CSNBBS MB thread(previously posted in another thread)discussing Big Sky programming on free Pluto TV at http://csnbbs.com/thread-821964.html

Article out of Spokane discussing the Big Sky/Idaho situation at http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/d ... ootball-i/

As indirectly mentioned on the WAC board: https://247sports.com/college/idaho/Boa ... -112523752

Mind you, before North Dakota announced their departure, I think Idaho had a particular vision of how to leave the Sun Belt and stay in FBS... a trade with the WAC assuming several schools wanted to upgrade. Something like...

Idaho
Montana
Montana State
North Dakota
North Dakota State
New Mexico State
UC Davis (would require major expansion of a recently completed new football stadium, but they have a serious endowment to work with)

...and they need at least an 8th. Weber has the space and the basketball pedigree, but they’re in a crowd in the populated part of Utah. Northern Arizona has something closer to the necessary endowment, but they’d need to tear down and rebuild current facilities. Portland State has the market and an expanding stadium, but there’s no local interest and a small endowment and that stadium doesn’t belong to Portland State. Thinking the South Dakota schools may not have the football facilities they need. Idaho State is even worse on the endowment and facilities end... and Eastern Washington is even worse off than that. Maybe if Cal Poly or Sac State reverse their dismal football fortunes... but that doesn’t seem likely. The insane and highly unlikely coup would be BYU.

I can’t totally dismiss that possibility, either... but the clock is ticking fast.

The more probable outcome is a Northern league and a Southern league, but the southern schools get hosed because New Mexico State probably won’t see the value in downgrading football for that. Or... Idaho gets a bit of its say by bringing the top 8-9 endowments and leaving the rest to flounder. Like I know.

But what is the goal here ?

To create another FBS [Group of 6] Conference ? The revenue for that (TV money anyway) is shriveling to nothing. Ask C-USA !

The Big Sky schools could split into North and South football divisions for scheduling purposes, so they are playing their nearby rivals more and putting butts in the seats (and upping that revenue). No need to add scholarships and become a bunch of nobodies at the FBS level. No need to bust up the Big Sky, when football divisions could seemingly work to strengthen regional rivalries.....

Perhaps Northern Colorado may be geographically closer to the Dakota schools, if they were to go to Summit and become 12th member of MVFC (which could split E-W).

At some point, NMSU is going to need a shake-up to get them invited to CUSA / Sun-Belt, or drop to FCS (and join Big Sky / MVFC / Southland). Their AD has stated that a few "body-bag" games vs. FBS opponents helps them financially, but scheduling is quite difficult without a FB conference affiliation.

Re-read. There’s a reason I characterized this as what Idaho wanted. Please recall that they’re kind of mired in the dark regions of Boise State’s universe right now, and there’s kind of a detachment in that universe from what the rest of the country currently sees. The gambler’s perspective is “I can be the next BSU!”

On that note, my warning would be that Idaho might still see a possible split as a chance for a prestige alignment. So might Montana and Montana State. The wildcard is Davis, who has the endowment to make improvements... but they’re a different bunch. Idaho wants to portray itself as the “Harvard of the West” but Davis is miles closer to that distinction and possibly has something different in mind.

I gotcha.

Yeah, Idaho's foray into FBS involved a vision that worked out great for Boise State.
I think there was briefly a time when Idaho had Mike Iupati and others and were briefly competitive in the WAC, before WAC football disintegrated when Benson's plan (involving BYU) exploded, and the WAC was devoured by the MWC.

I'd say right now Idaho is where they belong. But it's easy to see how they have an inferiority complex relating to being a Boise State wannabe.

As newbies in the Big Sky, I hardly think they call the shots.
Before Benson jumped from WAC to Sun-Belt, he was in discussions with the northern Big Sky schools to see if they wanted to move to FBS and help reconstitute the WAC. The answer was NO.
They (Montanas, etc.) were OK with FCS; resource-wise they would've struggled in FBS; and the WAC was far too unstable.
I don't think that has changed much in the last 6 years or so....

Out west, I see a few moves on the horizon.....

BYU and NMSU are waiting for the final FBS shake-out to see what opens up.
In my opinion, the possible trigger for realignment is when the Big XII GoR expires in 2024.
BYU wants to get into a power conference, NMSU wants to get into any FBS football conference.
Both are biding their time. If it doesn't work out for BYU, they may limp back to the MWC.
NMSU would like some CUSA / SunBelt shake-up to create some openings.

UMKC does NOT belong in the WAC. That is utterly stupid, and they are trying to come up with face-saving method to find a new home (my guess is return to the Summit).

IPFW similarly wants to move east. I think when the timing is right and IPFW athletics are on an upswing, they will be invited to the Horizon.
Western Illinois - hmmm..... If conferences have this burning desire to get to 11 for 20-game round-robin BB, maybe that allows this to happen.

Summit and WAC are both on ragged edge of critical mass. Perhaps a merger (that does not include Chicago State) ?

Big Sky, WCC, Big West look reasonably stable at this time....

Article out of Ogden discussing possible future Big Sky expansion and other topics at http://www.standard.net/Basketball/2018 ... -expansion