictions that the FCS will go the way of the Dodo. Either move up to a FBS Tier 4 or down to DII. I sure hope that doesn't happen. I like where we're at right now.

We don't belong in the current FCS or the current G6. I think it would be ideal if the P4 finally breaks off so that the G6 can create their own championship and then our transition is a little easier. Then the 110 FCS teams that are left, after the top 10-15 move up, should probably just drop down to D2 (as long as they can stay D1 for other sports). If they aren't going to expend the money to take football seriously they should just drop down.

The problem for waiting for the P4/G6 split to move up is that when the split happens, the G6 is going to lose access to a lot of money. They aren’t going to be looking at sharing it with more teams at that point.

That's what I'm hinting at in the post right after yours. We have to move up as soon as it is available because the window for access is only going to be open for a little longer.

The G6 access to P4 money is another good point that isn't often brought up. I think their budgets will shrink a little once their subsidies go away which will make it easier for us to adapt.

I thnk you're on to something with looming shrinking budgets. The current level of spend at the FBS level is crazy. Once NIL being to level out, and payouts come back down to earth, budgets will normalize for schools outside of the P4.

[coloradocat]

I've seen predictions that the FCS will go the way of the Dodo. Either move up to a FBS Tier 4 or down to DII. I sure hope that doesn't happen. I like where we're at right now.

We don't belong in the current FCS or the current G6. I think it would be ideal if the P4 finally breaks off so that the G6 can create their own championship and then our transition is a little easier. Then the 110 FCS teams that are left, after the top 10-15 move up, should probably just drop down to D2 (as long as they can stay D1 for other sports). If they aren't going to expend the money to take football seriously they should just drop down.

The problem for waiting for the P4/G6 split to move up is that when the split happens, the G6 is going to lose access to a lot of money. They aren’t going to be looking at sharing it with more teams at that point.

That's what I'm hinting at in the post right after yours. We have to move up as soon as it is available because the window for access is only going to be open for a little longer.

The G6 access to P4 money is another good point that isn't often brought up. I think their budgets will shrink a little once their subsidies go away which will make it easier for us to adapt.

I thnk you're on to something with looming shrinking budgets. The current level of spend at the FBS level is crazy. Once NIL being to level out, and payouts come back down to earth, budgets will normalize for schools outside of the P4.

While that is the case, I'm referring to the TV money that the G6 gets as part of the CFP (and maybe another avenue as well?). When the P4 leaves and takes their CFB ESPN contract with them, the new G6 playoff contract will be smaller and possibly/probably replace the 2nd/3rd tier bowl contracts.