A Second Shoe Drops

[uniftw]

This also begs the question, would MSU, UNI, IlSU be willing to sacrifice their bball programs at the altar of FBS football? I don't know but I am sure it would be an item of consideration for each institution to consider because MAC and Sunbelt basketball is atrocious.

I've wondered that myself. Ultimately, I came to the conclusion that since men's basketball is most likely the premier money generator in the athletic departments of these schools, ADs are a bit afraid to move it to a conference where interest, ticket sales and revenues distributed by the conference will be less. I think that is why you see things like UNI's AD specifically saying that they do not want to do anything with football that may harm their relationship with the MVC.

It is easy for fans to say, "Let's move up" when they don't have to pay the bills. With the move-up in FB comes additional expenses for scholarships, equipment, title IX considerations, etc. It is hard to find a way to pay those expenses if you are also moving your only profitable, revenue generating program to a lesser league. The most likely result is lower ticket sales, increased travel costs and less NCAA tourney unit dollars, all while getting bigger and bigger bills for your FB program.

I'd been an advocate for some time now of having schools drop their money losing FB programs. I just don't understand the financial model for FCS football. When a financial model does not work, the business ultimately shuts down. I think its time for some FCS programs to do just that.

That.

UNI loves football, and will always have football. HOWEVER, it will not move FBS or do anything that means hurting it's relationship with the MVC...as it currently sits.



Also, let it be known UNI has only played Iowa 16 times in 114 years. There are currently games scheduled for 14 and 18. Losing those games would "suck" but we've shown we can go get other FBS programs to play us. We play Iowa State seemingly every year...7 times since 2000 and on the schedule for 2015, 2016, and 2017. We are also playing at Hawaii in 2014, and have had other FBS schools contact us, but we book ourselves so far out with Iowa/Iowa State we never get a chance to take them except years that we get 12 games.


Sounds shocking, but it really only affects NDSU/Minnesota and the B10 schools who bring in the patsy FCS teams from out east

[iSASO]

I think that is why you see things like UNI's AD specifically saying that they do not want to do anything with football that may harm their relationship with the MVC.

UNI loves football, and will always have football. HOWEVER, it will not move FBS or do anything that means hurting it's relationship with the MVC...as it currently sits.

Yes, we know. One of the greatest days in the history of UNI athletics was the day the MVC invited you to become a member.

[unipanther99]

Most of these MVC football teams would be better off to drop football, put their resources into basketball,etc. and help the Valley become a real force on the National level in basketball. Their football teams certainly aren't national level programs.

I get why you say that, but look at it from UNI's perspective. I'm personally a UNI basketball first fan, with football a distant second. But I'm in the minority. Football has a strong tradition on campus. The UNI-Dome dominates the campus landscape. When people think of famous UNI athletes, they think of names like Kurt Warner, Bryce Paup, Kenny Shedd, and Dedrick Ward. And when WSU and Creighton dropped football, lets face it. They weren't good. You can say FCS is small time football, and I won't argue, but we're good at it and our fans enjoy our success at the level.

[DoubleJayAlum]

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2013 ... out_sports