FCS Gold Standard

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Western_101
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Location: Morton, IL

Like most of us that follow Western. Most of us also are also interested in the other teams performing in this niche subdivision of D-I football that so often gets over looked.

Ten years ago my bucket list to come to Macomb was:

Montana
Georgia Southern
Villanova ....holy crap Matt Szczur kicked butt and got a National Championship then played baseball, saw him many times in Peoria.
Appalachian State
Delaware
U Mass

I know I'm missing a couple. Really Montana was the team from the West. Obviously there are a couple names on my list that will not consider a trip to Macomb due to their lofty upgrade in status to the a Sunbelt Conference. Without question there are some teams I have overlooked, Do not mention Colgate, I will lose my Sh**. James M is beyond good now, but not on by list ten years ago.

This feels like a Lawson thread that I got bored and desperate and started. Sorry? anyhow please add or comment, it is many days till kickoff. I do love the first kickoff.
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Western_101
Posts: 1197
Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2014 12:09 pm
Location: Morton, IL

Correct me if I'm wrong, yes I'm aware there is this thing called google and what not.

The Sunbelt Conference is comprised completely of teams that were previously 63 max scholy schools.

I mean the whole conference out spends the MVFC and member schools have to fund 22 more scholies times 22. Guiness said it best, "Brilliant" 8-)
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ST_Lawson
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UL-Lafayette and South Alabama have never been FCS/I-AA. I do believe that everyone else in the Sun Belt were I-AA at some point.

I'd pretty much agree with your list
Top teams roughly 10 years ago: Montana, Georgia Southern, App State, Villanova, Delaware

I know they haven't ever won the championship, but I'd put Northern Iowa in that group as well. 16 conference championships including every year from 1990-1996, plus '01, '03, '05, '07, '08, '10. They made it to the championship game in '05, losing to App State by 5 points. They went undefeated in the regular season in '07 beating FBS Iowa State, and in the entire '90s and '00s, they had one losing season.

You could also add McNeese State in there as well, I'd say

Currently: NDSU (duh), but also James Madison, Sam Houston State (despite their propensity to get blown out when they play against a team with a good defense), Jacksonville State, South Dakota State, New Hampshire, Eastern Washington.

I think you'll see SHSU, SDSU, and EWU probably drop off a bit over the next few years.
Scott Lawson - Board Admin
Western Illinois University Alum/Fan/Employee
Member of the Marching Leathernecks - 1996-2000
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