TylerDurden wrote:I can certainly understand the potential excitement of playing FBS football, but there isn't a school in the MVC that's equipped to handle FBS football in the short or long term.
Operating a FBS football program takes a tremendous amount of sustained resources, resources that MVFC schools do not possess and would be hard pressed to find -- especially in this economy.
How long have we heard that Illinois State is going to renovate its stadium and make the jump? Why hasn't that happened? Resources. Every AD they've had knows it, but they give the fans just enough hope so they can extract donations.
I know fans get excited to think that they can play and compete in football against Texas, Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State or whoever they dream about playing. But the reality of any MVFC school's existence in FBS is far from glamorous.
They are the buy game. They are the first blowout win for Ohio State, Texas and the like. They might have one or two non-conference games that they have a shot at winning, and those are against Western Kentucky and Louisiana Lafayette. Then they play the same conference schedule they do now. They aren't joining another league and you can't change geography. The Big Ten is still there recruiting better players. Same for the Big 12.
Essentially, you're trying to unnecessarily recreate the college basketball landscape where the arms race is a never-ending struggle for schools outside of the BCS. The difference is that basketball lends itself much better to "level" competition than football.
If the MVFC jumps up, all that happens is that the schools are spending more money for the same schedules and competition and a chance to play in the 5-Hour Energy/Tootsie Pop/Cream Puff Bowl in Rio Rancho, New Mexico -- where the expense of another game is more than the payout, driving your budget deeper into the hole.
This isn't about "having" a plan. It's about a smart strategic and business decision.
I would tend to agree, but it isn't black and white. One key factor would be to research how much the MVFC could generate in tv money. Probably not much, but I bet that the money for what tv they currently get now is close to zero. That said, if going FBS could initially generate $750,000 per school it woul be a start. Plus, each "buy" game will earn close to a million. That alone would be a $1.7 million boost. Costs would increase as well, but so would local revenue from advertising and marketing.
I was reading an article in the Omaha World Herald regarding the Huskers scheduling, and one thing I didn't know was that they pay considerably more to "buy" small FBS games than they do to "buy" an FCS game. The difference was staggering. Up to $1.1 million for a FBS team and only up to $375,000 for a FCS team. If you look at Missouri State, they are taking two buys this year, Oregon and Arkansas, with those two roadies, they are making less than they would for one game if they simply were in the FBS.
I certainly don't think that the MVFC will jump, but it would be a mistake for them to not be crunching these numbers. Making a smart strategic and busness decision requires constant evaluation. Keep in mind, Iowa State is no different than any of the MVFC teams except for the fact that they are in a conference that sends them checks.
There are three rules that I live by, never get less than 12 hours sleep, never gamble with a guy who has the same first name as a city and never get involved with a chick with a tattoo of a dagger on her body. Stick to that and everything else is gravy!
