Big Sky Conference Splitting?

[DaCats21]

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.

They could just do two separate conferences with a scheduling agreement for football and one Big Sky Conf for all other sports (minus the football only members)

[BleedingBLue]

Dixie State in St George Utah is moving from DII to DI starting in 2020. They expect to get an invitation from the WAC and will be playing as an independent in football. The WAC is also in the late stages of exploring restarting their football conference, as an FCS conference. Only NMSU currently has a team of all the WAC schools but Dixie would be the 2nd. There is optimism that they could get Northern New Mexico to move up to D1 as well and would more than likely be given the go ahead to pull some teams out of the Big Sky including CP, Davis and SUU. San Diego is a target for them too, and the only selling point they need there is away games that aren't 2000 miles away.

[CelticCat]

Dixie State in St George Utah is moving from DII to DI starting in 2020. They expect to get an invitation from the WAC and will be playing as an independent in football. The WAC is also in the late stages of exploring restarting their football conference, as an FCS conference. Only NMSU currently has a team of all the WAC schools but Dixie would be the 2nd. There is optimism that they could get Northern New Mexico to move up to D1 as well and would more than likely be given the go ahead to pull some teams out of the Big Sky including CP, Davis and SUU. San Diego is a target for them too, and the only selling point they need there is away games that aren't 2000 miles away.

I'd love to see the Sky slimmed down to 10 teams:
MSU
UM
Idaho
Idaho State
EWU
Portland State
Weber State
UNC

Wac could be:
Dixie State
NMSU
Northern New Mexico
Davis
Sac
SUU
San Diego
NAU
Poly

[Cataholic]

Dixie State in St George Utah is moving from DII to DI starting in 2020. They expect to get an invitation from the WAC and will be playing as an independent in football. The WAC is also in the late stages of exploring restarting their football conference, as an FCS conference. Only NMSU currently has a team of all the WAC schools but Dixie would be the 2nd. There is optimism that they could get Northern New Mexico to move up to D1 as well and would more than likely be given the go ahead to pull some teams out of the Big Sky including CP, Davis and SUU. San Diego is a target for them too, and the only selling point they need there is away games that aren't 2000 miles away.

I'd love to see the Sky slimmed down to 10 teams:
MSU
UM
Idaho
Idaho State
EWU
Portland State
Weber State
UNC

Wac could be:
Dixie State
NMSU
Northern New Mexico
Davis
Sac
SUU
San Diego
NAU
Poly

I like your arrangement minus UNC. I would substitute NAU for them and also keep an eleventh team with either SUU or Davis for long term stability given the uncertain future of PSU.

[MSU01]

Dixie State in St George Utah is moving from DII to DI starting in 2020. They expect to get an invitation from the WAC and will be playing as an independent in football. The WAC is also in the late stages of exploring restarting their football conference, as an FCS conference. Only NMSU currently has a team of all the WAC schools but Dixie would be the 2nd. There is optimism that they could get Northern New Mexico to move up to D1 as well and would more than likely be given the go ahead to pull some teams out of the Big Sky including CP, Davis and SUU. San Diego is a target for them too, and the only selling point they need there is away games that aren't 2000 miles away.

I'd love to see the Sky slimmed down to 10 teams:
MSU
UM
Idaho
Idaho State
EWU
Portland State
Weber State
UNC

Wac could be:
Dixie State
NMSU
Northern New Mexico
Davis
Sac
SUU
San Diego
NAU
Poly

Your slimmed down Big Sky only has 8 teams, not 10. The worry I'd have with that is the persistent rumors of PSU dropping football, which would drop the league down to only 7 teams for football.

[coloradocat]

Dixie State in St George Utah is moving from DII to DI starting in 2020. They expect to get an invitation from the WAC and will be playing as an independent in football. The WAC is also in the late stages of exploring restarting their football conference, as an FCS conference. Only NMSU currently has a team of all the WAC schools but Dixie would be the 2nd. There is optimism that they could get Northern New Mexico to move up to D1 as well and would more than likely be given the go ahead to pull some teams out of the Big Sky including CP, Davis and SUU. San Diego is a target for them too, and the only selling point they need there is away games that aren't 2000 miles away.

I'd love to see the Sky slimmed down to 10 teams:
MSU
UM
Idaho
Idaho State
EWU
Portland State
Weber State
UNC

Wac could be:
Dixie State
NMSU
Northern New Mexico
Davis
Sac
SUU
San Diego
NAU
Poly

Your slimmed down Big Sky only has 8 teams, not 10. The worry I'd have with that is the persistent rumors of PSU dropping football, which would drop the league down to only 7 teams for football.

I'd add at least one CA school (ideally two) for recruiting and NAU with the idea that PSU will drop football or go to the WAC.

[CelticCat]

Math, I do it sometimes.

Take 2:
MSU
UM
Idaho
Idaho State
EWU
Portland State
Weber State
UNC
NAU/SUU (9th team for an even conference schedule)

WAC:
Dixie State
NMSU
Northern New Mexico
Davis
Sac
SUU/NAU
San Diego
Poly

I like NAU and they've been a good conference member, but geographically they just don't fit. UNC does, like it or not.

[John K]

Dixie State in St George Utah is moving from DII to DI starting in 2020. They expect to get an invitation from the WAC and will be playing as an independent in football. The WAC is also in the late stages of exploring restarting their football conference, as an FCS conference. Only NMSU currently has a team of all the WAC schools but Dixie would be the 2nd. There is optimism that they could get Northern New Mexico to move up to D1 as well and would more than likely be given the go ahead to pull some teams out of the Big Sky including CP, Davis and SUU. San Diego is a target for them too, and the only selling point they need there is away games that aren't 2000 miles away.

Has NMSU expressed a desire, or at least a willingness (due to a lack of any other viable long term options) to consider dropping down to FCS? I've always assumed that they were very resistant to that, or else they probably would have made that move along with Idaho when they were both kicked out of the Sun Belt. I'd think that either the BSC or the Southland would have been glad to take them, if they'd been open to going FCS. I know the BSC is already sort of bloated, but if you already have 13 teams, I wouldn't think one more would be that big of a deal, and having an even number of teams would offer some advantages for scheduling purposes.

[RobertCats]

Dixie State in St George Utah is moving from DII to DI starting in 2020. They expect to get an invitation from the WAC and will be playing as an independent in football. The WAC is also in the late stages of exploring restarting their football conference, as an FCS conference. Only NMSU currently has a team of all the WAC schools but Dixie would be the 2nd. There is optimism that they could get Northern New Mexico to move up to D1 as well and would more than likely be given the go ahead to pull some teams out of the Big Sky including CP, Davis and SUU. San Diego is a target for them too, and the only selling point they need there is away games that aren't 2000 miles away.

Has NMSU expressed a desire, or at least a willingness (due to a lack of any other viable long term options) to consider dropping down to FCS? I've always assumed that they were very resistant to that, or else they probably would have made that move along with Idaho when they were both kicked out of the Sun Belt. I'd think that either the BSC or the Southland would have been glad to take them, if they'd been open to going FCS. I know the BSC is already sort of bloated, but if you already have 13 teams, I wouldn't think one more would be that big of a deal, and having an even number of teams would offer some advantages for scheduling purposes.

Does Northern New Mexico even have a football program? I thought they only had Men's BB and Golf as their men's sports. Would it be New Mexico Highlands or Western New Mexico instead?

[Montanabob]

Dixie State in St George Utah is moving from DII to DI starting in 2020. They expect to get an invitation from the WAC and will be playing as an independent in football. The WAC is also in the late stages of exploring restarting their football conference, as an FCS conference. Only NMSU currently has a team of all the WAC schools but Dixie would be the 2nd. There is optimism that they could get Northern New Mexico to move up to D1 as well and would more than likely be given the go ahead to pull some teams out of the Big Sky including CP, Davis and SUU. San Diego is a target for them too, and the only selling point they need there is away games that aren't 2000 miles away.

Has NMSU expressed a desire, or at least a willingness (due to a lack of any other viable long term options) to consider dropping down to FCS? I've always assumed that they were very resistant to that, or else they probably would have made that move along with Idaho when they were both kicked out of the Sun Belt. I'd think that either the BSC or the Southland would have been glad to take them, if they'd been open to going FCS. I know the BSC is already sort of bloated, but if you already have 13 teams, I wouldn't think one more would be that big of a deal, and having an even number of teams would offer some advantages for scheduling purposes.

Does Northern New Mexico even have a football program? I thought they only had Men's BB and Golf as their men's sports. Would it be New Mexico Highlands or Western New Mexico instead?

,
WOW - what a stretch - Northern New Mexico COLLEGE was a two year community college until 2005..... NAIA School, no football, 3 men's sports, 4 women's sports including Cheer.... enrollment about 1052 Total FTE 707....
Just how do you see them ever getting a WAC invite?

[BleedingBLue]

Dixie State in St George Utah is moving from DII to DI starting in 2020. They expect to get an invitation from the WAC and will be playing as an independent in football. The WAC is also in the late stages of exploring restarting their football conference, as an FCS conference. Only NMSU currently has a team of all the WAC schools but Dixie would be the 2nd. There is optimism that they could get Northern New Mexico to move up to D1 as well and would more than likely be given the go ahead to pull some teams out of the Big Sky including CP, Davis and SUU. San Diego is a target for them too, and the only selling point they need there is away games that aren't 2000 miles away.

Has NMSU expressed a desire, or at least a willingness (due to a lack of any other viable long term options) to consider dropping down to FCS? I've always assumed that they were very resistant to that, or else they probably would have made that move along with Idaho when they were both kicked out of the Sun Belt. I'd think that either the BSC or the Southland would have been glad to take them, if they'd been open to going FCS. I know the BSC is already sort of bloated, but if you already have 13 teams, I wouldn't think one more would be that big of a deal, and having an even number of teams would offer some advantages for scheduling purposes.

They have talked about it a lot the last 4 years. They didn't do it when Idaho did because they didn't want to join a huge conference and there was a lot of backlash from supporters, similar to Idaho. They have talked about dropping football altogether. I have a friend who works there and it sounds like Dixie moving and the WAC discussing football starting back up again is enticing them more than ever to drop down. Adding a New Mexico school or 2 would help them even more cause NAU is still a 7 hour trip for the closest away game.

[BleedingBLue]

Dixie State in St George Utah is moving from DII to DI starting in 2020. They expect to get an invitation from the WAC and will be playing as an independent in football. The WAC is also in the late stages of exploring restarting their football conference, as an FCS conference. Only NMSU currently has a team of all the WAC schools but Dixie would be the 2nd. There is optimism that they could get Northern New Mexico to move up to D1 as well and would more than likely be given the go ahead to pull some teams out of the Big Sky including CP, Davis and SUU. San Diego is a target for them too, and the only selling point they need there is away games that aren't 2000 miles away.

Has NMSU expressed a desire, or at least a willingness (due to a lack of any other viable long term options) to consider dropping down to FCS? I've always assumed that they were very resistant to that, or else they probably would have made that move along with Idaho when they were both kicked out of the Sun Belt. I'd think that either the BSC or the Southland would have been glad to take them, if they'd been open to going FCS. I know the BSC is already sort of bloated, but if you already have 13 teams, I wouldn't think one more would be that big of a deal, and having an even number of teams would offer some advantages for scheduling purposes.

Does Northern New Mexico even have a football program? I thought they only had Men's BB and Golf as their men's sports. Would it be New Mexico Highlands or Western New Mexico instead?

,
WOW - what a stretch - Northern New Mexico COLLEGE was a two year community college until 2005..... NAIA School, no football, 3 men's sports, 4 women's sports including Cheer.... enrollment about 1052 Total FTE 707....
Just how do you see them ever getting a WAC invite?

East Tennesee State didn't have a team at all until 4 years ago and they just made the playoffs. Northern New Mexico is just an option. If the WAC is going to add football again they are going to look at every possibility, because most of the teams currently in the WAC have no football team, or any desire to have one. Western New Mexico and Highlands are probably on the check it out and see list as well.

[RobertCats]

Dixie State in St George Utah is moving from DII to DI starting in 2020. They expect to get an invitation from the WAC and will be playing as an independent in football. The WAC is also in the late stages of exploring restarting their football conference, as an FCS conference. Only NMSU currently has a team of all the WAC schools but Dixie would be the 2nd. There is optimism that they could get Northern New Mexico to move up to D1 as well and would more than likely be given the go ahead to pull some teams out of the Big Sky including CP, Davis and SUU. San Diego is a target for them too, and the only selling point they need there is away games that aren't 2000 miles away.

Has NMSU expressed a desire, or at least a willingness (due to a lack of any other viable long term options) to consider dropping down to FCS? I've always assumed that they were very resistant to that, or else they probably would have made that move along with Idaho when they were both kicked out of the Sun Belt. I'd think that either the BSC or the Southland would have been glad to take them, if they'd been open to going FCS. I know the BSC is already sort of bloated, but if you already have 13 teams, I wouldn't think one more would be that big of a deal, and having an even number of teams would offer some advantages for scheduling purposes.

Does Northern New Mexico even have a football program? I thought they only had Men's BB and Golf as their men's sports. Would it be New Mexico Highlands or Western New Mexico instead?

,
WOW - what a stretch - Northern New Mexico COLLEGE was a two year community college until 2005..... NAIA School, no football, 3 men's sports, 4 women's sports including Cheer.... enrollment about 1052 Total FTE 707....
Just how do you see them ever getting a WAC invite?

East Tennesee State didn't have a team at all until 4 years ago and they just made the playoffs. Northern New Mexico is just an option. If the WAC is going to add football again they are going to look at every possibility, because most of the teams currently in the WAC have no football team, or any desire to have one. Western New Mexico and Highlands are probably on the check it out and see list as well.

Gotchya, thanks

[Montanabob]

Dixie State in St George Utah is moving from DII to DI starting in 2020. They expect to get an invitation from the WAC and will be playing as an independent in football. The WAC is also in the late stages of exploring restarting their football conference, as an FCS conference. Only NMSU currently has a team of all the WAC schools but Dixie would be the 2nd. There is optimism that they could get Northern New Mexico to move up to D1 as well and would more than likely be given the go ahead to pull some teams out of the Big Sky including CP, Davis and SUU. San Diego is a target for them too, and the only selling point they need there is away games that aren't 2000 miles away.

Has NMSU expressed a desire, or at least a willingness (due to a lack of any other viable long term options) to consider dropping down to FCS? I've always assumed that they were very resistant to that, or else they probably would have made that move along with Idaho when they were both kicked out of the Sun Belt. I'd think that either the BSC or the Southland would have been glad to take them, if they'd been open to going FCS. I know the BSC is already sort of bloated, but if you already have 13 teams, I wouldn't think one more would be that big of a deal, and having an even number of teams would offer some advantages for scheduling purposes.

Does Northern New Mexico even have a football program? I thought they only had Men's BB and Golf as their men's sports. Would it be New Mexico Highlands or Western New Mexico instead?

,
WOW - what a stretch - Northern New Mexico COLLEGE was a two year community college until 2005..... NAIA School, no football, 3 men's sports, 4 women's sports including Cheer.... enrollment about 1052 Total FTE 707....
Just how do you see them ever getting a WAC invite?

East Tennesee State didn't have a team at all until 4 years ago and they just made the playoffs. Northern New Mexico is just an option. If the WAC is going to add football again they are going to look at every possibility, because most of the teams currently in the WAC have no football team, or any desire to have one. Western New Mexico and Highlands are probably on the check it out and see list as well.

Gotchya, thanks

Dixie State in St George Utah is moving from DII to DI starting in 2020. They expect to get an invitation from the WAC and will be playing as an independent in football. The WAC is also in the late stages of exploring restarting their football conference, as an FCS conference. Only NMSU currently has a team of all the WAC schools but Dixie would be the 2nd. There is optimism that they could get Northern New Mexico to move up to D1 as well and would more than likely be given the go ahead to pull some teams out of the Big Sky including CP, Davis and SUU. San Diego is a target for them too, and the only selling point they need there is away games that aren't 2000 miles away.

Has NMSU expressed a desire, or at least a willingness (due to a lack of any other viable long term options) to consider dropping down to FCS? I've always assumed that they were very resistant to that, or else they probably would have made that move along with Idaho when they were both kicked out of the Sun Belt. I'd think that either the BSC or the Southland would have been glad to take them, if they'd been open to going FCS. I know the BSC is already sort of bloated, but if you already have 13 teams, I wouldn't think one more would be that big of a deal, and having an even number of teams would offer some advantages for scheduling purposes.

Does Northern New Mexico even have a football program? I thought they only had Men's BB and Golf as their men's sports. Would it be New Mexico Highlands or Western New Mexico instead?

,
WOW - what a stretch - Northern New Mexico COLLEGE was a two year community college until 2005..... NAIA School, no football, 3 men's sports, 4 women's sports including Cheer.... enrollment about 1052 Total FTE 707....
Just how do you see them ever getting a WAC invite?

East Tennesee State didn't have a team at all until 4 years ago and they just made the playoffs. Northern New Mexico is just an option. If the WAC is going to add football again they are going to look at every possibility, because most of the teams currently in the WAC have no football team, or any desire to have one. Western New Mexico and Highlands are probably on the check it out and see list as well.

Gotchya, thanks

So you are going to compare a school with 1000 students to a university with 15000? Yeah, no
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