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FCS Playoffs

Gotcha. Interesting. Yes - they don’t have a SunBelt type conference out there.
 
I could see the Mountain West grabbing them and a travel partner like Montana or whichever other school up there wants to make the leap.
 
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Yeah, MWC is about the only semi-realistic option. It was bandied about a few months ago in the latest round of realignment, but NDSU said they never got a call to even discuss it. Seemed like Texas was the preferred expansion direction for the conference if they were going to do it.
 
The MWC was looking at some Texas options if AFA, Boise State and CSU left for the Big 12, which was one of the many rumors floated regarded Big 12 expansion. AFA's boosters put the kibosh on them possibly leaving, and the Big 12 never asked the other two.

The MWC has 11 full-time members. Either UTEP or NMSU make the most geographical sense if they want to kick out Hawaii as a football affiliate and go to 12, but there has been some talk of adding UTSA.

Fargo is a long, long ways from any possible FBS conference. It's 805 driving miles between Fargo and Laramie, the closest MWC member. It's 608 miles to DeKalb, the closest MAC member.
 
Yeah, they're a long way from anything, including most teams in their current conference. The best thing that could happen for them would be for Montana, Montana State, UND, South Dakota State and South Dakota to all move up with them, either to create a new league with or without poaching a few others (I think 6 gets you "official" status) or to make the MWC a big one.
 
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Yeah, they're a long way from anything, including most teams in their current conference. The best thing that could happen for them would be for Montana, Montana State, UND, South Dakota State and South Dakota to all move up with them, either to create a new league with or without poaching a few others (I think 6 gets you "official" status) or to make the MWC a big one.
Or they could just remain in the FCS, which seems to be working just fine for all the schools you mentioned.
 
Of course, but I just don't know that NDSU in particular has anything left to prove. Nine titles in 11 years? At some point you wonder what more is possible. They have a huge fanbase and could compete at the FBS level right now in any given year. If they start recruiting as an FBS team, they'll be top-25 program in a couple years. With that comes money and exposure.
 
Of course, but I just don't know that NDSU in particular has anything left to prove. Nine titles in 11 years? At some point you wonder what more is possible. They have a huge fanbase and could compete at the FBS level right now in any given year. If they start recruiting as an FBS team, they'll be top-25 program in a couple years. With that comes money and exposure.
Just from watching NDSU play I can tell you they would be very competitive at the FBS level. To be honest I think they’d beat a lot of big ten teams because they are built similarly and play the same style. You can’t tell me they wouldn’t have a very good shot of beating Nebraska, iowa, northwestern, Wisconsin, Minnesota, indiana, Maryland, Rutgers, Purdue and Illinois. I think they beat most if not all of those teams. Even in the ACC I can promise you they would have done fine at least this year. Being as big a tech fan as I am the eye test of watching both teams tells me NDSU would have whipped us up front on both sides of the ball and possibly won by a couple scores. They would have torn up uva too because uva has a horrible run defense. NDSU would succeed at the next level.
 
NDSU seems to routinely pick up a number of Big 10 and other FBS programs transfers...wonder how this would be impacted if they moved up to FBS.
 
Guess it all depends on what you think is the definition of success.

look at Appy State. They I think have slipped into top 25 rankings. They play some power 5 schools. They are on tv some. But they max out in some irrelevant bowl game. Is that better than dominating in FCS?

I’m personally less interested in them. I’m never going to forgo watching say Auburn play to watch Appy State. Maybe it’s better but I know a lot less about them than I used to. Is that “normal” or am I the exception? Would think it’s better to the biggest fish. I’m more interested in NDSU than ASU.
 
Guess it all depends on what you think is the definition of success.

look at Appy State. They I think have slipped into top 25 rankings. They play some power 5 schools. They are on tv some. But they max out in some irrelevant bowl game. Is that better than dominating in FCS?

I’m personally less interested in them. I’m never going to forgo watching say Auburn play to watch Appy State. Maybe it’s better but I know a lot less about them than I used to. Is that “normal” or am I the exception? Would think it’s better to the biggest fish. I’m more interested in NDSU than ASU.
Agreed 100%. Doubt i have seen an appy state game since they went FBS, or bowling green, ball state, odu....etc Other than their fan base, no one cares. Unless during your boredom you place some kind of uninformed bet on the game.
 
This is a decent move for the conference to keep the northern schools happy…and yet it’s so underwhelming for me as a fan. Would have really preferred Hampton out of the Big South. That would have been a great move.
 
Neither one excites me in the slightest.

I guess there's some thought that a northern addition allows the CAA to go back to divisions without having to split UD and Nova. Still a giant "meh" for me.
 
We will have our hands full if we play Monmouth next season.

CAAFB would logically go to a two Division, 12-team conference. Maine, UNH, URI, Albany, Stony Brook and Monmouth in the North, Villanova, Delaware, Towson, Tribe, UR and Elon in the South.
 
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NDSU seems to routinely pick up a number of Big 10 and other FBS programs transfers...wonder how this would be impacted if they moved up to FBS.
NDSU has very few FBS transfers. It has always built its program on high school recruits.
 
NDSU has very few FBS transfers. It has always built its program on high school recruits.
By my count, they had only three FBS transfers on the roster this season...one each from Wisconsin, Virginia Tech, and SMU. They also had a couple of D-II guys from Minnesota State Mankato and a couple of JUCOs.
 
By my count, they had only three FBS transfers on the roster this season...one each from Wisconsin, Virginia Tech, and SMU. They also had a couple of D-II guys from Minnesota State Mankato and a couple of JUCOs.
Yep. And that is fairly typical. I think they had two on one of their recent title teams and one was a QB from Iowa State who never played behind the 49ers guy.
 
NDSU has very few FBS transfers. It has always built its program on high school recruits.
True, but if you are native to the upper plains, have FBS level talent, and want to play close to home, the FBS options in the area are close to non existent. This is why they garner great talent year after year. Plus everyone naturally wants to play for a winner.
 
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Eliminate the FCS and FBS designations all together and return to just standard D1. 32 team tournament and plenty of additional teams left over for bowl games. Dukebags are already showing how little separation there is from the top of FCS and G5 conferences.
 
Eliminate the FCS and FBS designations all together and return to just standard D1. 32 team tournament and plenty of additional teams left over for bowl games. Dukebags are already showing how little separation there is from the top of FCS and G5 conferences.
32 team tournament including top of P5…
 
32 team tournament including top of P5…
Correct. Auto bids for every conference and how ever many at large bids left over. 240+ D1 football programs. Bowl games can be their NIT and would still have quality opponents since most the tournament is composed of auto bids.
 
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