The Big Sky Conference Commissioner has stated that in order to go into the Dakotas with expansion, the league would need to go to 12 teams, and two divisions. Which of the above 35 different options do you see as the most likely expansion scenario in order for the Big Sky Conference to get to 12 teams? Please explain why you picked your answer.

And, how would the divisions look, for two 6-team divisions?

My vote would be "Stand pat" but beyond that I believe the most likely scenario if expansion were to occur would be the addition of just one school, NDSU. I don't see the 12 team thing happening. Nobody wants to lose Montana from their schdule and will fight tooth and nail to keep that.

Don't add anybody. I like the league the way it is, adding more schools just dilutes conference play and the schools mentioned in the Dakota's don't offer media exposure/market, rich recruiting grounds or really any scenery that a visiting fan would want to see.

Don't add anybody for the sake of just adding somebody. No value would be recognized.

If the BSC ever were to expand the divisions might break down like this:

NDSU - add
SDSU - add
Montana State
Montana
UNC
-----------
Idaho St
EW
Portland
Sac State
Weber
N.Az


If its the Mid Con:

NDSU - add
SDSU - add
SUU
Oral Roberts
Centenary college
UMKansas City
-----------------------
IUPUI
Oakland
Valparaiso
Western Ill
Chicago State
IPFW - add

By the looks of things expanding would be more favorable for the Mid Con. All of the eastern teams would get out of trips to SUU, Oral Roberts and Centenary college. NDSU and SDSU are an easy drive from Kansas City. The Mid Con also manages the Great West Football Conference.

Both configurations would allow for future expansion in any of the 4 divisions.

Most likely thing in the foreseeable future? The new scheduling alliance and the GWFC continue to forge ahead.

This option and the Mid Con expansion leave the BSC free to do as it pleases. Right now it seems like they have no compeling intention of expanding. From the choices Metro gave us I voted for the NDSU/SDSU/Und plan.

I'm going to say that Western Washington gets the third spot simply to appease the existing Pacific Coast members:

Mountain:
NDSU
SDSU
Montana State
Montana
Northern Colorado
Weber State

Pacific:
Western Washington
Portland State
Eastern Washington
Idaho State
Sacramento State
Northern Arizona

North Dakota would actually make for cleaner divisions, as Weber State could slide over to join Idaho State and Northern Arizona.

No offense to the 12 team Big Sky plans, but Idaho St, Portland St, and Eastern Washington would scream bloody murder if Montana wasnt with them.

Not considering any move ups maybe this 11 team 2 division BSC looks better?

Mountain:
NDSU
SDSU
Northern Arizona
Northern Colorado
Weber State

Pacific:
Portland State
Eastern Washington
Idaho State
Sacramento State
Montana State
Montana

The Mountain division is close to being contiguous (ND-SD-CO-UT-AZ), but looks very strange.

Maybe a North-South split would work better, and keep more of the Montana fan club together:

North:
Montana
Montana State
North Dakota State
South Dakota State
Idaho State

West:
Eastern Washington
Western Washington
Portland State
Sacramento State
Weber State
Northern Arizona

The best solution for football might be to pattern after the ACC:


Montana / Montana State
Portland State / Sacramemo State
Eastern Washington / Western Washington
Idaho State / Weber State
North Dakota State / South Dakota State
Northen Colorado / Northern Arizona

With the auto bid protected by UNC, standing pat is probably the way it will go, but Fullertons recent comments about the 12 team 2 division concept gaining some acceptance remains a puzzle.

The Montana problem mentioned above will probably keep a 1 team expansion on the front burner for expansionist unless there are possible travel cost savings by reconfiguring and/or other benefits including dues from the new member(s)?

If you look at some of the conference membership numbers of interest to the Dakotas there is room for expansion but 9 teams seems to be predominate:

BSC=9, Ohio Valley=9, Gateway=8, Southern=9, The Atlantic 10 and Southwestern Athletic are the largest with 12 & 10 members respectively.

Horizon=9, Missouri Valley=10, Mid Con=9

If anybody needs a team its the Gateway and 1 brings them to 9. In the long run, as teams move up they cant remain independents. Because of this Conferences will probably grow in size and number. Looking at the list above all those move-ups would create a couple of nice conferences and reinforce a couple existing ones.

[quote author=11jbb11 board=misc thread=1140021915 post=1140645803]
BSC=9, Ohio Valley=9, Gateway=8, Southern=9, The Atlantic 10 and Southwestern Athletic are the largest with 12 & 10 members respectively.

Horizon=9, Missouri Valley=10, Mid Con=9
quote]

Actually, BSC = 8, Ohio Valley = 11

check out this link

http://i-aa.org/section_front.asp?arttypeid=566

I know the BSC has 9. they added University of Northern Colorado, but I dont know if the Ohio Valley is right?

All and all, at least in our region, there are no 12 team 2 division models and the BSC is the norm. Not a good environment if you have expansion on your mind. The BSC has seen its share of change but the Mid Con has been the most adaptable.

Actually both of you are right on the OVC. For last season they only had 9 fb teams, next season they will have 10 with Austin Peay going back to scholarship football. The 11 member for OVC is Morehead State, who plays non-scholarship football.

BYU-Idaho dropped their athletics around the same time BYU took over the campus and changed the name (i believe) from Ricks College.

With talk of Western Washington possibly moving up, I'd tend to think Western Oregon could be a wild-card. With the Great Northwest Football "Conference" splitting up (WWU and CWU now in the North Central Conference for football only, and Humboldt State jumping the GNWC ship to join their fellow Cal States and Cal Polys while playing as a football indie) I'm sure that WOU is miffed about becoming and indie and might possibly be game for sticking it to their former conference mates and moving to DI and the BSC. They would also be good travel partners for Portland State.

Of course PSU may also not be game to accept WOU into the fold, especially since they are both state schools and located relatively close to each other, and PSU could feel threatened by this. Just some more speculation for now....

If given a choice of the 4 former GNWC schools as to which seemed the most likely and best prepared to move up I would think it would be Western Washington. Close to the Seattle market while the other 3 seems rather "rural." Having said that I know virtually nothing about these schools, but going off of first impression.

OK. But how about NDSU, SDSU, North Dakota and South Dakota?

P.S.: I didn't know that BYU-Idaho has "athletics".

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