If the Summit took it FBS

[JBB]

If the Summit league accepted the UxDs and asked WIU, NDSU, SDSU to form an FBS football conference I think they would have a good football league. Maybe the Montana Schools would want to join, all sports of course?

NDSU - all sports
SDSU - all sports - bowl
WIU - all sports
SUU - all sports
UND - all sports
USD - all sports - bowl


Montana - all sports (?)
Montana State - all sports - bowl (?)

Maybe even UNI, SIU or Youngstown would come over? Long-shots?

Right now it would have to go FBS and be a viable conference or there is no incentive for the 3 MVFC schools.

PS. IF the Montana Schools joined the league it brings in 3 football bowl games with a possible fourth. That would be some serious revenue for the league as they worked their way up the ladder building larger stadiums and a Summit broadcast network.

It's time the smaller schools that didnt make the cut back in the 1920's step up together. I think they are making the cut now. It would be a nice new FBS football league with a future and the all sports aspect is very nice.

[TheBisonator]

I'd rather join the Valley in all sports.

The Montana schools would never accept what you are suggesting.

[JBB]

It's a nice league and it gives you a nice future for football while upgrading basketball. It has some pretty big revenue generators built-in too. That helps the league with finances. Its the only way the existing MVFC schools could agree to Summit football. Its a good arraignment. Get a regional TV network and away you go. You are small but you have a future. The football programs have a long term FBS goal - facilities and everything - and are at the bottom of the FBS heap, kind of like Summit basketball etc.

[Redbird Ray]

If the Summit does pursue football it will be an FCS league. North Dakota State, Montana State and maybe South Dakota State are the only schools mentioned above that have even a faint aspiration of going FBS (outside of Montana). Each Dakota state could support one FBS team, but two? I have my doubts both UND and NDSU could sustain viable FBS fanbases. Same goes for South Dakota.

Wouldn't this also mean totally new stadiums for UND, USD and WIU? Pretty sure these facilities are maxed out at 12K, 10K, and 17K respectively (and that 17K at WIU is very, very generous). Not to mention the major expansions that would be needed at NDSU, SDSU, and Montana State, although these seem more reasonable.

I would be for an FBS upstart conference that included Illinois State, Southern Illinois, Missouri State, Wichita State, North Texas, Texas State, North Dakota State, and South Dakota State. Maybe Northern Illinois and Louisiana Tech could be pursuaded as well. Kind of a similar North-South geography that the current Summit League has, but more geared toward football. A conference like this could be a solid 1-2 bid bball conference as well (2 bids in a good year, but I would be willing to sacrifice this for FBS football). But even this kind of conference is a total longshot.

[TheBisonator]

If the Summit does pursue football it will be an FCS league. North Dakota State, Montana State and maybe South Dakota State are the only schools mentioned above that have even a faint aspiration of going FBS (outside of Montana). Each Dakota state could support one FBS team, but two? I have my doubts both UND and NDSU could sustain viable FBS fanbases. Same goes for South Dakota.

Wouldn't this also mean totally new stadiums for UND, USD and WIU? Pretty sure these facilities are maxed out at 12K, 10K, and 17K respectively (and that 17K at WIU is very, very generous). Not to mention the major expansions that would be needed at NDSU, SDSU, and Montana State, although these seem more reasonable.

I would be for an FBS upstart conference that included Illinois State, Southern Illinois, Missouri State, Wichita State, North Texas, Texas State, North Dakota State, and South Dakota State. Maybe Northern Illinois and Louisiana Tech could be pursuaded as well. Kind of a similar North-South geography that the current Summit League has, but more geared toward football. A conference like this could be a solid 1-2 bid bball conference as well (2 bids in a good year, but I would be willing to sacrifice this for FBS football). But even this kind of conference is a total longshot.

I really like your idea in your last paragraph.

We really need Wichita State to bring back football.

[SO ILLmatic]

Somebody trying to get into the MAC by themselves would be substantially easier than trying to get other FCS teams on board for a new conference.

17,000+ in the FargoDome has to be more appealing to the commissioner,football coaches,players,presidents,etc... than 5,000 in Ypsilanti.

[darell1976]

If the Summit does pursue football it will be an FCS league. North Dakota State, Montana State and maybe South Dakota State are the only schools mentioned above that have even a faint aspiration of going FBS (outside of Montana). Each Dakota state could support one FBS team, but two? I have my doubts both UND and NDSU could sustain viable FBS fanbases. Same goes for South Dakota.

Wouldn't this also mean totally new stadiums for UND, USD and WIU? Pretty sure these facilities are maxed out at 12K, 10K, and 17K respectively (and that 17K at WIU is very, very generous). Not to mention the major expansions that would be needed at NDSU, SDSU, and Montana State, although these seem more reasonable.

I would be for an FBS upstart conference that included Illinois State, Southern Illinois, Missouri State, Wichita State, North Texas, Texas State, North Dakota State, and South Dakota State. Maybe Northern Illinois and Louisiana Tech could be pursuaded as well. Kind of a similar North-South geography that the current Summit League has, but more geared toward football. A conference like this could be a solid 1-2 bid bball conference as well (2 bids in a good year, but I would be willing to sacrifice this for FBS football). But even this kind of conference is a total longshot.

Right now the Alerus is just over 12,000. I don't believe could be redone to get the 15,000 needed, but there was talk about remodeling old Memorial Stadium which was at 10,000 as an East-West Stadium before moving into the Alerus in 2001. If they went into a horseshoe shaped stadium could get the 15,000. But that is a lot of talk and won't be thought of for I would say 20 years or more. I would be shocked if the FBS is studied by UND no earlier than 2030.

[Western_101]

Can't speak to USD or UND's capacity but:

Hanson Field (WIU) lists its official seating at 16,368. I am here to tell you that there is no way there are 16,368 places for butts to sit down, more like 14,000ish, that being said people like to use the term Seating and Capacity interchangably, when they mean something different. Hanson Field has extensive standing room and hillside berm area that can easily accomidate 4,000 more. I would put WIU's Hanson Field's "capacity" around 18,000K. Interresting tidbit to that is, in 1973 almost 20,000 fans crammed into Hanson Field to watch the Leathernecks dispatch Central Michigan 24-18.

Also, Hancock Stadium at ISU (red) only seats around 12,000 although capacity may be around 15,000.