FCS Moves?

[whaler11]

The thing I enjoy most about you is that you yell loudest when you know less. Keep the momentum going.

Quote me when you want to run your mouth.

Delaware football makes money: Congrats for coming up with the worst post in a thread that started with Dayton potentially joining CUSA.

 

[Fishy]

UD outdraws UConn. They do fine financially. Move along.

You’re not right.

 

[gioff23]

You’re not right.

You are right and I was wrong. I was looking at a board study of declining attendance at UD and picked the wrong year to compare. Last year UConn sold 3.5 K more tix per game, although I’d Guess actual attendance figures were much closer.

 

[gioff23]

Quote me when you want to run your mouth.

Delaware football makes money: Congrats for coming up with the worst post in a thread that started with Dayton potentially joining CUSA.

Your momentum has you headed in the wrong direction, per usual. The thread is titled FCS Moves and it started around a discussion of about 20 programs. If you read any of the discussion, you’d see I’m not advocating Delaware move up. They’re spending a lot of money but not to chase the big $$ you get being in a conf like the AAC.

 

[Purple Stein]

And I understand that Liberty has had success in their conference but they have only made the FCS Playoffs once and there best seasons were 2008 and 2014.

In 2008, they went 10-2, beating 2 FCS ranked opponents.

In 2014, they went 9-5, lost to #23 North Carolina 29-56, and lost in the second round of the FCS Playoffs.

The only season they played two FBS teams was 2016 when they lost to VaTech & SMU. Of course they had the miracle upset of Baylor in Waco last year but other than that their football resume is mediocre.

Yup - but it's not a promotion/relegation situation. Moving from FCS to FBS is about dollars and ambition, not on-field performance.

Quote me when you want to run your mouth.

 

[YoungFree]

Yup - but it's not a promotion/relegation situation. Moving from FCS to FBS is about dollars and ambition, not on-field performance.

So could we say that if they are an independent (which they currently aren't getting into any conference) for long that they will still make more dollars than staying in the FCS affiliated to conference? And arguably one of the better performing overall conferences the past couple of years.

 

[Purple Stein]

I don't know if they'll make more money, but they have money to burn and an ambition to build a program and a name.

 

[UCFBfan]

I am always surprised to hear that FCS schools are still moving up to FBS. There's no interest in those schools. When CUSA can't get a deal except for beIN, you should see the writing on the wall and stay where you are. There's no money to be made.

I understood why schools aimed for the move up when conferences were still fluid and CR was real. Now it's just head scratching why schools waste the money to move up.

I'm curious as to how long it will be before we start seeing the reverse and having schools go down because of the economic reality.

 

[Zissou]

Part of the attraction to G5 over FCS is that you can play teams at the top level and have a Cinderella's chance in some big games.

At FCS, you are already spending a lot of cash for no real return. At G5, your spending a little more cash, you give up the low value FCS playoff, and you play better games against the top level.

I'd rather be in the A10 in hoops than D2 champion. I'd rather be G5 than FCS.

 

[Purple Stein]

Idaho moves from FBS to FCS this season. I agree that a handful of others may follow through the 2020s, especially as schools look at infrastructure costs.

 

[Zissou]

 

[UCFBfan]

Idaho moves from FBS to FCS this season. I agree that a handful of others may follow through the 2020s, especially as schools look at infrastructure costs.

I believe the biggest reason Idaho dropped was because they couldn't find a conference home and independent status was not worth it for them. They and NMSU were left without a conference when the WAC, I believe, finally went away. NMSU is still hanging on but Idaho felt it be better to play locally than traveling all around the country to be a whipping boy for schools.

 

[whaler11]

I believe the biggest reason Idaho dropped was because they couldn't find a conference home and independent status was not worth it for them. They and NMSU were left without a conference when the WAC, I believe, finally went away. NMSU is still hanging on but Idaho felt it be better to play locally than traveling all around the country to be a whipping boy for schools.

They got kicked out of the Sun Belt.

 

[Purple Stein]

I believe the biggest reason Idaho dropped was because they couldn't find a conference home and independent status was not worth it for them. They and NMSU were left without a conference when the WAC, I believe, finally went away. NMSU is still hanging on but Idaho felt it be better to play locally than traveling all around the country to be a whipping boy for schools.

They got kicked out of the Sun Belt.

Yes -- I had forgotten but that's right. When the Sun Belt no longer needed 12 for a championship game, they kicked Idaho and NMSU to the curb. Idaho is in the Big Sky for most sports, so it was a "sensible" landing spot.

NMSU needs a white knight -- look at their 2018 schedule. They've got a home and home with Liberty!

 

[whaler11]

Yes -- I had forgotten but that's right. When the Sun Belt no longer needed 12 for a championship game, they kicked Idaho and NMSU to the curb. Idaho is in the Big Sky for most sports, so it was a "sensible" landing spot.

NMSU needs a white knight -- look at their 2018 schedule. They've got a home and home with Liberty!

That schedule is bad, but it’s not as bad as it should be.

Since you can schedule NMSU and an FCS and have them both count towards bowl eligibity they did better than most would expect.

4 home games is tough.... Wyoming, Alcorn State, UNM, Liberty.

When I lived in Raleigh, one year Duke had $30 season tickets. They had 5 home games including Northwestern. We bought them just because it was funny. I think I made it to 3.

 

[Vowelguy]

Yes -- I had forgotten but that's right. When the Sun Belt no longer needed 12 for a championship game, they kicked Idaho and NMSU to the curb.

And in a few years there will be more realignment, the SunB will again get poached, and they will be looking for teams. Dumb move for them to dump those 2 schools.

 

[UCFBfan]

They got kicked out of the Sun Belt.

Thanks. I thought they went somewhere after the WAC but couldn't remember. I did remember that they were conferenceless along with NMSU and that going FCS was the likely result.

 

[whaler11]

And in a few years there will be more realignment, the SunB will again get poached, and they will be looking for teams. Dumb move for them to dump those 2 schools.

Nah. They are better off at 8-9 than flying to Moscow.

 

[Vowelguy]

Nah. They are better off at 8-9 than flying to Moscow.

Still could've kept NMSU.

 

[dbmill]

Still could've kept NMSU.

For some reason I have always had a soft spot in my heart for New Mexico State. They deserved a better fate than the disaster conference realignment gave them.

 

[billybud]

For some reason I have always had a soft spot in my heart for New Mexico State. They deserved a better fate than the disaster conference realignment gave them.

NMSU had a 12 year run through 2016 where their best season was winning five games...the other 11 seasons in that run were of 4 wins or less. That included a streak of 10 straight losses to UTEP.

Their winning percentage against the WAC was 16.9%

In the Sunbelt it was a "getting near respectable" 40.07%

They were one of those programs that you hoped would turn the corner like Arkansas State did.

 

[YoungFree]

What are the bolded schools? I could see Delaware, Villanova, and JMU moving up if they really put their mind to it...but what conference would they full under?

 

[YoungFree]

That schedule is bad, but it’s not as bad as it should be.

Since you can schedule NMSU and an FCS and have them both count towards bowl eligibity they did better than most would expect.

4 home games is tough.... Wyoming, Alcorn State, UNM, Liberty.

When I lived in Raleigh, one year Duke had $30 season tickets. They had 5 home games including Northwestern. We bought them just because it was funny. I think I made it to 3.

One of the guys who works from me is a NMSU allumni...he says it's a lot about money with NMSU...they have a hard time recruiting and it costs a lot for them to travel. He says that a move down to FCS is the only option if a P6 conference doesn't pick them up.

 

[Vowelguy]

He says that a move down to FCS is the only option if a P6 conference doesn't pick them up.

P6? No way that's happening.

Their best hope is the B12 destabilizes, and then teams exit the Mountain West opening up space for NMSU.
Or C-USA, where they'd have a local rival in UTEP.

 

[Zissou]

What are the bolded schools? I could see Delaware, Villanova, and JMU moving up if they really put their mind to it...but what conference would they full under?

Bolded teams have won an FCS title.

I like the scenario of Nova, JMU, and UD moving up as independents, and then forming a CAA (Colonial) FBS division. The CAA would also keep an FCS division.

CAA FBS Division
JMU
Delaware
Liberty
ODU
Marshall
App State
Coastal Carolina
UMass
Army (Patriot, football only)
Nova (Big East, football only)