I don’t know Barry Alvarez. Never met him. Never been in the same room as him. And for the most part, never have talked to anybody about the Wisconsin athletic director. But there are a couple of things not sitting well with my Clear Thinking Radar and it really isn’t directly about to his statement that Big Ten Conference teams shouldn’t play FCS programs.
If the Big Ten moves forward on it, FCS teams will go on just fine with the exception of some lost revenue from those guarantee games. In the case of NDSU, I’m of the corner that Minnesota was not going to schedule the Bison until after the Jerry Kill era for certain and most likely when most of us near retirement age. They are non-conference games and should be treated as such. If the Big Ten doesn’t want FCS games, so be it.
The problem I have with Alvarez through all of this is the manner of which he went about it, like his word was final and the heck with the bottom teams in the Big Ten. It was discussed, but never voted on and therefore not a steadfast rule. Yet, he goes on a Madison radio station and talks as if it’s a done deal. It almost stops just just of bullying the rest of the conference. I would be surprised if Indiana, Northwestern, Iowa, Illinois, Purdue and even the Gophers would, or even should, be on board with it. The key in FBS is six wins, which gets you bowl eligible. If Minnesota is dropping Northern Carolina these days and doesn’t have the FCS option, how many New Mexico State’s of the world can a team schedule? Eliminating FCS games just means there will be more matchups with MAC or Sun Belt teams that sound like they should be in the FCS. By leaving FCS teams off the schedule, and the 95 percent success rate or whatever it is FBS teams have in those games, then Barry is depriving half his league of a better chance of the (fill in the blank) Bowl.
And one more point on Barry. What athletic director takes over a team when the head coach leaves before the Rose Bowl? Reminds me of Alexander Haig and “I’m in charge.” Put an assistant on the job.
Just heard from a reliable source the PAC12 and BIG12 have both agreed in principal NO FCS Football games
What AD takes over to coach the bowl game? An AD that wants to make a lot of money and fulfill his ego at the same time.
what do the powers that be at those lesser B1G programs say about this? i.e. minnesota, indiana, etc….
Check out the ESPN comments on this story and an SEC story about following the Big Ten, 5000 plus comments. FCS getting some respect from fans.
NDSU and all others in FCS welcome to the new DII league. No longer playing anyone of the big dogs. Time to move up with App State and Georgia Southern. Unless you want to be associated with the _NDs. The better universities are moving on.
amen, fbs now and quicklike. get on a phone and get this moving alone. announce the shac today, not tomorrow, TODAY and spark some interest in all of these moves.
Jeff, these are the exact thoughts I had yesterday when I posted about Alvarez. I felt the exact same way in regards to his failure at his 2nd stint as coach for one game. You can’t tell me they had no able bodied assistant who could have taken the team to another loss at a rose bowl. This might be little thinking, but I think old barry has seen players from that state come here and go back with rings on their fingers and that gives him an attitude against FCS teams and successes. Some of these guys have larger than life egos and when they make statements, they come off as big ass–. If other large FBS conferences jumped on the same thought process, they might have just been commenting in reaction to big mouth barry’s comments.
It makes sense for those Big Ten teams who think they legitimately are contenders for the playoff (Ohio State, perhaps Wisc, Mich, Mich St).
Boost up those team’s strength of schedule by getting rid of FCS games. Fine.
For the rest of the Big Ten teams that are trying to improve their ranking, let them play FCS teams if they determine that is in their best interest!
Shouldn’t be a conference-wide mandate.
The Big 10 is 93-8 versus FCS teams since 1978. Yes, yes and the mighty Gophs can take credit for 3 of those loses. However with Big Ten expansion and at least one more conference game on the horizon who says 6 wins remains the magic number for bowl eligibilty? If Alvarez gets what he says it really hurts FCS since BCS teams will be positioning for possibly an “RPI” like qualifier for playoffs and/or bowls. FCS wins won”t help this likely scenario. Teams like NDSU will probably need look for a “Big-Boy” conference versus an annual road trip pay day to a BCS team.
This is nothing new. Have you ever heard of the BCS formula?
Kolpack, I don’t think you’ve gotten your sphincter this puckered since that Wyndmere kid wouldn’t talk to you.
Let it go dude; you’re going to blow an O-ring.
Nerd stat: Since NDSU started playing FBS teams back in 2006, the Bison have accounted for 13% of FCS v FBS wins.
If the rest of the FCS was as effective at knocking off FBS teams as NDSU has been, the FCS would have 419 FBS wins since 2006 instead of 46.
Wait until those MAC and Sunbelt schools start putting the screws to these BCS schools with huge contract offers to play OOC games. My money says this doesn’t last too long when they need to start paying upwards of $1 mill for an FBS doormat. That $350,000 FCS school will start looking good again!
I don’t have a problem if the B1G or its teams decide not to play FCS games in general. But to publically announce it with superiority is just another arrogant move by the ME-10, a league that would sooner destroy college hockey and football than turn away from an opportunity to make another million. If the MAC and MVFC would figure out a way to put the screws to the look at ME-10, I’d be all for it.
So, its not true because Gene Taylor says its not true? Really? Is that the story you’re going with? Because Gene Taylor was in on the discussion, right? You surely have other sources that back Gene Taylor’s claims, correct? Because if you did, there would be a story written supporting that on page one, above the fold.
Iowa athletic director Gary Barta told Hawkeye beat writer essentially the same thing, that issue was discussed but no formal action taken. UNI athletic director told Waterloo-Cedar Falls Currier nothing has changed from UNI’s end. South Dakota State: no changes.
So, yes, that is the story I’m going with.
This is a nail in the coffin of fcs. Couple that with gsu and asu and odu moving fbs its got to be time to get off the pot. NDSU already dominates this division
Sounding more and more likely an invite to the MAC is imminent.
This could be the revenue blessing we have been waiting for. There will be a pool of FBS opponents that will make big money, more than we make now, by playing good OOC games. NDSU needs to get into the position to get an invite. The FFD is adequate for the MAC.
Hey 123, your sources are crap! Gene Taylor talked to two Big 12 ADs and they said it hasn’t even been discussed. There is nothing positive about making s#!t up and posting on a blog.
I hope next year Montana State has to come to Fargo in the playoffs. Then Gene Taylor should tell Coach Bohl to pound those guy!.
Montana State is looking out for themselves. The buyout is authorized by the contract so what is there to complain about? It’s the second time they have done this. Once a team quits on you twice its a brand new ballgame when it comes to the schedule.
Build up a MAC team, get some great games and let it roll. The move to the FBS will be about regular season games. The quality of the game will be up, GSU @ NDSU level every week. There is nothing more to get in the FCS. We learned in D2 once you are at the top you have to take the next step if you want to grow to your potential.
The big deal about Montana State pulling out of the game when they did is it happened a day after NDSU announced they had finalized an 11 game season. This is the end of February and the season starts at the end of August. This was a completely bush league move by Montana State and they have hung NDSU out to dry with this move.
Sooner or later these schools that claim to be part of the upper crust of FCS have to honor their contract agreements and play the games. I guess Montana State figures getting blown out by SMU will look better on their record than getting physically dominated and pounded by NDSU in Fargo.
If I was a Montana State fan I would be ashamed, embarrassed and angry that the athletic administration doesn’t feel like their football team can compete against the defending national champions.
NDSU has a motto “Bring On The Competition!” The Bison will play the best teams anytime, anyplace even on a parking lot.
I agree 100% that NDSU has nothing left to prove in the FCS level. I suppose they could try to win a 3rd consecutive national championship and match what App St did, but they are already in the elite company in the history of FCS football.
I like the idea of the MAC, assuming there is no chance to join the MVC in basketball (which I think is very unlikely).
My ideal would be:
1) join the MVC in all sports and get that conference to move up to FBS (including a new Witchita St program)
2) join the MAC in all sports with SDSU and perhaps UNI or YSU and upgrade the football program to FBS.
While the level of play would consistently go up playing the likes of Northern Illinois programs every week, I think NDSU actually would have a chance to pull off a Boise St in the MAC and dominate that conferences the same way the Broncos did in the old WAC.