Big Sky Conference Splitting?

lutecat · Post by **lutecat** » Wed Mar 16, 2016 9:33 am

I was in Idaho in 97-98 and it always seemed to me that they moved up because Boise State did. That is the main reason. To follow their biggest rivals.

Weird how I see a lot of griz fans on egriz claim that their rivalry with UofI was bigger than Cat/griz. Apparently UofI never saw it that way. Otherwise they would've stayed in the Big Sky.

John K · Post by **John K** » Wed Mar 16, 2016 10:01 am

lutecat wrote:I was in Idaho in 97-98 and it always seemed to me that they moved up because Boise State did. That is the main reason. To follow their biggest rivals.

Weird how I see a lot of griz fans on egriz claim that their rivalry with UofI was bigger than Cat/griz. Apparently UofI never saw it that way. Otherwise they would've stayed in the Big Sky.

Oh yeah...that was definitely the reason. Those guys hate BSU with a passion, that I've never seen even among the biggest Griz haters or Cat haters. They still refer to BSU as Boise Junior College. There was no way they were going to let BSU move up, and leave them behind. Ironically, UI was probably stronger than BSU in both FB and MBB at the time they left the BSC, which proves that success at one level is not necessarily a predictor of success at the next level. For UI, BSU was much a bigger rivalry than was UM. If some UM fans felt that UI was a bigger rival to them than MSU back in those days, it was only because we weren't very good back then. In the years immediately preceding UI's departure from the BSC, UM and UI were the two best programs in the conference, while we were a perennial bottom feeder, and smack dab in the middle of the 16-game losing streak to the Griz.

grizpack · Post by **grizpack** » Wed Mar 16, 2016 11:12 am

But remember, when they moved up, it was Idaho that was actually competitive (for a year or 2). Boise was terrible when they moved up. Turned it around quickly though. Idaho's stadium and Moscow itself kill them. Kind of like putting a major college with a crappy stadium in Lewistown, and expecting to be able to recruit there.

VimSince03 · Post by **VimSince03** » Wed Mar 16, 2016 11:14 am

grizpack wrote:But remember, when they moved up, it was Idaho that was actually competitive (for a year or 2). Boise was terrible when they moved up. Turned it around quickly though. Idaho's stadium and Moscow itself kill them. Kind of like putting a major college with a crappy stadium in Lewistown, and expecting to be able to recruit there.

"When the Kibbie Dome Went Silent" - a new 30 for 30 doc that will probably never get made

LTown Cat · Post by **LTown Cat** » Wed Mar 16, 2016 12:05 pm

grizpack wrote:But remember, when they moved up, it was Idaho that was actually competitive (for a year or 2). Boise was terrible when they moved up. Turned it around quickly though. Idaho's stadium and Moscow itself kill them. Kind of like putting a major college with a crappy stadium in Lewistown, and expecting to be able to recruit there.

Hey! Take it easy--I've been told MSU was almost located in Lewistown. Let's use a different example!

Just giving you a hard time--I see your point.

BelgradeBobcat · Post by **BelgradeBobcat** » Wed Mar 16, 2016 12:24 pm

Regarding the BSU-UI hatred. I suppose it would be like MSU-Billings re-starting football-jumping up to the Big Sky for while and then joining the Mountain West and going FBS. Suddenly they have more fans in the state than the Cats and griz. I suppose that'd be hard to take. But at some point Idaho fans need to get over it. BSU isn't going backwards anytime soon.

PHAT CAT · Post by **PHAT CAT** » Wed Mar 16, 2016 1:48 pm

It's all about loot. Simplot and Albertson dumped a pile to build BSU up. I'm sure HP coughed up some too. Follow the money. I didn't see Nick Zimmer giving U of I 100 million anytime soon. They're F'd.

lutecat · Post by **lutecat** » Wed Mar 16, 2016 3:03 pm

PHAT CAT wrote:It's all about loot. Simplot and Albertson dumped a pile to build BSU up. I'm sure HP coughed up some too. Follow the money. I didn't see Nick Zimmer giving U of I 100 million anytime soon. They're F'd.

Albertsons gives to UofI too.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

Bobcat4Ever · Post by **Bobcat4Ever** » Wed Mar 16, 2016 5:49 pm

PHAT CAT wrote:It's all about loot. Simplot and Albertson dumped a pile to build BSU up. I'm sure HP coughed up some too. Follow the money. I didn't see Nick Zimmer giving U of I 100 million anytime soon. They're F'd.

Micron, too.

BleedingBLue · Post by **BleedingBLue** » Wed Mar 16, 2016 6:38 pm

A friend of mine is an Idaho Grad and he said it seems as if boosters and fans are split pretty evenly on whether they want to see a drop down or not. He said a lot of older folks who watched them in the Big Sky are all for it and some of the younger crowd who have seen mostly FBS play don't like the idea and see it as a poor move. A lot of the supporters of the move love the fact that they could easily travel to several away games a year and would have 3 conference teams in pretty close proximity and be able to consider them rivals. As is stands now he said they travel the worst of any fan base in DI in the country, FBS or FCS.

grizpack · Post by **grizpack** » Wed Mar 16, 2016 10:48 pm

BleedingBLue wrote:A friend of mine is an Idaho Grad and he said it seems as if boosters and fans are split pretty evenly on whether they want to see a drop down or not. He said a lot of older folks who watched them in the Big Sky are all for it and some of the younger crowd who have seen mostly FBS play don't like the idea and see it as a poor move. A lot of the supporters of the move love the fact that they could easily travel to several away games a year and would have 3 conference teams in pretty close proximity and be able to consider them rivals. As is stands now he said they travel the worst of any fan base in DI in the country, FBS or FCS.

Boy, I don't know. I spend quite a bit of time in the panhandle of Idaho, and Eastern Washington, where I run into a lot of Vandal gear. It has almost gotten to be a game at this point. I introduce myself as Montana guy, and mention that I would like to see them back in the Big Sky. A VAST majority are indignant that "that will never happen".... They are in complete denial, and actually think they are relevant in some way....

GRIZ1STCATS2ND · Post by **GRIZ1STCATS2ND** » Thu Mar 17, 2016 8:25 pm

grizpack wrote:
BleedingBLue wrote:A friend of mine is an Idaho Grad and he said it seems as if boosters and fans are split pretty evenly on whether they want to see a drop down or not. He said a lot of older folks who watched them in the Big Sky are all for it and some of the younger crowd who have seen mostly FBS play don't like the idea and see it as a poor move. A lot of the supporters of the move love the fact that they could easily travel to several away games a year and would have 3 conference teams in pretty close proximity and be able to consider them rivals. As is stands now he said they travel the worst of any fan base in DI in the country, FBS or FCS.
Boy, I don't know. I spend quite a bit of time in the panhandle of Idaho, and Eastern Washington, where I run into a lot of Vandal gear. It has almost gotten to be a game at this point. I introduce myself as Montana guy, and mention that I would like to see them back in the Big Sky. A VAST majority are indignant that "that will never happen".... They are in complete denial, and actually think they are relevant in some way....

This.

griz5700 · Post by **griz5700** » Fri Mar 18, 2016 10:37 am

VimSince03 wrote:
grizpack wrote:But remember, when they moved up, it was Idaho that was actually competitive (for a year or 2). Boise was terrible when they moved up. Turned it around quickly though. Idaho's stadium and Moscow itself kill them. Kind of like putting a major college with a crappy stadium in Lewistown, and expecting to be able to recruit there.
"When the Kibbie Dome Went Silent" - a new 30 for 30 doc that will probably never get made

That would be a great story actually. Such a mess...

griz5700 · Post by **griz5700** » Fri Mar 18, 2016 10:39 am

Big Sky Football Conference:
-Montana State
-Montana
-Idaho
-Idaho State
-North Dakota
-EWU
-Portland State

This would be awesome. It would be nice to get Weber in the mix somehow though.

WSUWILDCAT · Post by **WSUWILDCAT** » Fri Mar 18, 2016 10:56 am

griz5700 wrote:Big Sky Football Conference:
-Montana State
-Montana
-Idaho
-Idaho State
-North Dakota
-EWU
-Portland State

This would be awesome. It would be nice to get Weber in the mix somehow though.

Then put Weber in, I mean heck you have Idaho State on your list. Weber football is definitely the weak spot, but I believe that under coach Hill this Wildcat team is on the rise, Weber last year went 6-5 and had they made one field goal vs Eastern Wash, would have gone 7-4 with a possible at large to the playoffs, all this after 3 straight 2 win seasons.

Rich K · Post by **Rich K** » Fri Mar 18, 2016 10:58 am

WSUWILDCAT wrote:
griz5700 wrote:Big Sky Football Conference:
-Montana State
-Montana
-Idaho
-Idaho State
-North Dakota
-EWU
-Portland State

This would be awesome. It would be nice to get Weber in the mix somehow though.
Then put Weber in, I mean heck you have Idaho State on your list. Weber football is definitely the weak spot, but I believe that under coach Hill this Wildcat team is on the rise, Weber last year went 6-5 and had they made one field goal vs Eastern Wash, would have gone 7-4 with a possible at large to the playoffs, all this after 3 straight 2 win seasons.

Put Weber in and kick Portland State out. As far as I am concerned PSU is the one that doesn't fit.

orsalak · Post by **orsalak** » Sun Mar 20, 2016 10:18 am

NMSU would come as a football only member I am assuming, so do we really want them as they would not make our conference much better in football. I see them just like Idaho a middle of the pack big sky school and some years competing for the championship. I like the idea of having the big sky footprint in all but two western states (Nevada, Wyoming) but like other states where one or more of their colleges competes in the FBS no will care about NMSU going to the FCS playoffs. I am leaning to not wanting NMSU. If they were coming as a full member they might bring a little more to the table.

Bobcat4Ever · Post by **Bobcat4Ever** » Sun Mar 20, 2016 11:27 am

I don't like football only members at all. It only tilts the conference emphasis/resources more toward football and away from basketball, etc., even more.

utcatfan · Post by **utcatfan** » Tue Mar 22, 2016 5:58 am

I think we would really only have to worry about "Football Only" schools if we decided to go FBS with a few other Big Sky teams and join NMSU and Idaho, if that were the case I could see alot of other potential teams that would make the FBS jump for Football and I think we could get a pretty good conference out of it. However I am thinking that the best option and the most likely to happen would be the splitting of the conference into 2 divisions and each division getting a AQ bid to the FCS Playoffs.

John K · Post by **John K** » Tue Mar 22, 2016 8:52 am

utcatfan wrote:I think we would really only have to worry about "Football Only" schools if we decided to go FBS with a few other Big Sky teams and join NMSU and Idaho, if that were the case I could see alot of other potential teams that would make the FBS jump for Football and I think we could get a pretty good conference out of it. However I am thinking that the best option and the most likely to happen would be the splitting of the conference into 2 divisions and each division getting a AQ bid to the FCS Playoffs.

Is that a possibility though? Would the NCAA give the BSC an autobid for each division, if it was still technically just one big conference? I think you might have to separate the schools into two different conferences, even if there was a formal tie-in in terms of scheduling, in order to get two auto bids.

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