Is it about time UNI graduates to FBS status? Would it help ISU (AP Polls/Bowl Games)

[isu5000]

There has some been some articles and speculation over the last year is UNI should be looking into a possible move from a FCS level conference to a FBS level conference for sports (mostly for football). UNI AD Troy Dannen has been pondering the thought. There are certain requirements and money issues a school would have to get through to go from a FCS level to FBS. Some being averaging 15,000 in attendance for games (I know the UNI dome only holds 15-16 thousand), %60 of all games schedule must be against FBS teams, and the school would have to compete in at least 16 varsity sports to achieve FBS status amongst other things.

UNI in the last decade has been a FCS powerhouse in football and has a respectable history with men’s basketball. So why not move up a notch in the conference ranks. Their wrestling program is moving the MAC conference so why not move everything else to a FBS level?

UNI has a good football team, they could easily a mid to a top tier team in MAC, SUN BELT, or any other mid tier conference if they got an invite to join one of those conferences. They would make more money moving a step up, a lot more money. Money for more possible TV exposure, going to bowl games, playing against more respectable and difficult FBS teams. With more cash flow and exposure would in the long run give them better football recruits, better facilities, and better chance improve their athletic department overall.

UNI has beaten ISU, has given Iowa a run for its money a couple times, and nearly beat Wisconsin this year in football. With UNI moving up to a FBS rating could slightly help ISU's scheduling creditability for AP rankings and playing better bowl games. I say it is time for them to move up, why not. Plus it would be nice to see UNI near or on the same level of respectability in the sports community as ISU or IOWA.

 

[cyfanatic]

Re: Is it about time UNI graduates to FBS status? Would it help ISU (AP Polls/Bowl Ga

Not sure about the "more money" thing...there would be tremendous costs associated with a move like this.

 

[aauummm]

Re: Is it about time UNI graduates to FBS status? Would it help ISU (AP Polls/Bowl Ga

There has some been some articles and speculation over the last year is UNI should be looking into a possible move from a FCS level conference to a FBS level conference for sports (mostly for football). UNI AD Troy Dannen has been pondering the thought. There are certain requirements and money issues a school would have to get through to go from a FCS level to FBS. Some being averaging 15,000 in attendance for games (I know the UNI dome only holds 15-16 thousand), %60 of all games schedule must be against FBS teams, and the school would have to compete in at least 16 varsity sports to achieve FBS status amongst other things.

UNI in the last decade has been a FCS powerhouse in football and has a respectable history with men’s basketball. So why not move up a notch in the conference ranks. Their wrestling program is moving the MAC conference so why not move everything else to a FBS level?

UNI has a good football team, they could easily a mid to a top tier team in MAC, SUN BELT, or any other mid tier conference if they got an invite to join one of those conferences. They would make more money moving a step up, a lot more money. Money for more possible TV exposure, going to bowl games, playing against more respectable and difficult FBS teams. With more cash flow and exposure would in the long run give them better football recruits, better facilities, and better chance improve their athletic department overall.

UNI has beaten ISU, has given Iowa a run for its money a couple times, and nearly beat Wisconsin this year in football. With UNI moving up to a FBS rating could slightly help ISU's scheduling creditability for AP rankings and playing better bowl games. I say it is time for them to move up, why not. Plus it would be nice to see UNI near or on the same level of respectability in the sports community as ISU or IOWA.

Shouldn't this be in the In-State Rivals Forum?

 

[VTXCyRyD]

Re: Is it about time UNI graduates to FBS status? Would it help ISU (AP Polls/Bowl Ga

View attachment 15076

 

[TRZA]

Re: Is it about time UNI graduates to FBS status? Would it help ISU (AP Polls/Bowl Ga

Aren't they losing money both overall and in Football? They would be lucky to get an invite into the MAC? Too far fom the Sun Belt or another conference to make it worthwhile. This isn't the right time for expanding a stadium or building new facilities for other sports. They could let the other big FCS programs move on, leaving them to continue dominating?

 

[CysRage]

Re: Is it about time UNI graduates to FBS status? Would it help ISU (AP Polls/Bowl Ga

UNI has beaten ISU, has given Iowa a run for its money a couple times, and nearly beat Wisconsin this year in football. With UNI moving up to a FBS rating could slightly help ISU's scheduling creditability for AP rankings and playing better bowl games. I say it is time for them to move up, why not. Plus it would be nice to see UNI near or on the same level of respectability in the sports community as ISU or IOWA.

Not really. If UNI does make a change to FBS, they would be the Kent State or for this year Tulsa team we play and then we would schedule a new FCS (IE Western Illinois) team to take their place. Unless we opt to not play FCS and play all FBS (not a chance), our SOS wouldn't improve.

 

[IcSyU]

Re: Is it about time UNI graduates to FBS status? Would it help ISU (AP Polls/Bowl Ga

UNI can't afford to be FBS. The added scholarships would drive them into the ground. The MAC for example barely gets 6 digits distributed to schools in football television revenue.

 

[Clonebydesign]

Re: Is it about time UNI graduates to FBS status? Would it help ISU (AP Polls/Bowl Ga

Honey wakeup, breakfast is ready

 

[Cyballz]

Re: Is it about time UNI graduates to FBS status? Would it help ISU (AP Polls/Bowl Ga

UNI looking into the possibility of moving up to 1-A is about like me looking into buying a personal jet.

 

[TXCyclones]

Re: Is it about time UNI graduates to FBS status? Would it help ISU (AP Polls/Bowl Ga

As a native Iowan I would like to see it. It would be nice to have two great FBS teams in the state in ISU and UNI.

 

[ISUAgronomist]

Re: Is it about time UNI graduates to FBS status? Would it help ISU (AP Polls/Bowl Ga

 

[aauummm]

Re: Is it about time UNI graduates to FBS status? Would it help ISU (AP Polls/Bowl Ga

As a native Iowan I would like to see it. It would be nice to have two great FBS teams in the state in ISU and UNI.

:biglaugh:

 

[cybsball20]

Re: Is it about time UNI graduates to FBS status? Would it help ISU (AP Polls/Bowl Ga

The costs would even out because they could play 3-4 of those Kent State games before conference play. Right now, they go to ISU or Wisconsin and the most they can get is $600k. IF they are FBS they can command over $1million. Most MAC or Sun Belt schools fund their entire football program with two road games.

 

[IcSyU]

Re: Is it about time UNI graduates to FBS status? Would it help ISU (AP Polls/Bowl Ga

The costs would even out because they could play 3-4 of those Kent State games before conference play. Right now, they go to ISU or Wisconsin and the most they can get is $600k. IF they are FBS they can command over $1million. Most MAC or Sun Belt schools fund their entire football program with two road games.

If the costs would even out they would already have done it. It doesn't make any sense financially therefore they haven't done it.

 

[theshadow]

Re: Is it about time UNI graduates to FBS status? Would it help ISU (AP Polls/Bowl Ga

UNI can't afford to be FBS. The added scholarships would drive them into the ground. The MAC for example barely gets 6 digits distributed to schools in football television revenue.

Not just the 22 football scholarships, but the additional 22 women's scholarships due to Title IX. An extra $1M per year by being the sacrificial lamb to two AQ schools is not going to cover that. Adding 44 scholarships won't sit well with the folks associated with teams they've cut recently.

They would also need to sell out the Dome every game just to meet the NCAA attendance requirement.

 

[carvers4math]

Re: Is it about time UNI graduates to FBS status? Would it help ISU (AP Polls/Bowl Ga

I'm sick of us paying UNI to be Iowa North. I don't see how they could afford it. We go from paying for their AD through our tax money to having ISU pay them half a million bucks to play them all of the time, limiting the teams we can play on our schedule and paying them more than our other non-con opponents even though they recruit some of the same guys. Just sick of UNI and Farley period.

 

[theshadow]

Re: Is it about time UNI graduates to FBS status? Would it help ISU (AP Polls/Bowl Ga

Unless we opt to not play FCS and play all FBS (not a chance), our SOS wouldn't improve.

SOS means nothing in football unless you're in the national championship hunt.

Bowls don't pick on SOS. They pick on how much money they can get from traveling fans.

 

[aauummm]

Re: Is it about time UNI graduates to FBS status? Would it help ISU (AP Polls/Bowl Ga

I'm sick of us paying UNI to be Iowa North. I don't see how they could afford it. We go from paying for their AD through our tax money to having ISU pay them half a million bucks to play them all of the time, limiting the teams we can play on our schedule and paying them more than our other non-con opponents even though they recruit some of the same guys. Just sick of UNI and Farley period.

They are like a pesky, bothersome little step-cousin.

 

[alarson]

Re: Is it about time UNI graduates to FBS status? Would it help ISU (AP Polls/Bowl Ga

The only benefit to us would be that if we kept scheduling them, we'd basically still have an FCS team in them, and then we could still schedule another FCS team and count it towards bowl eligibility.

Other than that, i'm not sure how they meet attendance requirements or cover the increased costs.

Big picture- i think too many programs are in FBS as it is. There is a reason there was a division and there were limits on how many you could play. Now the rich programs can schedule up multiple bad FBS programs and count them towards their wins.

 

[CycloneErik]

Re: Is it about time UNI graduates to FBS status? Would it help ISU (AP Polls/Bowl Ga

This doesn't help us, so I don't care.