Dakota guys - Gateway spot should be open by 2008. WKU has plans for its stadium going on right now.

The Daks paired with Sac, EWU and Weber? That won't happen.

Barring a massive "slip of the mickeys" (or the moral equivalent therein), that's pretty much my point... except I said Daks, NAU, UNC, and Sac.

There's no way to cut this without someone REALLY getting PO'ed.

Hey, that might not be a bad idea. Drugging Sac's, EWU's, and Weber's presidents and getting them to favor having the Dakotas in their division. Nice!! LOL!

Sac's prez is already drugged.

Brandon Misener, operator of the DIIfootball.com board was on the radio in Vermillion on Friday. He reported that NDSU, SDSU and UND will all be invited to the BSC in the next several weeks. He stated that secret meetings have been taking place with UND and possibly the other schools mentioned as possible invites. Any of you BSC folks here that rumor anywhere? Its seems a little far out for me to believe that the BSC is going to take on 3 Dakota Schools, 2 transitional with 2 yrs left and a school that hasnt even announced its intention to move up.

The Atlantic Sun has recently taken Kennesaw State and North Florida and they weren't done with their transition, and now they are talking about taking Florida Gulf Coast U and they are still D II.

So there is a precedence, although the A Sun does not play football.

Hey metro, were they protecting an auto bid or expanding because it made logistical sense, like the BSC suggestion does?

It is true that after Troy, UCF and Georgia State, and the planned leaving of FAU, that the A Sun could have been down to 7 members, unless they picked up some new members. ETSU gave them 8. That is enough to stay NCAA eligible. But a combination of the reasons you stated above is why they picked up UNF and Kennesaw State. But why not stop? They are now talking about FGSU, a team that hasn't even begun a transition, and rumors have sprung up about D II University of South Carolina-Upstate.

For the Big Sky, there is that pressure from a MWC raid of the WAC and then the WAC needing teams if they are not willing or unable to swipe up some western Sun Belt teams. But they have a problem. Their two top expansion criteria according to Commissioner Fullerton is 1) academics 2) location. According to him Southern Utah does not cut it academically and Cal Davis and Cal Poly like their Big West home for their non-football sports. So if they were to expand, there is not anything available in the true "Western Footprint" to expand to, unless some other academically-worthy school(s) in the true "Western Footprint" moves up or they are willing to forgoe academics and/or location. SUU is not likely, and so to relieve travel issues, Commissioner Fullerton mentions the two-division alternative and that is the only way they can go into the Dakota (and perhaps east of the true "Western Footprint"). If SUU is not possible, that means not only NDSU and SDSU, but most likely UND who is studying a possible move up.

So given the situation, its either stay at 9, take SUU, hope Cal Davis and Cal Poly change their mind, someone more acceptable academically moves up, or go into the Dakotas to get to 12 teams, and two divisions and take three academically quality (or at least acceptable) institutions, thus SDSU+NDSU+UND.

And when Sac State leaves, take U South Dakota?

It doesn't seem like any of the options just jump out as a total no brainer, so considering that it seems likely to me that the Big Sky will stand pat until their hand is forced. By forced I mean the departure of 2 members leaving them at 7.

So you're saying they shouldn't be aggresive in recruiting new members that might be swayed to other conferences?

If Sac State leaves, and if they do the NDSU+SDSU+UND expansion option prior to Sac State leaving, thus making a 12-team 2-division alignment, then the following option would be possible for the BSC:

1) do nothing, stay 11 and go back to 1 division; or

2) change their minds about SUU. It seems the BSC President are pretty much against adding them; or

3) find another academically acceptable 12th member. The only school left even discussing a move up even close to the BSC footprint that also plays football is St. Cloud State. They could be a candidate if they chose to move up and the BSC Presidents found them academically acceptable. They would be a far distance school from most of the conference, but close to NDSU, UND and SDSU. However, is Minnesota "Big Sky Country?" Although that question may be a bit arbitrary if they are acceptable for an invitation to the BSC Presidents. USD on the other hand is likely to be academically acceptable, they have a lot in common academically and institutionally with Montana, Montana State, and what would be newcomers to the BSC, NDSU, SDSU, UND. USD isn't too much farther west, but would be similar to the othe Dakota schools. Though being in southeastern South Dakota, they are a statewide team and certainly Central and Western South Dakota fits the "Big Sky Country" label more than St. Cloud State, though again that could be an arbitrary reason. This would all be dependent upon whether USD gets out of its financial situation and finds funds to do the move up. But Sac State leaving may take some time too, and could allow some time to expire for USD to catch up. The other thing is NDSU, SDSU and maybe UND all go to the BSC and then a few years go by, and USD (and/or SCSU) overcomes all these challenges and moves up and end up in the Mid Con/Gateway or remnant GWFC; or

4) Hope either or both Cal-Davis and Cal Poly change their mind about leaving the Big West and joining the BSC.

I think the Mid-Con would be the better conference for the Dakotas. Their recruiting base would be stronger IMO than the west.

If the Big Sky nabs any of the Dakota schools, Cal Poly and UC Davis BETTER change their minds unless if they want to be football independents, or play football in the Big South, and possibly for a very long time. The only downside is there won't be room for everyone in the Big Sky, unless if some schools move up to I-A, or if enough schools move down from I-A to form another full-sized I-AA conference out west.