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ISU Opponents

Go to that same web site, because Brad's latest post is about Utah State and you might all be SURPRISED BIG TIME about what Big Sky teams are being talked about if the WAC comes-a-knocking.
 
Doesn't Sac have the highest athletic budget in the conference... sure helps to have 25K students.

Actually, I would be happy to see them go, I've never had any interest in seeing ISU play Sac, no offense to Sac. They belong with the Boise, San Jose, and Fresno State's of the world.
 
mighty_bengals said:
Yeah, when you look at Sac's attendance figures, they really belong with the Boise and Fresno States of the world.
Click to expand...

Well, the first thing you have to remember is Sac and PSU are only going to get invited to the WAC if Boise State leaves. The WAC will be looking for programs that are geographic fits (that's why Fresno's Pat Hill is promoting Sac State), in decent television markets (Sacramento and Portland certainly fit that criteria), and have football stadiums large enough to meet the NCAA 15,000 average requirement. (Both Sac and PSU fit that criteria as well).

Of course, both of those programs would have to upgrade considerably to be competitive in the WAC, but they would be banking on higher attendance, more private funding and better recruiting based on the fact they were FBS programs playing at a higher level.

It certainly would be a calculated gamble for both of those programs, but 1-AA football is a money loser and PSU's AD was quoted as he was looking for their new football coach this year that this may be the program's "last chance" to get it right. It might well be in PSU's best interest to try FCS. They really have nothing to lose. Same with SAc -- if it doesn't work, they can drop football and try to get into the Big West.
 
When you consider that Idaho gets a huge amount of money institutional support and student fees for athletics, plus a fair amount of revenue from BCS bowl games, and about $3 million from the state. Plus last year Idaho received about $2 million in booster support while ISU received only about $300,000 from boosters, and Idaho still had better attendance figures for FB than ISU did. And yet last year ISU made a profit of about $250,000, while Idaho lost over $350,000, then something tells me that moving up to 1-A isn't always the best option. BSU's done fine, but a lot of programs haven't fared so well.
 
i don't believe there is a chance in hell that idaho state athletics made a profit of 250k last year. jmho
 
Another thing to remember is that WHEN Boise State leaves the WAC...most of that sweet bowl money the rest of the league got to divvy up goes with them.
 
votb said:
Another thing to remember is that WHEN Boise State leaves the WAC...most of that sweet bowl money the rest of the league got to divvy up goes with them.
Click to expand...

Couldn't have been said it any better.
 
Will Holden, who is without doubt the most aggressive sportswriter in the Big Sky Conference, just finished a four-part blog series on the future of the Big Sky. His conclusion: the Big Sky needs to act now or risk losing enough members the conference may no longer be viable:

http://bozeman-www2.bozemandailychronicle.com/bobcat-blog/?p=3470#more-3470
 
Interesting story in the Salt Lake Tribune today. It talks about who really pays the bills for athletic programs in non-BCS leagues. Even in the WAC and the Mountain West, students and taxpayers pay for almost half the athletic department budgets (as compared to the BCS leagues, where television, ticket and donor revenue pay for a much higher percentage of the cost of sports).

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_15208016
 
Brad...both articles you posted were great. I especially liked Will Holden's series on the Big Sky. What a thought...a two-division conference. I always felt the Dakota schools (despite travel difficulties), would be natural fits in the Big Sky...and they're quality programs to boot.
 
Thanks, Jer. I agree on the Dakotas, but I'm afraid that ship may have already sailed. As Holden notes, they have signed contracts with their current conferences that require step buyouts to leave. Not sure they'd be willing to do that now. I think back to the late 1980s, when Cal Poly and UC Davis wanted into the league -- they would have been great additions, too. A lot of opportunities lost
 
I think that VOTB and I are both thinking that if the WAC were to invite teams like PSU, Sac St. or Cal Poly into their conference, then this type of thinking is totally ludicrous and ridiculous, because a team still has to average 15,000 fans per game, in actual or paid attendance. And the aforementioned schools don't even come close to averaging that. I think that they average closer to about 8 or 9,000. And once a team is at the 1-A level, then if they can't average at least 15,000 fans during a two-year period, then technically the NCAA can drop them to the 1-AA level. Although lately, it doesn't appear that they're likely to do so. Since 2005-08, Utah State had attendance figures of 10,896, 11,360, and 13,131. And Eastern Mich. had attendance figures of 5,219, 14,734, and 6,910, and they're still both 1-A. Although last season USU reported an average attendance of 15,971 for 5 games. A couple of years ago when ISU played at Idaho in FB, they reported an attendance of about 15,000, and there wasn't even 9,000 actual fans in attendance -- I know because I was there. And they reported an attendance of 15,003 for their first two games for 2008.
 
boisebengal said:
When you consider that Idaho gets a huge amount of money institutional support and student fees for athletics, plus a fair amount of revenue from BCS bowl games, and about $3 million from the state. Plus last year Idaho received about $2 million in booster support while ISU received only about $300,000 from boosters, and Idaho still had better attendance figures for FB than ISU did. And yet last year ISU made a profit of about $250,000, while Idaho lost over $350,000, then something tells me that moving up to 1-A isn't always the best option. BSU's done fine, but a lot of programs haven't fared so well.
Click to expand...

Keep in mind that Idaho is spending a lot of money to upgrade their facilities. They know they gotta spend money to make money (and bring in better recruits and all that jazz that goes with the Collegiate Cold War Arms Race). I, for one, am admiring the job Robb Akey is doing up there. It's nice to see that long suffering program finally pull themselves out of the water. Hell if they can do it, so can we!

But back on topic. I think PSU and Sacramento State have a legit claim to D-1 status. Portland is a large city that's only comatose as far as support goes. Sacramento is the same way. I think if both of them actually go D-1 (assuming the WAC offers) they'd get a good boost in support. And besides, I think if they put together good seasons the bowl games would benefit their programs. Looking at Montana...I say if they don't want to move up, fine. Let them slowly fade away with the rest of 1-AA.
 
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