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

[CycloneWarning]

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.

Agreed. The argument is based on a false premise that UNI has any impact on our goals via strength of schedule. SOS in football is meaningless unless you are undefeated.

Winning the game is all that matters. Having three FBS teams in a little state like Iowa is beyond ridiculous.

UNI should be proud of what they accomplish in both FB and MBB with their limited budget. I don't mind playing them at all as long as FB is always at home. It sucks to lose to Drake and/or UNI in MBB, but that just means it is on us to improve our programs.

Anytime UNI beats ISU in FB, that is just a bellweather sign. Mac never lost to UNI. Rhoads has not lost to UNI (whew!). Only Chiz recently lost to UNI, and I think we all know what we think of him.

 

[cyclone87]

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

Would be a terrible move for them imo, they have their niche in the FCS realm. They would just be another crappy MAC team in the FBS, and I don't think it would improve things financially.

 

[cyman05]

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

First of all, you have to be invited to a conference to go to FBS. You can't just declare and announce you're going to be an independent. With the WAC dissolving, there are only 2 bottom feeder conferences. MAC and Sun Belt. Sun Belt will never happen...so that leaves the MAC.

As far as the big increase in revenue for FBS, I'm open to correction but the last I saw the MAC TV contract is worth 1.5 million/yr for the entire conference. So that's about $150,000 in TV money for UNI if they joined the MAC. Your other source of revenue is payout games like games at Wisconsin, at Iowa, at ISU. UNI can schedule those games now if they want...they don't have to be FBS to get them...So I'm failing to see where all this extra revenue would come from if they'd joined FBS.

At first I chuckled at the thought of the MAC inviting UNI...but with Temple leaving, the MAC only has 13 teams. They need a 14th, and thought they had it solved until Temple left, giving them 13 again. So who could they target for 14? There isn't a big pool of schools in the Midwest or East who average near 15k in fans that could make the move...You have:
-Appalacian State (North Carolina, 26,000)
-Deleware (19,000)
-James Madison (Virginia, 25,000)
-Liberty (Virginia, 16,000)
-Norfolk State (Virginia, 15,000)
-North Dakota State (18,000)
-Tennessee State (14,000)
-UNI (13,000)
-Youngstown State (Ohio, 14,000)

That's only 9 schools that I count that could even be possible fits for a 14th school for the MAC and you know most of those wouldn't accept an invitation to the MAC. So I suppose the MAC could consider UNI...

But at the end of the day I don't really see what UNI has to gain by joining the MAC even it was possible. Between little increase in revenue, greater travel costs, greater costs for scholarships, and the need to add more sports, I don't really see the benefit.

 

[ribsnwhiskey]

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

Who cares? And, who cares?

 

[DistrictCyclone]

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

First of all, you have to be invited to a conference to go to FBS. You can't just declare and announce you're going to be an independent. With the WAC dissolving, there are only 2 bottom feeder conferences. MAC and Sun Belt. Sun Belt will never happen...so that leaves the MAC.

As far as the big increase in revenue for FBS, I'm open to correction but the last I saw the MAC TV contract is worth 1.5 million/yr for the entire conference. So that's about $150,000 in TV money for UNI if they joined the MAC. Your other source of revenue is payout games like games at Wisconsin, at Iowa, at ISU. UNI can schedule those games now if they want...they don't have to be FBS to get them...So I'm failing to see where all this extra revenue would come from if they'd joined FBS.

At first I chuckled at the thought of the MAC inviting UNI...but with Temple leaving, the MAC only has 13 teams. They need a 14th, and thought they had it solved until Temple left, giving them 13 again. So who could they target for 14? There isn't a big pool of schools in the Midwest or East who average near 15k in fans that could make the move...You have:
-Appalacian State (North Carolina, 26,000)
-Deleware (19,000)
-James Madison (Virginia, 25,000)
-Liberty (Virginia, 16,000)
-Norfolk State (Virginia, 15,000)
-North Dakota State (18,000)
-Tennessee State (14,000)
-UNI (13,000)
-Youngstown State (Ohio, 14,000)

That's only 9 schools that I count that could even be possible fits for a 14th school for the MAC and you know most of those wouldn't accept an invitation to the MAC. So I suppose the MAC could consider UNI...

But at the end of the day I don't really see what UNI has to gain by joining the MAC even it was possible. Between little increase in revenue, greater travel costs, greater costs for scholarships, and the need to add more sports, I don't really see the benefit.

:no: Why even play along, man? You spent way too much time on this...matter of fact, 2 seconds would have been too much time on this.

 

[cyman05]

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

:no: Why even play along, man? You spent way too much time on this...matter of fact, 2 seconds would have been too much time on this.

You're right! Don't know why I find that sort of stuff interesting!

 

[CLONECONES]

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

anything in a stupid font does not get read by CLONECONES

 

[CycloneErik]

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

I hope they don't. They would probably take our spot, and we'd be begging to join the MAC. We are Iowa State.

 

[CtownCyclone]

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

Thanks. I needed a laugh today.

 

[ruxCYtable]

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

:no: Why even play along, man? You spent way too much time on this...matter of fact, 2 seconds would have been too much time on this.

Agreed.

isu5000 would do well to lurk a little more. All FOUR of his posts have been rambling diatribes of subjects (that he/she seems to think he is the first to bring up) that have already been beaten to death on here.

 

[NickTheGreat]

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

Obvious UNI troll is obvious. :skeptical:

 

[Wally86]

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

This would doom UNI's football program. They have a niche which is driven by FCS post season play. Players that have issues qualifying or getting in trouble can drop down a level, play, and get seen in the playoffs. Check thier roster for FBS transfers. If they bump up to FBS they imediately lose thier recruiting draw and tank within 5 years. For a few impact players it's all about getting seen and having a chance to make the NFL. Teams like UNI are their chance. There is no chance to pick up these players in the MAC. Doubling the budget wouldn't make up for losing thier recruiting niche.

 

[cycloneike001]

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

I think a part of the reason why they won't make the jump for a while is the UNI Dome. They need an upgrade, they need to get more than 10,000 fans in the stadium.

 

[Wesley]

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.

Yeah, UNI could then schedule Iowa.

 

[jdoggivjc]

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

First of all, you have to be invited to a conference to go to FBS. You can't just declare and announce you're going to be an independent. With the WAC dissolving, there are only 2 bottom feeder conferences. MAC and Sun Belt. Sun Belt will never happen...so that leaves the MAC.

As far as the big increase in revenue for FBS, I'm open to correction but the last I saw the MAC TV contract is worth 1.5 million/yr for the entire conference. So that's about $150,000 in TV money for UNI if they joined the MAC. Your other source of revenue is payout games like games at Wisconsin, at Iowa, at ISU. UNI can schedule those games now if they want...they don't have to be FBS to get them...So I'm failing to see where all this extra revenue would come from if they'd joined FBS.

Signed, Notre Dame, Army, Navy, and BYU.

You don't HAVE to be invited to a conference to join FBS. Most just won't make the move unless they have an invite to a conference sewn up (such as UConn was a shoe-in to join the Big East when they moved up, as will Villanova if they decide to as well). In fact, at least the old rules, you had to be an FBS independent for a year or two before you could join a conference.

Now, in UNI's case, it would be inadvisable to do so unless they had a conference invite, the only realistic ones being MAC or WAC. I have no idea whether it would make financial sense for UNI to join FBS. If it didn't make sense not a single school would make the jump - and notice no school drops from FBS to FCS. Then again, if it made sense for all schools a lot more schools would make the jump. In the long term it would probably make a lot of sense as they would make a lot more money off their nonconference slate, and while the MAC TV contract is probably a joke, the MVC TV contract is probably nonexistent. The question is could UNI afford to make the jump in the short term - that, I don't know.

 

[Aclone]

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

Dang. If only there were an Instate Rivals forum for this...or maybe just the same thread from last week.

 

[AnotherMNClone]

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

You don't HAVE to be invited to a conference to join FBS. Most just won't make the move unless they have an invite to a conference sewn up (such as UConn was a shoe-in to join the Big East when they moved up, as will Villanova if they decide to as well). In fact, at least the old rules, you had to be an FBS independent for a year or two before you could join a conference.

You need to do more research before you correct people.

20.4.2.1.1 Eligibility for Reclassification. Before a Football Championship Subdivision institution may apply for reclassification to the Football Bowl Subdivision, the institution must receive a bona fide invitation for membership from a Football Bowl Subdivision conference or a conference that previously met the definition of a Football Bowl Subdivision conference (see Bylaw 20.02.6). (Adopted: 1/15/11 effective 8/1/11)

 

[cyman05]

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

You need to do more research before you correct people.

20.4.2.1.1 Eligibility for Reclassification. Before a Football Championship Subdivision institution may apply for reclassification to the Football Bowl Subdivision, the institution must receive a bona fide invitation for membership from a Football Bowl Subdivision conference or a conference that previously met the definition of a Football Bowl Subdivision conference (see Bylaw 20.02.6). (Adopted: 1/15/11 effective 8/1/11)

Thanks for finding that. I knew I heard somewhere that you had to be invited to a FBS conference to make the move up...The examples given by the other poster were Army, Navy, Notre Dame, and BYU, who have all been a part of the highest level of football for the longest time. Next year joining the ranks of the independents are Idaho and New Mexico State. But I knew that the rule was in place that to move up you have to have an invitation to move up.

 

[CF_Cyclone]

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

The talk is that if UNI moves up it won't be for a few years, and they feel that if they move up they will generate more money, since they thing with the addition of the 2 game playoff there is going to be more money spread around all of FBS schools. Another thing that may force them to move is if some of their other conference schools, such as Youngstown and North Dakota State move up. But I don't see them being offered because they had trouble filling the dome when they were ranked number 1 all season. The chart showing them at 13k in attendance is way off, because the dome doesn't even hold that many. It would not surprise me if they are force to actually move down since they continue to lose money.

 

[Frak]

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

Let's say that they got into the MAC and got an extra $150k, plus a small portion of the NCAA playoff cash. Then they got an extra $1.5M for non-conf. games. They'd still have to add 20 mens and 20 women's scholarships, plus travel would increase and then there's the eventual addition of the full cost of scholarship stipend, which is coming. They're in the hole now and if they go 1A, they will get more and more pressure from the state to rid themselves of state funding. It would be a tough sell and they'd likely have to increase ticket prices dramatically to pay the bills, if not build a new stadium.

On the flip side, I do think that UNI could eventually compete in the MAC. Actually, I think that they could compete there now and could make a minor bowl some years. They really don't get the FBS transfers that they used to and you can bet that they'd be raiding ISU's and iowa's potential walk-ons more than they are now. Is it really worth it for them? Minor bowls every once in awhile vs a chance at the 1AA playoffs? Would their limited fanbase step up to the plate with donations and paying more for tickets? How would they afford a new stadium if that's what is necessary? Would their fans who are also hawk fans (most of the fanbase) still be fans if they were FBS just like their beloved hawkeyes?

Seems like a "shoot for the moon" strategy by Dannen. I guess if the other option is going D1 non-scholarship like Drake, I'd be thinking about it too, but I don't know with their fanbase that it would work.