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Idaho and NMSU get the boot from Sun Belt

I don't understand why Vandals fans think games with UL-Monroe, Old Dominion, and South Alabama for a chance to go to the R&L Carriers Bowl is "big time." The casual college sports would perceive the better teams of the FCS as being better programs overall than those just mentioned.

If they played in a Power 5 conference or even the Mountain West, I could see their point. But the SunBelt is junk and they aren't even cutting it in that lowly FBS conference. Can anyone even remember the last time Idaho beat a Power 5 team... Or even played one close?
 
MLEagle,
I agree with you 100%. We have not made athletics a priority and have not had good leadership. I would love to have Chaves in Moscow. Again, for us this is about more than athletics. It has to do with funding from the legislature and perception. The Boise media writes about BSU academics as if they are the best in the state, when in reality, they are 3rd or 4th. If we move to the Big Sky it will have a negative impact in terms of perception.
Most respect what EWU has done. However, the Big Sky is not what is used to be. Also, UI Big Sky proponents think we will immediately win football championships. Those people are misinformed and if we do drop down, but don't change our priorities, we will struggle in the Big Sky too.
 
libertylakevandal said:
MLEagle,
I agree with you 100%. We have not made athletics a priority and have not had good leadership. I would love to have Chaves in Moscow. Again, for us this is about more than athletics. It has to do with funding from the legislature and perception. The Boise media writes about BSU academics as if they are the best in the state, when in reality, they are 3rd or 4th. If we move to the Big Sky it will have a negative impact in terms of perception.
Most respect what EWU has done. However, the Big Sky is not what is used to be. Also, UI Big Sky proponents think we will immediately win football championships. Those people are misinformed and if we do drop down, but don't change our priorities, we will struggle in the Big Sky too.
Click to expand...
At an Eagles football luncheon a couple of years age someone congratulated Coach Baldwin on his recent win over an FBS program. He said, well that was just Idaho and I really don't consider them FBS like most people think of it. :lol:
 
The suspense they've been given to join or not join seems strange to me. Personally, I think having UI back in the Big Sky sports would be favorable to the conference as a whole.
 
LDopaPDX said:
I don't understand why Vandals fans think games with UL-Monroe, Old Dominion, and South Alabama for a chance to go to the R&L Carriers Bowl is "big time." The casual college sports would perceive the better teams of the FCS as being better programs overall than those just mentioned.

If they played in a Power 5 conference or even the Mountain West, I could see their point. But the SunBelt is junk and they aren't even cutting it in that lowly FBS conference. Can anyone even remember the last time Idaho beat a Power 5 team... Or even played one close?
Click to expand...

It is more about perception than who they are playing for the pro FBS Idaho fans, and I can understand that. If someone told me we were going to drop to Division II or go non scholarship for football but keep all of our other sports Division I, I'd be upset about it too. We should not presume to know what's best for UI football. Let them decide that, it's their money.

Most likely scenario I see unfolding is they play an independent schedule for a couple of years and then reassess the situation after that. Moving their football program to the Big Sky seems like a stretch, unless there is overwhelming support from the administration and boosters to do so.
 
libertylakevandal said:
MLEagle,
I agree with you 100%. We have not made athletics a priority and have not had good leadership. I would love to have Chaves in Moscow. Again, for us this is about more than athletics. It has to do with funding from the legislature and perception. The Boise media writes about BSU academics as if they are the best in the state, when in reality, they are 3rd or 4th. If we move to the Big Sky it will have a negative impact in terms of perception.
Most respect what EWU has done. However, the Big Sky is not what is used to be. Also, UI Big Sky proponents think we will immediately win football championships. Those people are misinformed and if we do drop down, but don't change our priorities, we will struggle in the Big Sky too.
Click to expand...

There's some merit in what you're saying about the Boise media and perception, but I think UI's problems RE: athletics run deeper than that. It doesn't seem like the leadership (especially FBS advocates) have taken a pragmatic approach in addressing the issues holding UI back, and instead, many of your fans want to vilify BSU and the Boise media as a convenient scapegoat.

If the end game is to compete at the FBS level, it seems like a prudent strategy would be to compete at the FCS level for a while in order to allow the time for things like the Dome, etc. to be addressed. Maybe I am off-base here, I don't know. But what I am aware of is that Idaho's football program seemed a lot more competitive (and relevant) when it competed in the Big Sky.

On the flip side, I'm not sure a strong Idaho playing in the Big Sky would benefit EWU. I think, to an extent, we've benefited from programs like Idaho and WSU (up until this year) struggling. Assuming Idaho became an immediate contender in the BSC, I'm not sure we'd like the results of that in terms of recruiting, etc.
 
If guys want a good laugh, head on over to UI's forum and check out how much they think about themselves. Ranger makes some good points, what really perplexes me, is their fans think they are too good for the BSC, and if they have to drop down they might as well just drop FB... Ridiculous, I want to know what Idaho has done to deserve to be in the FBS? They're not competitive with anyone and every other team out west will, for the most part leave with the P5. They say FCS is irrelevant, but so will too the G5 when the P5 peels off, so what's the big deal?

Is dropping down going to shame them in BSU's eyes? Because, I don't BSU's opinion of Idaho can't get any lower. It's not like any FBS conference has been waiting for Idaho, and they never will be. perhaps the most laughable threat made on their board, is if they do drop down to FCS, is all the booster will pull their donations... to that I say will the University even notice? It's not like these guys were forking over millions, the facilities are among the worst in FBS, if those idiots want to talk money, well they should have been donating a helluva lot more to make Idaho relevant while it was in a FBS conference.

With that rant over, I have a sneaking suspicion we will be seeing Idaho back in the BSC starting in 2018, anyone else think this is evitable?
 
I do feel for the Idaho fans but think SeattleBobcat is right on. They had the opportunity to grow their program when they were in the Big West and WAC, but didn't. When conference realignment happened they were left out because of it.

Idaho leadership sucks!
 
SeattleBobcat said:
If guys want a good laugh, head on over to UI's forum and check out how much they think about themselves. Ranger makes some good points, what really perplexes me, is their fans think they are too good for the BSC, and if they have to drop down they might as well just drop FB... Ridiculous, I want to know what Idaho has done to deserve to be in the FBS? They're not competitive with anyone and every other team out west will, for the most part leave with the P5. They say FCS is irrelevant, but so will too the G5 when the P5 peels off, so what's the big deal?

Is dropping down going to shame them in BSU's eyes? Because, I don't BSU's opinion of Idaho can't get any lower. It's not like any FBS conference has been waiting for Idaho, and they never will be. perhaps the most laughable threat made on their board, is if they do drop down to FCS, is all the booster will pull their donations... to that I say will the University even notice? It's not like these guys were forking over millions, the facilities are among the worst in FBS, if those idiots want to talk money, well they should have been donating a helluva lot more to make Idaho relevant while it was in a FBS conference.

They think the BSC is irrelevant, but we have beaten them the past two times we've played them. I think their overall record versus the Big Sky since they moved up is not that great.

With that rant over, I have a sneaking suspicion we will be seeing Idaho back in the BSC starting in 2018, anyone else think this is evitable?
Click to expand...
 
Seattle Eagle said:
SeattleBobcat said:
If guys want a good laugh, head on over to UI's forum and check out how much they think about themselves. Ranger makes some good points, what really perplexes me, is their fans think they are too good for the BSC, and if they have to drop down they might as well just drop FB... Ridiculous, I want to know what Idaho has done to deserve to be in the FBS? They're not competitive with anyone and every other team out west will, for the most part leave with the P5. They say FCS is irrelevant, but so will too the G5 when the P5 peels off, so what's the big deal?

Is dropping down going to shame them in BSU's eyes? Because, I don't BSU's opinion of Idaho can't get any lower. It's not like any FBS conference has been waiting for Idaho, and they never will be. perhaps the most laughable threat made on their board, is if they do drop down to FCS, is all the booster will pull their donations... to that I say will the University even notice? It's not like these guys were forking over millions, the facilities are among the worst in FBS, if those idiots want to talk money, well they should have been donating a helluva lot more to make Idaho relevant while it was in a FBS conference.

With that rant over, I have a sneaking suspicion we will be seeing Idaho back in the BSC starting in 2018, anyone else think this is evitable?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

They think the BSC is irrelevant, but we have beaten them the past two times we've played them. I think their overall record versus the Big Sky since they moved up is not that great.
 
I strongly suspect they'll stay independent for at least two years and see if any new conference opportunities open up. The good thing about being FBS is that they can play three bodybag games and rake in $3.5mm just from those games. That can basically buy them 4-5 home games against the leper colony of low-tier FBS teams (see: Sun Belt Conference).

Playing in the FCS cuts your paycheck for bodybag games in half. Eastern would get $500-600k for the same game Idaho would get $1-1.2mm for playing. And being independent, there is basically no limit on bodybaggers Idaho can schedule. They won't be playing for a bowl game regardless, so going 1-11 is really no different than 6-6.

The question is: how do you recruit into that scenario? If a kid has a choice between Eastern and Idaho, the only reason to choose Idaho is to say he is an FBS player. But with the proliferation of TV channels, Eastern already has better exposure for most games. Plus, having a chance to go to the playoffs and be successful has to be intriguing to most competitive athletes.
 
Because of what you just posted I want them to stay independent. One less team in our area to have to recruit against. No way a kid chooses Idaho over EWU unless they are stick with the I have to be a D1/FBS football player mentality.
 
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