NCAA: College Football 2024: Conference Re-Malign-ment, News & Notes Talk

GKJ

Global Moderator
Feb 27, 2002
192,858
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No doubt, problem just is Delaware had numerous possible landing spots thanks to its location, while Montana's only realistic path is to the Mountain West, which has never added a school in transition. Plus there needing to be 2 spots because the Montana schools either go together or stay together. This is basically Montana's best opportunity and I fear it may be their only opportunity for a long time. I've largely been content in the FCS, but that's because it was the second tier and I great preferred the FCS playoff system to hoping for some shitty bowl. Going forward I think the G5 is the new second tier, especially if they start their own playoff system. Status quo would effectively be a step down within a handful of years and I don't see a ton of paths opening up after this. I'm not delusional enough to think that Montana's roots in the old PCC means enough to get even the Pac-½ to so much as glance at such a small market, so it's the Mountain West or bust.

The WAC failing basically blocked any path western FCS programs had to move up until potentially this moment, and I have little doubt that the Mountain West is far more interested in poaching Texas/Louisiana teams than regional programs that'd fit the conference like a glove but don't come with a large TV market, or even the potential mid-major powers in the Dakotas.

It's frustrating because there's nothing Wyoming brings that Montana doesn't aside from the butterfly effect of one departing the Mountain States Conference for a conference that would go with 1-A distinction 15 years after the fact, while the other left the Mountain States Conference for a conference that would go with 1-AA distinction 15 years later.
Are the Dakotas big enough to do that? I know your stadium can hang, and Montana State probably could add seats, but the others play indoors under 20,000 seats. I’m pretty confident that if Montana moved up, it wouldn’t be long before looking at moving up again. But you’re right that they’re probably looking at down south, and new California teams.
 

Big McLargehuge

Fragile Traveler
May 9, 2002
72,285
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S. Pasadena, CA
Are the Dakotas big enough to do that? I know your stadium can hang, and Montana State probably could add seats, but the others play indoors under 20,000 seats. I’m pretty confident that if Montana moved up, it wouldn’t be long before looking at moving up again. But you’re right that they’re probably looking at down south, and new California teams.

I think the Dakota schools can be regional powers. They have a higher upside than the Montana schools just because they're a hell of a lot closer to other populated places. As for their stadiums, they're good enough as of current standards. The dome limits what NDSU can do, but we're still talking about a 19k+ seat venue that sells out every game. The dome is also basically a necessity because, well, it's Fargo. Fargo is pretty standard size for a college town in the midwest. Perhaps on the larger side, even. North Dakota isn't a very populated place, but 1/3 of the state's population is within the Fargo metro.
SDSU's stadium is only a decade old and already looks like some of the newer Sun Belt stadiums. It holds 19k+, sells that out with regularity, and is slightly expandable. Brookings itself is tiny, but it is pretty close to Sioux Falls, by far the largest city of the bunch.


The Montana cities are awesome, but don't exactly comprise a valuable television market and don't have much in terms of other popluated places within 3 hours of them. They'd make for a great destination road game, though and the TV side would love going there. Wa-Griz is a 25k gem settled at the mouth of Hellgate Canyon and Bobcat Stadium holds 20k and has plans for further expansions. They fit 22k+ in there the last time Montana visited. It's finding/funding the extra sports & scholarships that are the issue. Facilities are up to standard, there's just not a ton of them. Hard to play baseball where the ground doesn't defrost until the College World Series or fund hockey when there's nobody within 10 hours.
 
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BMOK33

Registered User
Oct 5, 2005
27,833
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Get your money in now, Tennessee a 3 point dog at OU next weekend, not a chance they won't win that game. Might be a favorite by the time we get to mid week
 

GKJ

Global Moderator
Feb 27, 2002
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Voight

#winning
Feb 8, 2012
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spintheblackcircle

incoming!!!
Mar 1, 2002
67,403
13,244
I try not to be the "This is the great thing I've ever seen" guy, but this documentary is REALLY well done.



Take the time to watch this. Bill Snyder achieved a legit miracle at K-St. Those players LOVE him.
 

Nogatco Rd

Pierre-Luc Dubas
Apr 3, 2021
2,747
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Big win for Colorado tonight. Is this what it takes for ppl to finally start talking about the Buffs? Or will they continue to be overlooked by the national media?
 

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