It's already been reported the 9 conference game season will begin in 2020, and Tingey confirmed it himself last year. Things might have changed since then.
https://idahostatejournal.com/members/isu-athletics-big-sky-to-add-th-conference-game-starting/article_870ccb95-b2d7-521a-a9cb-1de68c762df1.html
http://missoulian.com/sports/college/big-sky/big-sky-headed-to--game-conference-football-schedule-in/article_349028b3-5c47-5585-9324-a80f8571c1af.html
Coaching ISU with one hand tied behind his back might have drained Kramer, but some personal issues came into play as well, from what I understand. Regardless, he wasn't giving it his all for at least 2 years.
If ISU can't run a successful program at the D-I level, what makes you think it can do it at the D-II level? Dropping football, which I don't see happening anytime soon, doesn't knock you down a division. There are schools in the west without football (WAC, even if it's shakey).
Here's my take on Tingey. Once Vailas is gone, Tingey's safety net is gone. Those in charge like to have his/her own stamp on things. He had a good round of hiring right off the bat, but some of his most recent hires are not producing. Jury is out on Phenicie, and to be honest, I like him, so I hope that works. But softball hired a re-tread who is tanking the program. The recent volleyball coach hire has trended that program down (and lost at least one valuable player who transferred). Evans has been a failure at MBB, but he was largely unsuccessful at SUU, so that one will always leave me wondering. Soccer has slowly moved into Big Sky's basement. The funny thing, Otis, is Tingey expressed a desire to be successful like Montana in the hiring of Phenicie and Evans.
Marketing still sucks. If you click on the ticketing link online, it brings you to one expensive ticket. For example, a ticket to MBB costs $16. Weber, just down the road, starts prices at $10 for a much more successful program. ISU had a mini-package deal for 3 games, but it was nowhere to be found on the ticketing link. If you call the ticket office, sometimes they will tell you of cheaper tickets, but how many will do that or know that?
The production of games still lags behind other Big Sky schools. Last night's WBB game against Westminster had absolutely no audio for the entire 1st quarter - well it actually came on with 15 seconds left in the quarter. Men's games often start the same way and audio disappears throughout, like somebody keeps forgetting to flip a switch. Sometimes the score takes minutes to update.