2016 SCHEDULE

[Pounder]

What a joke. How the NCAA thinks this is a level playing field is beyond me. But I guess I shouldn't be shocked with the NCAA being in charge of something like this....

The NCAA is an organization run by the member institutions.

Listen to bigskyconf here... and I'll add that, if the NCAA were to somehow spring a mandate, you'll lose half of FCS to either move-downs, move-ups (something the big powers do NOT want, and something that doesn't cost out well for G5 schools anyway) or dropping football altogether. This division is rough on a lot of pocketbooks.

 

[bigskyconf]

Someone a couple years back posted on a different website the revenues derived from football for the Big Sky schools for that particular season. First was North Dakota, followed by Montana and then Montana State. The difference between 3rd (MSU) and 4th (I think it was either Cal Poly or EWU), however, was pretty great, more than the difference between 4 and 13 (last place). It is funny for everyone to "poke fun" at our "precarious" budget situation, when really we aren't any different than 10 of the 13 teams in the conference, or most teams nationally (McNeese had the guarantee this season with LSU even though the game was cancelled, and they needed it to get through the year). North Dakota is the only team than flies to all their conference games. Everyone else buses to at least a couple per season, even the Montana schools.

 

[bigskyconf]

Official 2016 schedule released. We couldn't quite get rid of CWU (at least not yet).

http://www.goviks.com/news/2016/1/26/FB_0126163832.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I don't know how to feel about this schedule. It seems very weak. No playoff teams from last year are coming to play in Portland this season. Playing a DII and two FBS teams. I'm thinking we had a chance to build on the momentum from last season and we didn't do it. I see 8-3 and, if we make the playoffs, we are going to either Montana or NAU the first round.

I just think we could have done better.

 

[CaseyOrourke]

Official 2016 schedule released. We couldn't quite get rid of CWU (at least not yet).

http://www.goviks.com/news/2016/1/26/FB_0126163832.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I don't know how to feel about this schedule. It seems very weak. No playoff teams from last year are coming to play in Portland this season. Playing a DII and two FBS teams. I'm thinking we had a chance to build on the momentum from last season and we didn't do it. I see 8-3 and, if we make the playoffs, we are going to either Montana or NAU the first round.

I just think we could have done better.

The conference schedule is locked into what it is because the Big Sky is so unbalanced and will remain so for the time being (unless Idaho finally decides it isn't fit for the FBS).

The question I have is when was the CWU contract signed (Before AD Roundtree and Coach Barnum?). I'm am willing to bet that it was, and the AD was burning the phone lines trying to see if he could reschedule a higher caliber opponent, but the teams he talked to have probably set their schedule.

I say we just take the hand we were dealt, kick butt and take names anf give the AD better ammunition to build a better schedule next season.

 

[bigskyconf]

The question I have is when was the CWU contract signed (Before AD Roundtree and Coach Barnum?). I'm am willing to bet that it was, and the AD was burning the phone lines trying to see if he could reschedule a higher caliber opponent, but the teams he talked to have probably set their schedule.

NDSU still has an opening on 9-3.

What I am hearing is that we did make a run at some FCS programs, including both NDSU and Montana early on, but we really wanted that date to be a home game, especially with three straight road games after that.