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Big Sky adding 9th conference game in 2020

M

mguernsey_isj

Active member
The Missoulian reported the news Wednesday morning, and ISU AD Jeff Tingey mentioned it in a video on isubengals.com. Here's the story with quotes from Tingey and Kramer: http://idahostatejournal.com/members/isu-athletics-big-sky-to-add-th-conference-game-starting/article_870ccb95-b2d7-521a-a9cb-1de68c762df1.html
 
mguernsey_isj said:
The Missoulian reported the news Wednesday morning, and ISU AD Jeff Tingey mentioned it in a video on isubengals.com. Here's the story with quotes from Tingey and Kramer: http://idahostatejournal.com/members/isu-athletics-big-sky-to-add-th-conference-game-starting/article_870ccb95-b2d7-521a-a9cb-1de68c762df1.html
Click to expand...
There are a couple of interesting aspects to this story: 1) with ISU going to one "money game" a year, how will they replace about $500 k per year in revenue? More three-day bus trips to away games? 2) this means that every other year ISU will have five conference home games, which is a good thing. In those years ISU should play 6 home games, something they haven't done on a regular basis for about a decade. In general I think getting out from under two money games a year is a healthy thing for the program. But I worry about the financial health of the athletic department, and the university as a whole, which of course impacts the athletic department.
 
It's good they're taking steps with how large this conference is, but the 1 money game per year is interesting. As Skippy mentioned, they tremendously help out the financials and how do they recoup the loss of one of those games. Would it be playing bigger teams for more money? I thought I read the Cal game would bring in close to $650k alone. ISU brought in close to $1mil this year, but I'm not sure if that's the norm. Some games could bring in $300k, some $700k+. Either way, we're taking about a huge chunk of change for the program.

At the same time I also agree with getting out from 2 money games per year. Losing players that could have a detrimental impact on our season in one of these games is tough and hard to put a price on. In one aspect, you have to play your best players with the most experience to help highlight their careers and put them in the spotlight, but you have to limit the inexperienced for fear of injuries playing teams of this caliber. It's football though and it's a risk every time they take the field, starter or 4th string.

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out over the next few years.
 
Brad brings up a great point since everything usually revolves around money. Just today in the Journal they said the new executive VP told a group of faculty members that ISU's revenue will likely be around 11 million dollars lower than last year. That impacts all departments including athletics...maybe more so than the others.

One other point that hasn't been discussed with Idaho coming back are the "two rivals" that each team is assigned schedule-wise every season. Right now it's Portland State and Weber State for ISU. It would be nice to get Portland State swapped out for Idaho when this all comes to pass.

Those really would be the natural rivals for ISU based on history and geography.

PBP
 
PBP,

is your suggestion for swapping out portland state for idaho based on economics, a traditional rivalry aspect, or a combination of both...?
 
I haven't thought about the economic aspect although it may be easier and cheaper to fly to Spokane than Portland, I was basing it more on history and geography more than anything else.

I mean ISU has no real connection / rivalry with Portland State other than Bruce Barnum and he won't be the coach there forever.

PBP
 
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