If the Big Sky does expand..

[aztecjim]

It will have 12 teams. Why do FCS,D2,or D3 conferences want multi-divisions? If the Big Sky does expand, it will have 12 teams competing for one FCS playoff spot. In my mind the Great West should try to pick off a couple Big Sky teams and make two eight team conferences. The GWC (all sports) could have Portland State, Eastern Washington, CSU-Sacramento, Cal Poly, UC-Davis, NAU, SUU, and USD (if USD is willing to go scholly and/or compete in a scholly league) The BSC has ISU, Montana, MSU, UNC, Weber State and all 4 Dakota schools. WSU could move to the GWC if USD declines. You have two separate leagues each earning a playoff spot. Not just in football but all sports. I say the same thing about the HBCUs. They could re-align into three conferences easily and get three playoff spots instead of two. Ditto the CAA in a couple years. Split into a north conference(Yankee?) of, say, Maine, UNH, UMass, Stony Brook, Albany, CCSU, Fordham and maybe URI. The south could have Georgia State, Old Dominion, Richmond, W&M,JMU, Towson, Nova, and Delaware. Two separate leagues, two auto-bids.

[89Hen]

It will have 12 teams. Why do FCS,D2,or D3 conferences want multi-divisions? If the Big Sky does expand, it will have 12 teams competing for one FCS playoff spot.

You speak the truth. There is no reason to have more than 9 teams in a I-AA conference, unless you're the SWAC where you aren't going to participate in the playoffs.

[4th and What?]

How would it be in EWU's or NAU's interest to go the the GWC? If EWU was in the GWC last year did they get an at-large?

Every team you mentioned in the CAA mix already has an auto-bid, except you are taking the NEC's and one of the Big South's best programs and putting them in the CAA mix. What happens when Georgia St, ODU, JMU, and/or others jump to the FBS in 3, 5, or 10 years?

I love the 12 team model the CAA has had. It protected them when Northeastern and Hofstra dropped football. Also, according to some it inflates how good your teams are when they don't play every team in the conference every year :) Why does the CAA need two auto-bids when they get 4-5 teams in the playoffs each year.

[NDB]

The AQ is meaningless with 20 playoff teams.

Any team that has any business in the playoffs will make (and few who don't also will).

[Polywog]

Even if the Big Sky expands to 12 I don't think it will stay that way for long. Several of the schools included have FBS aspirations and are appealing to the WAC. This expansion shores up the Big Sky for future departures more than any perceived gain of a 12 team FCS conference.

[Jackman]

You speak the truth. There is no reason to have more than 9 teams in a I-AA conference, unless you're the SWAC where you aren't going to participate in the playoffs.

Having more than 9 members, however, is significantly better than having less than 9 members. At 8 members or less, you can't guarantee 4 conference home games, and scheduling becomes more difficult. With so much conference realignment going on, you leave yourself in a vulnerable position by keeping only 9 members. Look at what's happening to the WAC. The CAA would also be scrambling right now if the losses of Northeastern and Hofstra had dropped us below 9. We had the luxury of having so many members that we could just re-write our schedule.

More members also means more market spread, which no doubt plays a role in the willingness of Comcast to pay the CAA to broadcast its games, whereas many FCS conferences have to pay the networks for airtime.

Finally, more members can often help with travel. In the CAA, adding ODU and GSU actually DECREASES travel costs for the New England members, because by separating back into North-South divisions they'll be playing their closest conference mates more often and the distant members less often.

The only upside for reducing to 9 members (or less) is greater access to the conference autobid to the playoffs, which is useless in the CAA's case because everyone worth a **** there receives an at large bid. The 9 member model is much better for a conferences like the Patriot and NEC, which can't count on getting at large bids, though in the Patriot's case you can see again how having fewer members puts pressures on them with respect to members potentially leaving over the scholarship issue. 9 is ideal only when working under very stable conditions.

[UNH Fanboi]

Having more than 9 members, however, is significantly better than having less than 9 members. At 8 members or less, you can't guarantee 4 conference home games, and scheduling becomes more difficult. With so much conference realignment going on, you leave yourself in a vulnerable position by keeping only 9 members. Look at what's happening to the WAC. The CAA would also be scrambling right now if the losses of Northeastern and Hofstra had dropped us below 9. We had the luxury of having so many members that we could just re-write our schedule.

More members also means more market spread, which no doubt plays a role in the willingness of Comcast to pay the CAA to broadcast its games, whereas many FCS conferences have to pay the networks for airtime.

Finally, more members can often help with travel. In the CAA, adding ODU and GSU actually DECREASES travel costs for the New England members, because by separating back into North-South divisions they'll be playing their closest conference mates more often and the distant members less often.

The only upside for reducing to 9 members (or less) is greater access to the conference autobid to the playoffs, which is useless in the CAA's case because everyone worth a **** there receives an at large bid. The 9 member model is much better for a conferences like the Patriot and NEC, which can't count on getting at large bids, though in the Patriot's case you can see again how having fewer members puts pressures on them with respect to members potentially leaving over the scholarship issue. 9 is ideal only when working under very stable conditions.

Wow, I couldn't have said it better myself.

[yorkcountyUNHfan]

Wow, I couldn't have said it better myself.

True, as much as it pains me to say it...the UMass guy is spot on.

[89Hen]

Having more than 9 members, however, is significantly better than having less than 9 members. At 8 members or less, you can't guarantee 4 conference home games, and scheduling becomes more difficult. With so much conference realignment going on, you leave yourself in a vulnerable position by keeping only 9 members. Look at what's happening to the WAC. The CAA would also be scrambling right now if the losses of Northeastern and Hofstra had dropped us below 9. We had the luxury of having so many members that we could just re-write our schedule.

More members also means more market spread, which no doubt plays a role in the willingness of Comcast to pay the CAA to broadcast its games, whereas many FCS conferences have to pay the networks for airtime.

Finally, more members can often help with travel. In the CAA, adding ODU and GSU actually DECREASES travel costs for the New England members, because by separating back into North-South divisions they'll be playing their closest conference mates more often and the distant members less often.

The only upside for reducing to 9 members (or less) is greater access to the conference autobid to the playoffs, which is useless in the CAA's case because everyone worth a **** there receives an at large bid. The 9 member model is much better for a conferences like the Patriot and NEC, which can't count on getting at large bids, though in the Patriot's case you can see again how having fewer members puts pressures on them with respect to members potentially leaving over the scholarship issue. 9 is ideal only when working under very stable conditions.

I don't disagree with anything you said. xthumbsupx

[spdram]

Well said 89

[GtFllsGriz]

Agreed. Jackman put it very well.

[Gil Dobie]

I just looked at the Boise St roster, 35 players from California. Bringing in Cal Poly and UCD gives the Big Sky more exposure in a hugh recruiting state.

[4th and What?]

Watching the Villanova/Temple game I was surprised to see a handful of starters on the Villanova team from California as well.