Should the Big South Drop Back to Division II ?

[clenz]

I should have rephrased that to

unlike most schools UNI won't sacrafice the success of it's other sports to make a football oriented move.

I don't think that statement is all that false. "most" might be an overstatement, but when it comes to scholarship football programs I would bet 85-90+% of them would move to a better football conference, even at the detriment to their MBB/WBB/volleyball/softball and baseball teams.

Clenz there are 125 I-A programs and 124 I-AA programs. If you were correct, there would be a giant disparity in those numbers.

BTW, I would say 85-90% qualifies as "most". Right now you'd have trouble convincing me it's even "more" (51%).

It's not just an "fcs to fbs" thing.

Would UNI move to the Summit?
Would UNI move to the SLC?
Would UNI move to the OVC?

No...why? (other than the travel costs required to do so)

Because moving to those leagues would hurt UNI's volleyball and basketball programs in the long run.

Same reason UD wouldn't leave the CAA for the Big South.

Would CCU move from the Big South to the SoCon? You bet they would, even though the SoCon is a worse rated basketball league. Why? Because it helps their football program.


UNI has said, on a couple occasions, that no football move that might send UNI basketball/volleyball to lower rated conferences would be made.

[89Hen]

Same reason UD wouldn't leave the CAA for the Big South.

Would CCU move from the Big South to the SoCon? You bet they would, even though the SoCon is a worse rated basketball league. Why? Because it helps their football program.

Clenz, you're all over the place now. UD wouldn't leave the CAA for the Big South because it would be a step down in pretty much everything, but especially football. And right now Big South maybe has a slight advantage on the SoCon for football. The SoCon is miserable this year.

[clenz]

Same reason UD wouldn't leave the CAA for the Big South.

Would CCU move from the Big South to the SoCon? You bet they would, even though the SoCon is a worse rated basketball league. Why? Because it helps their football program.

Clenz, you're all over the place now. UD wouldn't leave the CAA for the Big South because it would be a step down in pretty much everything, but especially football. And right now Big South maybe has a slight advantage on the SoCon for football. The SoCon is miserable this year.

You get the point I'm attempting to make though.

The MAC would be a "step up" in football - though computers rankings have the MVFC/MAC pretty much even every year lately) - but would be a decent step down in volleyball and basketball.

[bucs90]

Clenz there are 125 I-A programs and 124 I-AA programs. If you were correct, there would be a giant disparity in those numbers.

BTW, I would say 85-90% qualifies as "most". Right now you'd have trouble convincing me it's even "more" (51%).

It's not just an "fcs to fbs" thing.

Would UNI move to the Summit?
Would UNI move to the SLC?
Would UNI move to the OVC?

No...why? (other than the travel costs required to do so)

Because moving to those leagues would hurt UNI's volleyball and basketball programs in the long run.

Same reason UD wouldn't leave the CAA for the Big South.

Would CCU move from the Big South to the SoCon? You bet they would, even though the SoCon is a worse rated basketball league. Why? Because it helps their football program.


UNI has said, on a couple occasions, that no football move that might send UNI basketball/volleyball to lower rated conferences would be made.

Millions of $$$ in bowl money wouldn't help the volleyball team? Northern Illinois hit bank with that Orange Bowl berth. UConn manned up and moved up...and landed a massive pay day hitting an Orange Bowl berth as well.

[OL FU]

Same reason UD wouldn't leave the CAA for the Big South.

Would CCU move from the Big South to the SoCon? You bet they would, even though the SoCon is a worse rated basketball league. Why? Because it helps their football program.

Clenz, you're all over the place now. UD wouldn't leave the CAA for the Big South because it would be a step down in pretty much everything, but especially football. And right now Big South maybe has a slight advantage on the SoCon for football. The SoCon is miserable this year.

But for a conference that is 94 years old, we have time to change that

[89Hen]

Clenz, you're all over the place now. UD wouldn't leave the CAA for the Big South because it would be a step down in pretty much everything, but especially football. And right now Big South maybe has a slight advantage on the SoCon for football. The SoCon is miserable this year.

You get the point I'm attempting to make though.

The MAC would be a "step up" in football - though computers rankings have the MVFC/MAC pretty much even every year lately) - but would be a decent step down in volleyball and basketball.

I get what you're attempting, but I don't think you're close to showing that UNI is different than most I-AA schools. BTW, MVC and MAC are almost a draw in bball.

11 Missouri Valley Conference 0.5129
12 Mid American Conference 0.5085

[clenz]

It's not just an "fcs to fbs" thing.

Would UNI move to the Summit?
Would UNI move to the SLC?
Would UNI move to the OVC?

No...why? (other than the travel costs required to do so)

Because moving to those leagues would hurt UNI's volleyball and basketball programs in the long run.

Same reason UD wouldn't leave the CAA for the Big South.

Would CCU move from the Big South to the SoCon? You bet they would, even though the SoCon is a worse rated basketball league. Why? Because it helps their football program.


UNI has said, on a couple occasions, that no football move that might send UNI basketball/volleyball to lower rated conferences would be made.

Millions of $$$ in bowl money wouldn't help the volleyball team? Northern Illinois hit bank with that Orange Bowl berth. UConn manned up and moved up...and landed a massive pay day hitting an Orange Bowl berth as well.

It hasn't helped their volleyball.

Since 2005/2006 NIU has lost 5 of their 6 matches against UNI and made just 1 NCAA tournament, out of a weaker conference than UNI is in.

Meanwhile UNI has been to the NCAA tournament 18 times, multiple sweet 16s. NCAA tournament matches multiple times, a head coach with a top 10 all time win %, top 10 in attendance every year, etc...


How's their men's basketball team looking?
They have had a sub 200 RPI once just once since 2003 (the 05/06 season)

UNI's program?
A S16, multiple top 25 rankings, conference titles, multiple ESPN the magazine articles, SI cover, etc...

So...how's their FBS program helping them