Your thoughts on conference realignment rumors?

[Rich K]

This was posted over on the Montana State board. These guys have obviously thought about this a great deal. Towards the end they talk more about the FCS ramifications then you guys are probably interested in but the first part of it they do a pretty good dive into the FBS realignment.

How does Montana and Montana State feel about moving up and being in the MWC? I'd be in favor. Would love to be conference mates with the Montana schools in the big boy league, of course.

Personally I think that MSU is closer to being ready for a move than UM regardless of stadium size (UM is larger) or football success (MSU has closed that gap in recent years). The main reason is the astronomical expansion of the University itself. Major projects including an 50+ million dollars for an Engineering building and 20+ Million for a Business building. Also the MSU College of Nursing just got 101 Million for expansion of the nursing program, which runs on all campuses in Montana, including UM-Missoula. In the past, the regents were pretty solid about the idea that moving up would be both UM and MSU or nothing.

That being said, I think that the BOR would be less likely to hold to the both or none thinking as MSU is rolling and UM is stagnant. UM has not had any significant growth in most of a decade.

I've generally been of the line of thought to stay FCS mainly because I like the tournament and that I didn't think MSU was ready. We also all had front row seats on Idaho's FBS circus and I didn't want to see a repeat of that failure. My mind has been slowly changing.

My bottom line today: The conference would have to be the MWC and it would be just MSU. Any conference less than MWC would be wrong (region and peer institutes). UM is not ready and dragging them along would be bad for them and the new conference. UM would need to resolve some institutional issues first (their football is fine). Not sure the regents would agree though.

[sandiegopoke]

Old Bull - Getting Gonzaga would be awesome. May as well add Wichita State while we are at it. Yeah, there were newspaper articles in the Denver Post and the springs paper that opined that this move is dumb dumb dumb.

Yes, no way their money is going to be better long-term (unless everything blows up and goes to hell in a hand basket with the MWC, but what's to say that won't happen with their new conference?). Those AAC schools are blah. I mean BLAH. Complete afterthoughts in their own states, regions, markets, etc. Like what % of south Florida students actually are primary fans of south florida? like 10% I would bet they are all Gator or Seminole or Canes fans first and foremost.

Really low what CSU is doing, unless they are playing 4D chess to get rid of Thompson, improve our start times, kill the Boise special deal and get us better bowl tie-ins to boot. Doubt CSU is doing any of that so they can go pound sand forever. This does hurt, I'll admit. So much history and tradition thrown out for what exactly?? Let us win the Border War one last time, never schedule them in anything ever again and keep the Boot in our trophy case forever.

The conference bylaws would have to be changed to allow non-football playing schools to join. Not saying it wouldn't happen, but it is an additional hurtle to such ideas.

[Old-Bull]

It's going to be hell to add new teams now that we have so many California teams. All the California pansies are anti-Montana, anti-NDSU.......

They're all going to want more California garbage or Texas schools.

I sure miss the days when BYU and Utah voted in a similar fashion to UNM, Wyo, CSU, and AFA.

Now we're stuck in leftist hell.

[johnywyo]

I agree Old Bull, at what point does institutional integrity, shared values, and history (tradition) get completely thrown out by the presidents, AD's, and board members of the MWC? All for the sake of splitting whatever the purse is for games on Thursday and Friday nights? Go for it! Turn out the lights.

Thats where the market will be for the AAC and whatever Thompson can pull out of his a$s for the likes of a MWC without AFA, SDSU, and Boise. CSU doesn't even register.

Not only do we forego any chance at maintaining our footprint, but we lose our remaining rivalries and maybe that is the death sentence for intercollegiate athletics at UW.

Thompson definitely needs to go and if Parker at CSU thinks in his Ann Arbor perspective that the Rams are going to make hay with this move he's at the wrong end of a crack pipe.

[Cowduck]

All I know is that it will be really hard for me to justify paying attention to Wyoming athletics if we keep losing our regional rivals. I hate everything about this. It's a busted system that would allow the Wyoming-CSU rivalry die on the vine so that CSU can go play f-word Tulane and Memphis every year.

[ragtimejoe1]

Brings up an interesting question. Would either side or both sides have an interst in maintaining the Border War as an OOC game?

I honestly don't think it means much to the average ewe fan so i'm guessing no on their end.

I'm torn.

[ragtimejoe1]

I think either this is correct https://www.coloradoan.com/story/sports ... 916576001/

or old-bull is correct and csu is trying to gain leverage and/or get CT fired (good thought old-bull).

Analyzing from these 2 perspectives are the only that make sense to me. Looking at it as moving to gain something from the aac doesn't make any sense.

[LanderPoke]

I think either this is correct https://www.coloradoan.com/story/sports ... 916576001/

or old-bull is correct and csu is trying to gain leverage and/or get CT fired (good thought old-bull).

Analyzing from these 2 perspectives are the only that make sense to me. Looking at it as moving to gain something from the aac doesn't make any sense.

CSU writer Lyle basically saying..WTF are we doing??

[Old-Bull]

Boise and SDSU made it official. They won't be joining the AAC. CSU is still on the fence from what Dennis Dodd tweeted and Afa looks like they're still wanting to move.

Maybe now that CSU and AFA know they'll be joining a poop league that will inevitably get their t.v. contract re-negotiated, they'll smarten up and stay.

This is chess and as we all know, CSU isn't very good at things that require intelligence, planning, or fore-thought.

If CSU and AFA stay, the AAC is forced to add a bunch of garbage teams. Their t.v. contract takes a huge hit. The MWC becomes the better football and basketball league. If and when Boise leaves, it puts us in a position to pull who we want from the AAC. It allows us to stay as regional as possible and it allows us to cherry pick the AAC. Aresco is schooling Thompson and CSU right now by selling them fear. If they just hold tight and wait, it forces the AAC to further weaken themselves and puts the MWC in the drivers seat.

For once in my life, I wish CSU wasn't so f-word colossally stupid.

[303cowboy]

whelp, guess they're staying.. Fun while it lasted

[Wyokie]

whelp, guess they're staying.. Fun while it lasted

Not surprised whatsoever!!!!!!

Wonder what conference will get raided by the AAC now? Conf. USA?

[LanderPoke]

whelp, guess they're staying.. Fun while it lasted

CSU, those little attention "friendly ladies"

[307bball]

Man....this conference realignment stuff is a roller coaster. I imagine if I were a fan and follower of a heavy-weight program like Notre Dame or USC or Texas...It would feel good to be so assured of my position at the top of the heap.

I'm a Wyoming fan and it feels like being a cork in the ocean.

[LanderPoke]

The move to the AAC never made any damn sense. It was not more money and was going to likely be less money after ESPN gets to renegotiate after their heavy weights bolted. The teams are WORSE. The geography made no sense. I can't think of a single benefit, so naturally the sheep would consider it and get everyone all riled up

[aranderson]

Now Thompson if he has a brain cell would return fire and rake Memphis and Tulsa out of the AAC and further cripple that conference, add one or two remaining regional football teams, and add Gonzaga. We'd be darn close to even surpassing the Big12

[OrediggerPoke]

Now Thompson if he has a brain cell would return fire and rake Memphis and Tulsa out of the AAC and further cripple that conference, add one or two remaining regional football teams, and add Gonzaga. We'd be darn close to even surpassing the Big12

Thompson should put it to a vote whether CSU gets to stay or is kicked out of the MWC.

[bladerunnr]

Now Thompson if he has a brain cell would return fire and rake Memphis and Tulsa out of the AAC and further cripple that conference, add one or two remaining regional football teams, and add Gonzaga. We'd be darn close to even surpassing the Big12

Thompson should put it to a vote whether CSU gets to stay or is kicked out of the MWC.

If we kicked out every school that looked at joining another conference, we'd be down to about 3 schools.

[OrediggerPoke]

Now Thompson if he has a brain cell would return fire and rake Memphis and Tulsa out of the AAC and further cripple that conference, add one or two remaining regional football teams, and add Gonzaga. We'd be darn close to even surpassing the Big12

Thompson should put it to a vote whether CSU gets to stay or is kicked out of the MWC.

If we kicked out every school that looked at joining another conference, we'd be down to about 3 schools.

Nothing to do with looking at other conferences - more so just being CSU.

[ragtimejoe1]

There's due diligence and there's stupidity. csu falls into the latter category. I'm not sure who looks the bigger fool, csu or the aac?

Sheesh.

[WYO_Fan_inPA]

Now Thompson if he has a brain cell would return fire and rake Memphis and Tulsa out of the AAC and further cripple that conference, add one or two remaining regional football teams, and add Gonzaga. We'd be darn close to even surpassing the Big12

Thompson should put it to a vote whether CSU gets to stay or is kicked out of the MWC.

Who the he11 would want csu? Lol. I vote we kick them out.