FCS Conference Shuffling

If you want to talk about Monmouth University Football, Quincy University Basketball, Notre Dame Men's Soccer, or whatever, this is the place.
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sealhall74
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The ultimate strategic goal (to maximize the chances for public school national championships) when looking at it from a state-wide perspective should be this:

A mixed bag of public schools competing at ALL levels and divisions to include NAIA and NCAA Divisions 3, 2, 1.

We are way too top-heavy with D1s without the underlying financial support (e.g. cost of attendance stipends) to maintain them.  Our best (top tier) athletes are currently going out of state.  Case in point: that softball gal from Sherrard who just signed with the Bison.

 
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Necks2003
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sealhall74 wrote: Wed May 11, 2022 10:01 am The ultimate strategic goal (to maximize the chances for public school national championships) when looking at it from a state-wide perspective should be this:

A mixed bag of public schools competing at ALL levels and divisions to include NAIA and NCAA Divisions 3, 2, 1.

We are way too top-heavy with D1s without the underlying financial support (e.g. cost of attendance stipends) to maintain them.  Our best (top tier) athletes are currently going out of state.  Case in point: that softball gal from Sherrard who just signed with the Bison.

 

 
Unfortunately nobody really cares about NAIA or D-2 athletics. They will never make March Madness, or get any TV/ESPN 3 coverage to help promote recruiting. I would rather remove all athletics than become D-2 and save the money. If you think our attendance numbers are awful, check out a normal D-2 basketball game or football game and you will generally just see players parents in the stands like youth sports. Money always helps, but moving down to a lower level will just make us even less competitive and less attractive to recruits and potential future students whom appreciate a solid game day college experience. 
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Tere North
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Necks2003 wrote: Wed May 11, 2022 4:41 pm
sealhall74 wrote: Wed May 11, 2022 10:01 am The ultimate strategic goal (to maximize the chances for public school national championships) when looking at it from a state-wide perspective should be this:

A mixed bag of public schools competing at ALL levels and divisions to include NAIA and NCAA Divisions 3, 2, 1.

We are way too top-heavy with D1s without the underlying financial support (e.g. cost of attendance stipends) to maintain them.  Our best (top tier) athletes are currently going out of state.  Case in point: that softball gal from Sherrard who just signed with the Bison.

 


 
Unfortunately nobody really cares about NAIA or D-2 athletics. They will never make March Madness, or get any TV/ESPN 3 coverage to help promote recruiting. I would rather remove all athletics than become D-2 and save the money. If you think our attendance numbers are awful, check out a normal D-2 basketball game or football game and you will generally just see players parents in the stands like youth sports. Money always helps, but moving down to a lower level will just make us even less competitive and less attractive to recruits and potential future students whom appreciate a solid game day college experience. 

 
D2 most certainly does have March madness. And D2 schools often have a good fan following.

Let's face it, do you want to be competitive in D2 and a consistent loser in D1. If you can't support D1, get out of it. 

In terms of students "appreciating a solid game day college experience," we hardly have that now. Only if we are competitive and students have something to cheer for can we expect to ever again has students attend games. Mostly its parent, friends, and family plus townies. 

That "solid game day college experience" only exists at some schools and for some sports. 
 
Necks2003
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If D-2 March Madness exists, I have yet to see it broadcast anywhere. At least D-1 has the potential to bring in talent and eventually get things back to being more competitive and worth the students to potentially follow. D-2 is embarrassing. Just my thoughts...I know some feel we will be more competitive at a lower level, but the reality is that we will still get even lower level recruiting at a lower level making us even less competitive. 
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Tere North
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Necks2003 wrote: Wed May 11, 2022 10:43 pm If D-2 March Madness exists, I have yet to see it broadcast anywhere. At least D-1 has the potential to bring in talent and eventually get things back to being more competitive and worth the students to potentially follow. D-2 is embarrassing. Just my thoughts...I know some feel we will be more competitive at a lower level, but the reality is that we will still get even lower level recruiting at a lower level making us even less competitive. 

 
All D2 games were on YouTube TV and streamed lived on NCAA.com. Elite 8 games to championship game were covered by CBS. 

Not seeing it broadcast anywhere means not looking for it or seeing it and discounting it as a joke. 
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sealhall74
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Northwest Missouri State has not had fewer than 10 wins in football during the last 15 or so years with 4 Nattys.  Averaged 6K in attendance last year.  I would love to be where they are.

In fact, the state of Missouri has a great blend of D1 and D2 and even an NAIA school when it comes to just the public colleges and universities.

 
 
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sealhall74
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40 years in the conference, thank you Kyle, Sammy, and Kathy.  We definitely need a few more to stand up and be counted in the next 40.

https://thesummitleague.org/news/2021/8 ... ments.aspx
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sealhall74 wrote: Fri May 13, 2022 10:13 am 40 years in the conference, thank you Kyle, Sammy, and Kathy.  We definitely need a few more to stand up and be counted in the next 40.

https://thesummitleague.org/news/2021/8 ... ments.aspx
 
Between Kathy Orban and Dr. Helen Smiley, the university has made pretty significant contributions to women's sports in the Mid-Con/Summit League.
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No new news, but thought this would be a good guide for people (like me) who have kinda lost track of all the shuffling around.
https://herosports.com/fcs-football-rea ... ship-bzbz/

No changes to the MVFC for this fall, but we add Murray State in 2023.
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WAC and ASUN renewing their partnership that they started last season: https://wacsports.com/sports/fball/2021 ... 0518f0frd5
As a refresher:
WAC in 2022 is Abilene Christian, Incarnate Word, Lamar, Sam Houston, Southern Utah, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton State, and Utah Tech (formerly Dixie State)
ASUN in 2022 is Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State, and North Alabama

Of those, two teams (Sam Houston and Jacksonville State) are going FBS in 2023, with rumors that Kennesaw State and Eastern Kentucky could be headed that way in the future.

I know that a big part of why we have the WAC is because some of the Southland teams didn't want to be in the same conference with some of the other teams, but I think the ASUN/WAC and Southland/OVC partnerships would make a lot more geographic sense if they went ASUN/OVC and WAC/Southland.
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