Northern Illinois out, North Dakota St. in?

[76RunninRebel]

Northern Illinois' Interest in Mountain West 'Waning'; Conference Now Considering North Dakota State

Read Brett McMurphy's report on NIU's interest in the Mountain West waning, as the MWC looks at adding North Dakota State.

www.actionnetwork.com

 

[76RunninRebel]

What do you guys think, better move?

 

[Rebel1986]

The concern is not their ability to play football, it is the small media market in North Dakota.

 

[Masked_rebel]

Long term, NDSU seems like a really good add. Its not a market thing, but competitive football is a good and theyve had a relatively successful recently Mid-major basketball. The Fargodome is going to be a hard place to play. Be interesting to see who else they then add if they want to.

 

[LocoRebel]

Long term, NDSU seems like a really good add. Its not a market thing, but competitive football is a good and theyve had a relatively successful recently Mid-major basketball. The Fargodome is going to be a hard place to play. Be interesting to see who else they then add if they want to.

If I'm NDSU, I expect some combo of 1-3 Dakota schools to join or at least be offered or on the conversation

 

[76RunninRebel]

Long term, NDSU seems like a really good add. Its not a market thing, but competitive football is a good and theyve had a relatively successful recently Mid-major basketball. The Fargodome is going to be a hard place to play. Be interesting to see who else they then add if they want to.

I would say like Boise, not a market thing but you add them because they have been super competitive even beating ranked teams from the fbs!

 

[Meister_Rebel]

If I'm NDSU, I expect some combo of 1-3 Dakota schools to join or at least be offered or on the conversation

That same thought from The Big Mountain podcast that some posted here weeks ago had said that the two Montana Schools and two of the Dakota schools would be interested in all four coming as some type of package. That is the only place I ever heard that rumor.

 

[Meister_Rebel]

I think we would be better off if the conference merged with the AAC.

 

[Masked_rebel]

That same thought from The Big Mountain podcast that some posted here weeks ago had said that the two Montana Schools and two of the Dakota schools would be interested in all four coming as some type of package. That is the only place I ever heard that rumor.

Thatd be a lot of dead weight to carry and cost for a few years...

 

[jmcnamaraiii]

Would prefer Tarlton or Sac

 

[Bullmastiff 1]

I'll keep beating this drum. WKU, and Liberty for travel partners. WKU solid football school. Liberty has money.

 

[LocoRebel]

Would prefer Tarlton or Sac

I unironically like these additions. Not like the MWC is some powerhouse if we choose to stand pat.

 

[dcut03]

I would rather not do a FCS team if needed, for a couple of reasons.

First, is money. We don't NEED another team right now. Any FCS team will cost 5 mil up front to upgrade, and their media value is probably worth 250K. That will drive down annual payouts quite a bit.

Competitively. there is learning curve. It will take more than a few years just to be bottom of the MW worthy. I know they think highly of themselves, and good for them. But Sam Houston struggled mightily when they made the jump. They were making FCS championship games on the reg as well.

Oh yeah, their market is tiny. So growth potential is very low.

Pass.

Northen Ill? For football only perhaps. But other than another time zone, they offer very little for a travel nightmare, especially without a travel partner.

Keep things lean. Go for St. Mary's if the PAC doesn't get them. In the future another option may come about that is a better fit.

 

[InZoneU]

Doesn't matter. None of this is going to matter in 2-3 years when we're all in the same cement mixer in the 2nd tier. Not sure why you guys are sweating this so much. It will only matter for a few years, if even that.

 

[dcut03]

Doesn't matter. None of this is going to matter in 2-3 years when we're all in the same cement mixer in the 2nd tier. Not sure why you guys are sweating this so much. It will only matter for a few years, if even that.

It matters because we need to maximize whatever media money we can swindle. NIL opens up for schools to pay players directly next year. We have a coach that we desperately need to extend to hopefully secure long term or at least up our buyout money for the next coach.

That window may be small, but if there is a true separation between haves and have nots we may be one of the final few G5 schools needed to fully round out a superconference.

An extra 1-2 mil a year is huge right now.

 

[Masked_rebel]

It matters because we need to maximize whatever media money we can swindle. NIL opens up for schools to pay players directly next year. We have a coach that we desperately need to extend to hopefully secure long term or at least up our buyout money for the next coach.

That window may be small, but if there is a true separation between haves and have nots we may be one of the final few G5 schools needed to fully round out a superconference.

An extra 1-2 mil a year is huge right now.

This should go over well in a few years when universities come back to state legislatures asking for millions of dollars in tax payer dollars to burn on a recruit or transfer or pay off debt they incurred to sign a recruit or transfer...

 

[saulpaul21]

I am an ex-Ndsu student. Ndsu is a better version of Wyoming in that they have a big hold in their metro area of 250,000. Fargodome holds 19000 and ndsu has not even been selling that out the last few years.

 

[saulpaul21]

Tarleton a better add than ndsu

 

[Boston Rebel 2]

What would be the point? All they would do is water down what we get because they wouldn’t be adding anything to a media deal. Pass.

 

[jmcnamaraiii]

Mountain West a Central time zone team to help with TV contract. Plus scheduling would 8 conference games.

North Dakota is growing on me. They have a very successful program.

 

[Loyal Coug1]

I'll keep beating this drum. WKU, and Liberty for travel partners. WKU solid football school. Liberty has money.

Liberty, with their policy of no alcohol and no pre-marital sex is a perfect add for UNLV.....

Oh, and no homos....

 

[rebswin2]

Every week another rumor of a school that brings absolutely nothing, because there are no schools that would realistically join the MWC that bring anything. Next week another name will surface.

 

[saulpaul21]

Ndsu is a former ag school. Haters nick name for it is MOO U. When ndsu had an outdoor stadium they had a section of colored folding chairs spelling NDSU. Me and some buddies got in there one night and changed all the chairs around to spell MOO U. Yes, we got pictures. Yes, beer had something to do with it.

 

[RebNReno]

Competitively. there is learning curve. It will take more than a few years just to be bottom of the MW worthy. I know they think highly of themselves, and good for them. But Sam Houston struggled mightily when they made the jump. They were making FCS championship games on the reg as well.

Normally I’d agree but not in the new MWC 3.0. They’d probably be a top 4 team right off the bat. Hell this year as an FCS team I think they would beat UTEP, WYO, UNR, UNM, and AFA.

 

[Bullmastiff 1]

I am an ex-Ndsu student. Ndsu is a better version of Wyoming in that they have a big hold in their metro area of 250,000. Fargodome holds 19000 and ndsu has not even been selling that out the last few years.

Crazy as this sounds read some posts front NDSU fans saying apathy has kinda set in. That they've been so good for so long and been so dominant that people seem lest invested.

Seemed odd to hear but I guess I could see how that could happen.

On a smaller scale it's like UNLV beating Utah Tech. Sure the score was great but would you really want to watch that type of result on a weekly basis. Part of the allure of sports is the actual threat of losing. NDSU hasn't seen a lot of that the last decade or so...

 

[Bullmastiff 1]

Every week another rumor of a school that brings absolutely nothing, because there are no schools that would realistically join the MWC that bring anything. Next week another name will surface.

The good thing is the PAC is in the same boat.

Yesterday NMSU, Texas State and Sac State were rumored targets.

That's a big drop off from Memphis, Tulane, USF and UTSA.

 

[utestream]

The good thing is the PAC is in the same boat.

Yesterday NMSU, Texas State and Sac State were rumored targets.

That's a big drop off from Memphis, Tulane, USF and UTSA.

Why doesn't the MWC re-engage TX state and engage sac st, if for no other reason than to drive the cost up for the Pac whatever? They can have nm state.

 

[InZoneU]

It matters because we need to maximize whatever media money we can swindle. NIL opens up for schools to pay players directly next year. We have a coach that we desperately need to extend to hopefully secure long term or at least up our buyout money for the next coach.

That window may be small, but if there is a true separation between haves and have nots we may be one of the final few G5 schools needed to fully round out a superconference.

An extra 1-2 mil a year is huge right now.

I think you're over estimating things a bit. Also remember, we're getting lots of money by staying in the MWC that we wouldn't have gotten had we moved. I don't know the #s but I'm sure that offsets any media revenue we may be shorted for the next 1-2 years. I am one of the few who think UNLV is playing their long game hand pretty good, with the assumption everything's going to get blown up anyways shortly.

 

[Meister_Rebel]

Every week another rumor of a school that brings absolutely nothing, because there are no schools that would realistically join the MWC that bring anything. Next week another name will surface.

Gloria should just use some of that $18 million dollars she was setting aside to acquire teams by giving each MW school $1 million to be used for football only NIL. Build up what we have. God knows UTEP needs better players and NIL might give them a quick boost.

 

[Gator 82]

I for one like the idea of NDSU and perhaps Montana as full members. I’ve never liked this hodge podge soup combination of having some full members and some that are basketball, Football, badminton, Chinese checkers, lawn darts or croquet only

 

[Boston Rebel 2]

Crazy as this sounds read some posts front NDSU fans saying apathy has kinda set in. That they've been so good for so long and been so dominant that people seem lest invested.

Seemed odd to hear but I guess I could see how that could happen.

On a smaller scale it's like UNLV beating Utah Tech. Sure the score was great but would you really want to watch that type of result on a weekly basis. Part of the allure of sports is the actual threat of losing. NDSU hasn't seen a lot of that the last decade or so...

Not just the result but after a while beating Youngstown State and the like doesn't move the needle after a while.

 

[InZoneU]

I for one like the idea of NDSU and perhaps Montana as full members. I’ve never liked this hodge podge soup combination of having some full members and some that are basketball, Football, badminton, Chinese checkers, lawn darts or croquet only

Their TV markets may suck. But they'd be more competitive adds to the MWC than a SacSt or NMSU.

 

[Masked_rebel]

Crazy as this sounds read some posts front NDSU fans saying apathy has kinda set in. That they've been so good for so long and been so dominant that people seem lest invested.

Seemed odd to hear but I guess I could see how that could happen.

On a smaller scale it's like UNLV beating Utah Tech. Sure the score was great but would you really want to watch that type of result on a weekly basis. Part of the allure of sports is the actual threat of losing. NDSU hasn't seen a lot of that the last decade or so...

Moving up to from FCS will change their programs.. Talent will be more available to fill roster that they currently dont get. So it wont be Utah Tech each week, although at the start it might be closer to that. Eventually they will have the same ability to land talent that other MWC teams do.

 

[rebelzzz]

I dont care how good of an fcs team they are. If they cant improve the media deal then no thanks!

 

[Rebel Hoya]

Would prefer Tarlton or Sac

Sad state of affairs that this is now what we’re apart of….

 

[jmcnamaraiii]

Sounds like Tarelton is also in play with the mountain west.

Apparently there is interest from the PAC to get Sac St. now

 

[Masked_rebel]

Sounds like Tarelton is also in play with the mountain west.

Apparently there is interest from the PAC to get Sac St. now

Thats interesting that the Pac 2 is going to target Sac St before they secure enough teams to have a conference. I mean i get the commitment Sac St. is selling but I dont think theyll help them fast enough. So theyre going to have to add a team that they simply do not want.