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FBS Independent bound
- Thread starter Hornet25
- Start date
As much as I ragged on The Big Mountain dudes, they've been more than fair in covering our situation. They had a good discussion on things on their podcast today. Our coverage starts at the 1:10:00 mark in the video below:
As discussed over the years, given our market and the talent in this region there will be more than enough programs willing to come to Sac and play games. Add a new stadium with mildly weathered falls to the mix and the draw becomes an even easier sell.
Assuming the Pac gets to 8 football members, that means every Pac member will have 5 non-conference games to fill. If the MW stays at 9 football members, that means every MW member will have 4 non-conference games to fill. Those are a lot of available programs for scheduling. It will get tricky in the last 4-6 weeks of the season as those conferences will prioritize conference scheduling, but generally speaking I'm not too concerned about filling out a 12 game schedule.
The Oly sports will be interesting. I think Dr. Wood had every intention of landing us in the WAC until Grand Canyon, Cal Baptist, Seattle and soon Utah Valley found better homes. However with the ever changing landscape in college athletics I think there will be a home for our Olympic sports somewhere. I'm not really worried where the Oly's land as any western based conference would be an improvement over the BSC.
As discussed over the years, given our market and the talent in this region there will be more than enough programs willing to come to Sac and play games. Add a new stadium with mildly weathered falls to the mix and the draw becomes an even easier sell.
Assuming the Pac gets to 8 football members, that means every Pac member will have 5 non-conference games to fill. If the MW stays at 9 football members, that means every MW member will have 4 non-conference games to fill. Those are a lot of available programs for scheduling. It will get tricky in the last 4-6 weeks of the season as those conferences will prioritize conference scheduling, but generally speaking I'm not too concerned about filling out a 12 game schedule.
The Oly sports will be interesting. I think Dr. Wood had every intention of landing us in the WAC until Grand Canyon, Cal Baptist, Seattle and soon Utah Valley found better homes. However with the ever changing landscape in college athletics I think there will be a home for our Olympic sports somewhere. I'm not really worried where the Oly's land as any western based conference would be an improvement over the BSC.
I'm theorizing that Sac State may have had an offer from the MWC and maybe even the PAC-12 similar to what UCD got with MWC. Maybe a reduced or $0 share in the PAC-12.
Makes some sense to bet on yourself, set your own schedule, up your brand and make a better deal later. Eliminate the FCS school and facilities excuse from conferences to use to low ball you.
Makes some sense to bet on yourself, set your own schedule, up your brand and make a better deal later. Eliminate the FCS school and facilities excuse from conferences to use to low ball you.
Kadeezy
Active member
I think this is a good capture of Sac State's approach. I was skeptical at first, but it makes sense to spend these two years transitioning as FBS, collect some game checks, improve facilities, then secure a more advantageous deal in a FBS conference (PAC IS IN PLAY).
I read somewhere that davis has a clause with their MWC membership that they would be the first FCS full member, if and when they move up.
By being an FBS member, Sac State has found a loophole in that davis directive to be added. Keeps the options open.
I think the Oly's bring a full suite of sports to any full member conference. Golf, Tennis, Baseball, Softball all top tier programs. Along with rowing/crew and the best facility west of the Mississippi.
Super Hornet 2.0
Active member
As most of you know, I'm not happy about this at all. However, it now seems to be inevitable. Going the conference route would have been much easier, but that doesn't seem to be in the cards right now.
So now it's time to start thinking about potential schedules. This puts us in FCS, ineligible for the playoffs this year and technically in FBS, ineligible for bowls, in 2026. That sort of leaves us with the option of slowly starting to wean ourselves off of FCS and D-II games on the schedule. With an indy schedule, it's much harder to fill the schedule. That's sort of why Penn State joined up with the Big Ten after decades as an independent.
I'm not sure how big 2026 is supposed to be in terms of schedule length for FBS, but I took a stab at this with the provisos that we would have some FCS (and perhaps a D-II) game on the schedule, that we would keep Causeway alive (albeit no longer the last game on the schedule because FCS stops before FBS does due to the playoffs), and starting to filter in some FBS teams. I've tried to keep it at least semi-western to keep travel costs down, but I do have one East coast FBS team coming to Sac. I also have no idea what the other teams' schedules are like; I'm just riffing here. And I'm not messing with days other than Saturday; we might have to shift to an occasional Thursday for a TV game, particularly for teams I don't have here. (Technically speaking, I'm presuming an 11-game schedule; teams are usually authorized an extra game if they take a roadie at Hawai'i, but I'm not messing with that for now.) Tell me what you think. Too ambitious? Too lazy? (Particularly taking the D-II for what would likely be the last year of that?)
Week 0: 29 AUG Portland State at Sac State
Week 1: 05 SEP S. Oregon at Sac State
Week 2: 12 SEP Sac State at San Jose State
Week 3: 19 SEP BYE
Week 4: 26 SEP Sac State at Fresno State
Week 5: 03 OCT Sac State at Hawai'i
Week 6: 10 OCT BYE
Week 7: 17 OCT Cal Poly at Sac State (Homecoming)
Week 8: 24 OCT Liberty at Sac State
Week 9: 31 OCT Sac State at NV-Las Vegas
Week 10: 07 NOV UC Davis at Sac State
Week 11: 14 NOV Sac State at Incarnate Word
Week 12: 21 NOV AZ State at Sac State
So now it's time to start thinking about potential schedules. This puts us in FCS, ineligible for the playoffs this year and technically in FBS, ineligible for bowls, in 2026. That sort of leaves us with the option of slowly starting to wean ourselves off of FCS and D-II games on the schedule. With an indy schedule, it's much harder to fill the schedule. That's sort of why Penn State joined up with the Big Ten after decades as an independent.
I'm not sure how big 2026 is supposed to be in terms of schedule length for FBS, but I took a stab at this with the provisos that we would have some FCS (and perhaps a D-II) game on the schedule, that we would keep Causeway alive (albeit no longer the last game on the schedule because FCS stops before FBS does due to the playoffs), and starting to filter in some FBS teams. I've tried to keep it at least semi-western to keep travel costs down, but I do have one East coast FBS team coming to Sac. I also have no idea what the other teams' schedules are like; I'm just riffing here. And I'm not messing with days other than Saturday; we might have to shift to an occasional Thursday for a TV game, particularly for teams I don't have here. (Technically speaking, I'm presuming an 11-game schedule; teams are usually authorized an extra game if they take a roadie at Hawai'i, but I'm not messing with that for now.) Tell me what you think. Too ambitious? Too lazy? (Particularly taking the D-II for what would likely be the last year of that?)
Week 0: 29 AUG Portland State at Sac State
Week 1: 05 SEP S. Oregon at Sac State
Week 2: 12 SEP Sac State at San Jose State
Week 3: 19 SEP BYE
Week 4: 26 SEP Sac State at Fresno State
Week 5: 03 OCT Sac State at Hawai'i
Week 6: 10 OCT BYE
Week 7: 17 OCT Cal Poly at Sac State (Homecoming)
Week 8: 24 OCT Liberty at Sac State
Week 9: 31 OCT Sac State at NV-Las Vegas
Week 10: 07 NOV UC Davis at Sac State
Week 11: 14 NOV Sac State at Incarnate Word
Week 12: 21 NOV AZ State at Sac State
FootballAlum84
Active member
I think this home schedule is 1% correct with Davis at Sac State… southern Oregon is not D2, they’re NAIA. No way we go that low while trying to legitimize being D1.
Okay maybe 2% in scheduling two big sky teams so we have home games. But past that I don’t see Liberty and certainly not Arizona State!? playing in Hornet Stadium year 1.
Idk which thread I posted about Liberty’s first transition season… but they had a mix of FBS/FCS and managed a 6/6 home and away split. They also scheduled a home and home series in the same season with New Mexico State. I think that’s the only way we get an underperforming FBS school to come to us.
stingthemgood
Active member
Yeah, just ignore Super Hornet -- he doesn't know anything and refuses to learn or shut up.
Funny thing is with the AAC snubs, hard to tell how the PAC is in the drivers seat in demanding what their badly needed 8th football member gets via its payout. After Texas State, their only other FBS option is New Mexico State. Are they really just going to invite which ever one takes the lowest offer? We're in better shape that I thought.
HeavyistheClown
Active member
S.Oregon!? You smoking banana peels?
Probably keep the Davis game and poly for old times sake. Plus added attendance #’s.
Hawaii, Nevada, NMSU, SJSU will be in the rotational for the foreseeable future.
Will need to bump attendance to sustain the burn rate with no conference $$ to offset everything.
With UConn being independent they have a kickass bball team that feeds them.
The PAC leadership is......questionable. That brand name is the only thing keeping them afloat right now.
Kadeezy
Active member
Whoa. They’re on it!
Kadeezy
Active member
I mean, drivable games that pay us $750k-$1M each as an FBS team for a couple years is a huge pay day.
