Wyoming to FCS?

[Lehigh Football Nation]

http://www.dailyinterlake.com/sports/local_montana/article_5373f65c-3edf-11df-a622-001cc4c002e0.html


On the other end of the spectrum, the University of Wyoming recently completed an internal study to see if it should drop down to the FCS level, according to O’Day.

“That’s one thing we probably learned from Idaho is that they probably didn’t have the infrastructure in place,” O’Day said. “Now they’re getting there but it’s been 10 years down the road to get to that point where they can then be competitive. Boise had the infrastructure in place when they left.”

If they indeed were thinking about "dropping" to FCS level in football, it would be historic since they'd drop out of the WAC, a conference they have been competing in since the 1960s. And if they did, they really would only have two possible destinations: the Great West or Big Sky. No awards as to which is the better choice: a league with Montana, Montana State and an NCAA tournament bid, or the Great West, which is a 3,000 mile conference-no-not-really for basketball.

Does it make sense?

[Ronbo]

A Wyoming fan posted that study happened in 2002 and was in reality geared to scare boosters in to giving more money. I think it worked pretty good.

[DFW HOYA]

This is a form of due dligence, nothing more. When Rice University was evaluating its athletic standing, a consultant offered numerous options ranging from Division I-A to scrapping all intercollegiate athletics and just playing club sports. They chose to stay where they were.

(Ironically, one of the options in the report was to join the Patriot League.)

[TexasTerror]

Are we really going to believe our friend Dillon Tabish on anything he writes?

Feel free to drop him a line at [email protected] and let us know if he responds.

[813Jag]

http://www.dailyinterlake.com/sports/local_montana/article_5373f65c-3edf-11df-a622-001cc4c002e0.html



If they indeed were thinking about "dropping" to FCS level in football, it would be historic since they'd drop out of the WAC, a conference they have been competing in since the 1960s. And if they did, they really would only have two possible destinations: the Great West or Big Sky. No awards as to which is the better choice: a league with Montana, Montana State and an NCAA tournament bid, or the Great West, which is a 3,000 mile conference-no-not-really for basketball.

Does it make sense?
One point, Wyoming is in the Mountain West.

[CollegeSportsInfo]

http://www.dailyinterlake.com/sports/local_montana/article_5373f65c-3edf-11df-a622-001cc4c002e0.html



If they indeed were thinking about "dropping" to FCS level in football, it would be historic since they'd drop out of the WAC, a conference they have been competing in since the 1960s. And if they did, they really would only have two possible destinations: the Great West or Big Sky. No awards as to which is the better choice: a league with Montana, Montana State and an NCAA tournament bid, or the Great West, which is a 3,000 mile conference-no-not-really for basketball.

Does it make sense?

Wyoming hasn't been in the WAC for over a decade. They were a force during the Tiller years in the 90s. But have been average in the MWC. But as another posted pointed out, the study was likely a move to get the boosters scared to donate more money.

[MaximumBobcat]

I know a few UW insiders. They aren't going anywhere.

[JALMOND]

http://www.dailyinterlake.com/sports/local_montana/article_5373f65c-3edf-11df-a622-001cc4c002e0.html



If they indeed were thinking about "dropping" to FCS level in football, it would be historic since they'd drop out of the WAC, a conference they have been competing in since the 1960s. And if they did, they really would only have two possible destinations: the Great West or Big Sky. No awards as to which is the better choice: a league with Montana, Montana State and an NCAA tournament bid, or the Great West, which is a 3,000 mile conference-no-not-really for basketball.

Does it make sense?

Half right about Wyoming in the WAC. A few years back the core WAC members (except Hawaii) took UNLV and formed their own conference when the WAC wanted to expand. The new conference took the name Mountain West but some of us call them the "old WAC" (and the WAC is known as the "new WAC).

[CollegeSportsInfo]

Yes, JAlmond...back in the days when the Colorado St.'s unfixed mascot had the nickname "Te biggest sack in the WAC".

What I miss most about the WAC back then was the Holiday bowl. Always nice to see the top WAc school in that game. No mas.

[ngineer]

This is a form of due dligence, nothing more. When Rice University was evaluating its athletic standing, a consultant offered numerous options ranging from Division I-A to scrapping all intercollegiate athletics and just playing club sports. They chose to stay where they were.

(Ironically, one of the options in the report was to join the Patriot League.)


You could create an excellent conference of small schools with high academics and still give scholarships the would involve Rice, Vanderbilt, Duke, Stanford, Northwestern and the Patriot League schools (including Army and Navy, who are PL members in all other PL sports but football.)

[ccd494]

You could create an excellent conference of small schools with high academics and still give scholarships the would involve Rice, Vanderbilt, Duke, Stanford, Northwestern and the Patriot League schools (including Army and Navy, who are PL members in all other PL sports but football.)

You could do Rice, Vandy, Duke, Stanford, Northwestern, Wake, Army, Navy without dipping into FCS. That's a lot of smart kids, and a lot of mediocre football.

[JALMOND]

I know a few UW insiders. They aren't going anywhere.

I'm with you on this. Highly doubt Pokes are moving down. The rivalry they've created with Colorado State (not to mention Utah and BYU) are more intense than any they could have with Montana, Montana State and N Colorado. Also, if they did join the Big Sky, one could not say that Montana has the best stadium in the conference (let alone the country).