(non-MVC) Realignment News

[BEARZ77]

All of Mikovio's points and more. Add this one to further clarify FCS football's level of importance in college sports. The FCS Championship game this year between NDSU and Eastern Washington had a ratings share of
.6 and roughly 1 million viewers, that's poker and fishing shows range. For comparison the championship game for WBB had 2.0 share and 3.6 million while 1st round mid week day games for the men's NCAA tourney had shares of around 6.1 and 14 million viewers. Yes those terrible blowout games between the Dukes and Alabama A&M's of the world have 6 times more viewers than the #1 game in FCS football does. Nuff said.

[uniguy]

I hate to rip on the MVC, because I LOVE the MVC and I root for all ten schools. But this dichotomy of folks who have the loyalty, patience and humility to root for mid-major basketball teams that can't understand why someone would root for their school's football team (even if it isn't FBS) is mind-boggling to me.

Because at this level you can't be good and profitable at both, and one losing money robs from the budget of the other. You can be good at both, and you realistically can't be profitable at either.

Because the most successful midmajor basketball programs (Creighton, Wichita, Gonzaga, Butler, the entire A10) aren't feeding an FCS football money pit. Fair point. But Villanova has FCS football. Butler technically does too. So does Dayton. Murray State, UNI, SFA. A number of schools have managed to have solid basketball programs while also carrying the "money pit" of FCS football.

Because D1 basketball is first-rate and provides a real shot at a legitimate national championship (eg Butler in 2010). You can't call G5 football "second-rate" and call MVC basketball "first-rate". No MVC team has a legitimate shot at a national championship. Even Loyola was two games away when they went on their run. UNI was four games away when they went on their historic run. Even Butler, in 2010, did not win. When was the last time a mid-major won a national title? You have a miniscule shot at a national title at the mid-major level (unless you've built a powerhouse like Gonzaga, which is very, very rare. Honestly, if winning national titles is your game.....FCS football gives you a much, much better shot at this level.

Because FCS is third-rate football (P5= first-rate, G5=second-rate), and winning it doesn't even make you the best mid-major because it doesn't count AAC, MWC, CUSA, MAC, SB. This doesn't matter to me or other FCS fans. And is pretty much the crux of my complaint. Who cares? It is my team and my school.
What "rate" we are in your eyes or even the public's eyes doesn't matter to me. Just like most basketball fans in Missouri probably think MSU basketball is "second rate" compared to the B12 or SEC. So what?

Because one good NCAA basketball run made a national sensation out of a 99-year old nun and was not only a windfall for that school in a myriad of ways but all its conference mates for years to come. I must have missed the bobblehead deals for FCS Final Four Montana State last month. You're right. This is the biggest bonus for mid-major basketball......but this only happens for a small, small fraction of mid-major teams. A vast majority don't make Final Four runs. A majority never make S16 runs. And even when you do, it rarely happens multiple times. If going to the Final Four is your biggest reason for watching college basketball, you shouldn't be a fan of a mid-major team because it is about as likely you're going to win the lottery than see your team in the Final Four. As I said, UNI beat the #1 team and went to the Sweet 16 and it was absolutely amazing. I get it. But it didn't make me want to abandon our football team.

Because FCS playoff teams lose money. MVC basketball teams lose money.

Because there are no office pools for FCS brackets. Again, so what? And people aren't filling out their office pools because 15th seeded Bradley is in it.

Because America cares about one and not the other. America may care about the MVC more than FCS football, but only marginally.

I am not arguing that FCS football is more popular than college basketball, which is what you all are trying to make this into. Yes, the possible rewards for basketball are higher in MVC basketball than FCS, that is true. I am not arguing otherwise. Yeah, you can go on a run and it is awesome. But before Loyola made that run, no one cared one iota about Loyola basketball. It isn't like Kentucky and Kansas and Duke and UNC where they get coverage no matter what happens. And it isn't like Loyola has reached the echelon in the time since....they haven't. They have gained a bit more notoriety. But Scott Van Pelt isn't talking about Loyola every night....most of their games aren't being covered by Sportscenter. They made the ultimate run....winning the mid-major lottery....and that's where we are at two years later.

I am not going to abandon my school's football team just so our basketball team can MAYBE have a slightly larger budget. You all can continue to be holier than thou and puff your chests about MVC basketball.....and I am not disagreeing with you. But don't get angry, Drake fan, when an Iowa or ISU fan talks down to you. Don't get angry, ISU fan, when Illinois folks give you crap for your team simply because they are a bigger school in the Big Ten. What you are saying about FCS, they can all say about MVC. If it was all about making money, and getting national prestige, and whether or not America cares......I would not be a UNI fan....and quite frankly it would be silly to be a fan of any MVC team.

I enjoy going to the games with my family and friends and rooting on my alma mater in football and basketball. You can keep telling me FCS football doesn't matter and that basketball is such a larger enterprise and if we just dropped football we would be swimming in cash. That isn't true, but even it it was THAT DOES NOT MATTER TO ME. And at some level it doesn't matter to you as much as it does others because you root for an MVC team. If you want to see your team talked about on ESPN, selling bobbleheads, making a bunch of money.....you really should be rooting for other teams because those things are going to be few and far between for fans of any team in this league. And that's OK.

I'm rooting for each and every one of your teams all year and whoever makes the NCAA Tournament I'll be rooting for every year. I hope whoever wins the league this year makes a deep run and gets ton of attention and coverage. But if we don't, eh, fine. Because that isn't why I watch the games and follow the teams.

Bottom line. You don't have to care about FCS. I'm not even saying that if it is your alma mater you should care. I am not going to tell you what your priorities should be. But just stop talking down to people that do, because in my book that makes a hypocrite out of an MVC fan.

[Mikovio]

Just to clarify, Butler and Dayton do have FCS football but it is non-scholarship.

I'm not going to address all of that but suffice to say, I'm not telling you you can't enjoy FCS football, kicking back on a fall Saturday and rooting for your school. You do you. But it is what it is. You can win the FCS title, but you're probably not going to get ranked in the AP or coaches poll (except the FCS-specific polls). You're completely relegated to second class (or I'd argue third class). Whereas MVC basketball teams can get into the top 25 several times a decade.

Of course it's rare what Loyola did (and George Mason, VCU, Wichita, Butler, Zags). But that's the goal from the MVC, and it's plausible. The Horizon's Butler had a shot in the air to win it all. It can be done. And just making runs raises money in a myriad of ways, helps reconnect with alumni, spikes student applications, offers millions in free publicity all over national media. FCS playoff runs aren't in the same galaxy.

If Bradley were to drop down to D3 some day attendance will crater. It's the possibility of a legitimate D-I playoff run against the likes of Kansas and Duke that make this fun. If the best I had to look forward to was playing Eastern Washington and Central Arkansas, I'd give up my season tickets. If that makes me less of a fan so be it.

[PantherSigEp]

l The FCS Championship game this year between NDSU and Eastern Washington had a ratings share of .6 and roughly 1 million viewers, that's poker and fishing shows range.

To clarify (although your point still stands), you're referencing last years game. It was one of the least viewed games in recent history. This year NDSU and James Madison were at 2.6M+ for viewership.

[Red]

Just to clarify, Butler and Dayton do have FCS football but it is non-scholarship.

I'm not going to address all of that but suffice to say, I'm not telling you you can't enjoy FCS football, kicking back on a fall Saturday and rooting for your school. You do you. But it is what it is. You can win the FCS title, but you're probably not going to get ranked in the AP or coaches poll (except the FCS-specific polls). You're completely relegated to second class (or I'd argue third class). Whereas MVC basketball teams can get into the top 25 several times a decade.

Of course it's rare what Loyola did (and George Mason, VCU, Wichita, Butler, Zags). But that's the goal from the MVC, and it's plausible. The Horizon's Butler had a shot in the air to win it all. It can be done. And just making runs raises money in a myriad of ways, helps reconnect with alumni, spikes student applications, offers millions in free publicity all over national media. FCS playoff runs aren't in the same galaxy.

If Bradley were to drop down to D3 some day attendance will crater. It's the possibility of a legitimate D-I playoff run against the likes of Kansas and Duke that make this fun. If the best I had to look forward to was playing Eastern Washington and Central Arkansas, I'd give up my season tickets. If that makes me less of a fan so be it.

FCS football is akin to high school football. It matters to the participants, their families, schools, and communities. It's not that hard to figure out. People can still enjoy the hell out of it even if it's not on ESPN all the time.

[RacerJoeD]

Again, some people enjoy collecting stamps, but that doesn't mean that it is compelling or worthy of national attention.

[uniguy]

Just to clarify, Butler and Dayton do have FCS football but it is non-scholarship.

I'm not going to address all of that but suffice to say, I'm not telling you you can't enjoy FCS football, kicking back on a fall Saturday and rooting for your school. You do you. But it is what it is. You can win the FCS title, but you're probably not going to get ranked in the AP or coaches poll (except the FCS-specific polls). You're completely relegated to second class (or I'd argue third class). Whereas MVC basketball teams can get into the top 25 several times a decade.

Of course it's rare what Loyola did (and George Mason, VCU, Wichita, Butler, Zags). But that's the goal from the MVC, and it's plausible. The Horizon's Butler had a shot in the air to win it all. It can be done. And just making runs raises money in a myriad of ways, helps reconnect with alumni, spikes student applications, offers millions in free publicity all over national media. FCS playoff runs aren't in the same galaxy.

If Bradley were to drop down to D3 some day attendance will crater. It's the possibility of a legitimate D-I playoff run against the likes of Kansas and Duke that make this fun. If the best I had to look forward to was playing Eastern Washington and Central Arkansas, I'd give up my season tickets. If that makes me less of a fan so be it.

All fair points. And to your last point....it isn't for everyone. I get it. And that's fine. The Valley is great. Its almost cult-like in its lore and fanhood and we all root together. I was rooting for Bradley against MSU last year even though the wound from the MVC Championship was still very fresh. Its part of the fun. FCS can be like that too. I am rooting for all the FCS teams in the money games early in the year.

[VUGrad1314]

I root for the FCS teams in money games too. I think it's funny when the FBS teams lose. It's like a P5 team losing a buy game to some lowly school. Appalachian State's victory over Michigan remains one of my all time favorite football memories. Honestly, the fact that UNI spends so much money on FBS makes what they do in basketball so much more impressive. That goes for the MVC too. The fact that this conference is so good at basketball despite having half its teams feeding that money pit is amazing. I feel like we could be better than the A10 if we had no football BUT as you said alumni giving and engagement would be down which would hurt budgets and that is definitely something to consider.

[BCPanther]

I root for the FCS teams in money games too. I think it's funny when the FBS teams lose. It's like a P5 team losing a buy game to some lowly school. Appalachian State's victory over Michigan remains one of my all time favorite football memories. Honestly, the fact that UNI spends so much money on FBS makes what they do in basketball so much more impressive. That goes for the MVC too. The fact that this conference is so good at basketball despite having half its teams feeding that money pit is amazing. I feel like we could be better than the A10 if we had no football BUT as you said alumni giving and engagement would be down which would hurt budgets and that is definitely something to consider.

UNI's in a weird spot with the football. If we stopped playing it our donations would crater and we'd be D2 quick but everybody is coming around to the fact that we're a basketball school at this point.

Weird dichotomy. Its pretty amazing that we're as competitive in our 5 major sports (FB, MBB, WBB, VB and Wrestling) as we are considering what the state expects of us budget wise (we're treated on par with Iowa and Iowa State rather than our peers). We're incredibly lucky to have 5 coaches that work for under market value to stay here because they love the UNI community.

[VUGrad1314]

BYU signs big deal with ESPN possibly jeopardizing AAC expansion plans though I still think they can get Boise State and or other MWC school(s) who seem very upset with the current situation.