Back in 1994, after Idaho dispatched the Bengals 70-21, John L. Smith met Brian McNeeley at midfield and said, "And that one's for your president, for destroying the Big Sky Conference." His reference was to Dr. Bowen's ill-fated initiative to have the entire Big Sky Conference drop down to Division II. Shortly thereafter, Nevada, BSU and Idaho departed the conference for Division I. A lot of folks felt Bowen's initiatve gave Boise State the leverage it needed to convince the State Board of Education, which was initially against a move to D-I, to allow the Broncos to move up. And once BSU moved up, there was no way to stop Idaho.