Montana wants FBS opponents, but...

[Saint3333]

Ask 100 average fans across America who is the "flagship" FCS team and the answer will be ASU. If you look at ASU vs. Montana in the FCS it would be really close, as for team of the decade ASU - three titles and the all-time best FCS win over the FBS, nuf said.

Michigan only paid ASU $400K. LSU paid ASU $750K. ASU has accepted minimal payouts from Hawaii and Wyoming, so the distance excuse doesn't hold up.

News flash top 25 FBS teams aren't scared to play FCS opponents no matter the name. If Florida, Va Tech, UGA, etc. will schedule one of the top PAC 10 teams will schedule Montana, tell your AD to pick up the phone.

[Catattack]

I think the teams that can afford to pay $600,000ish for an FCS game are far from being "scared."

I agree, but if people on this board can imply that Montana doesn't play FBS because they are afraid I feel I'm at liberty to infer from this interview that it is the FBS schools that are afraid.

Lower your price tag and you'll find out how many FBS teams are afraid. I don't want to imply but Utah State would play you for the right price.

[BearIt]

Ask 100 average fans across America who is the "flagship" FCS team and the answer will be ASU. If you look at ASU vs. Montana in the FCS it would be really close, as for team of the decade ASU - three titles and the all-time best FCS win over the FBS, nuf said.

I'm feeling feisty today and I can see that I had the desired effect. I've lurked for a long time and took some lessons from AZ on "fishing"

In all seriousness, I think it is debatable on what would define the flagship and ASU, Montana and GSU are the only three in the conversation in my opinion. Depending on your criteria you can make an arguement for any one of them.

Now as for "100 average fans," you can ask them what division is ASU in and they will say DII. The average fan doesn't know dick. Sure, ASU is currently the most recognizable name in FCS right now, but that doesn't crown them as the flagship. Ryan Leaf is the most recognizable athelete from the state of Montana, but that doesn't make him the best. (I'm not saying ASU is like Ryan Leaf. I'm just saying name recognition isn't everything.)

[Skjellyfetti]

Sure, ASU is currently the most recognizable name in FCS right now, but that doesn't crown them as the flagship. Ryan Leaf is the most recognizable athelete from the state of Montana, but that doesn't make him the best. (I'm not saying ASU is like Ryan Leaf. I'm just saying name recognition isn't everything.)

Using the term "flagship" certainly implies "most recognizable" and widest "name recognition."

Like AZ, your arguments are easily countered:

flagship = a single item from a related group considered as the most important, often in establishing a public image

[BearIt]

I agree, but if people on this board can imply that Montana doesn't play FBS because they are afraid I feel I'm at liberty to infer from this interview that it is the FBS schools that are afraid.

Lower your price tag and you'll find out how many FBS teams are afraid. I don't want to imply but Utah State would play you for the right price.

I bet Montana would take them up on the offer with some sort of Home/Home agreement. Again, why leave a $100,000/year job to make $75,000/year. To clarify the analogy more: $75,000 per year at the same company doing the same job in the same location.

[BearIt]

Sure, ASU is currently the most recognizable name in FCS right now, but that doesn't crown them as the flagship. Ryan Leaf is the most recognizable athelete from the state of Montana, but that doesn't make him the best. (I'm not saying ASU is like Ryan Leaf. I'm just saying name recognition isn't everything.)

Using the term "flagship" certainly implies "most recognizable" and widest "name recognition."

Like AZ, your arguments are easily countered:

flagship = a single item from a related group considered as the most important, often in establishing a public image

Webster's definition: The finest, largest, or most important of a series, network or chain.

Nothing about "recognizable."

So ASU can be "recognized" as the flagship of DII and Montana can be the flagship of FCS.

[Saint3333]

Perception is reality, and to the America football fanbase ASU is currently #1 of the FCS, however you are correct they would consider both Montana and ASU to play D2 football.

[∞∞∞]

Flagships can change. I don't know nor care who it was before, but there is no doubt in my mind that ASU is it right now. I just got into FCS football under a year ago, and there were two teams I connected with FCS (other than the CAA teams who also play CAA basketball), and the one I connected as the class of FCS football was ASU...thanks to the Michigan win mostly. I respect Montana after learning of their history and fans, but I'm sorry, 3 recent National Championships in a row and a memorable FBS win means ASU is carrying the FCS flag right now.

[Willie]

Ahh, dick stretching threads. Always plentiful in the off-season.

[SuperHornet]

Give me 6 flags

You want Six Flags? Here ya go. I hope you enjoy hanging out with that creepy-goofy guy.

http://www.sixflags.com/national/index.aspx

[JALMOND]

...they're scared to play us. Based on this interview with Pflugrad it looks like the problem is those teams are afraid to play us or they're just too cheap to play us. They know they risk their season and a lot of money by playing the FCS Flagship.

http://billingsgazette.com/sports/colle ... 03286.html

GAZETTE: MONTANA IS THE ONLY BIG SKY CONFERENCE TEAM NOT PLAYING "UP" THIS YEAR AGAINST A BOWL DIVISION TEAM. IN WHAT WAYS WILL HTE SCHEDULE CHANGE IN THE FUTURE, AND WHAT WILL THE PHILOSOPHY BE?

PFLUGRAD: I think sometimes those schedules are made so far in advance that it's very difficult to change. I think we were in late on a couple possibilities that we could have had. But scheduling is critical. If a lot of people had our situation - again, we have a great stadium, a great game day - I'm not so sure that they would go out and play those teams if they had 25,000 people and could make money on a Saturday, whether you're NAU or MSU, Portland State or Eastern (Washington), whatever the case may be.

I don't want to ever sound conceited or brag about the fact that we don't have to go anywhere, because I WANT to go somewhere. I WANT to take this team on the road and play a, quote, Division I team. I want to
do that if not every year, every other year. We've been looking for a 2011 (FBS) opponent, and it's been difficult. We've had a lot of teams turn us down. Do you go to just play them? No. You better be able to make more money if you leave Missoula, or straight across even. I want to do a lot of it for recruiting purposes and go put our product on the market a little bit more than it's been done in the last few years. When Don (Read) was here, we bumped up a whole bunch. I think more than anybody in the league, I really do. I think back, and we beat Oregon State twice. We played Oregon very well. We played Washington State twice. We played Kansas State. And those are all good teams. Washington State had a guy named Bledsoe. He was a pretty good quarterback.

So we challenged ourselves, and I want to continue to do that. But it has to be the right mix. And somebody has to say yes and has to pay us. We don't want to be cannon fodder for Nebraska or Florida or Alabama just to say we went and played them. I think our players have to get something out of it and I want it to be a positive experience. And our administration needs to get something out of it in a paycheck.

Now I do want to add, when you look at our level, we're going to go home-and-home with Appalachian State, and I don't see anybody else in our league doing that. So if you do that AND you add a (FBS) opponent, some people will say, ‘You're committing suicide.' To me, if you battle and play your best and you're still not triumphant at the end of the day, you know what? There might be some victories in that. There really might. So to me that's very, very important.

Sounds like the Pflugrad is willing to schedule FBS as long as they are bottom level FBS paying top level FBS prices. Makes me wonder how he would feel if he had taken the PSU job. Still, there is a good point here. If you can get top level FCS to do a home and home, especially from this part of the country, then why also schedule FBS? Either way, it is better than playing Western State every year.

[Screamin_Eagle174]

I wouldn't say there can only be ONE flagship, but rather there can be flagships, a select few programs that represent the best of FCS during the present era. GSU and YSU were flagships at one point, but aren't any longer. Villanova is only a flagship program in Basketball.

Montana and App State are the current flagship programs of FCS. Fans of both teams may now continue their dick rubbing in a mutual fashion and be gay together.

[grizzaholic]

ASU and Montana fans alike should both be embarrassed by some of the comments in his thread,

[houndawg]

119-23 - Montana since 2000
59-10 - Montana through 2005-2009
10 playoff appearances, 1 NC, 5 NC appearances

101-33 - ASU since 2000
61-12 - ASU through 2005-2009
8 playoff appearances, 3 NC, 3 NC appearances

Those are the stats I put together.. Montana is the team of this decade, without question. More wins than any other team. I'm not saying App is a bad team, and not a team that you couldn't hang your hat on, but when it comes to FCS football, it's hard to argue that Montana isn't at the top. GSU has history behind it (a dominant 80s and 90s team), but they've fallen totally off the map. ASU.. they're real good now, but where will they be next year? Or the year after? It's all about sustainability. In similar respect, Grand Valley State is the gold standard of D2, Mount Union in D3.

No dog in this fight, just pointing out that if ASU were in the Big Sky Conference they'd have a record at least equal to the Griz, and maybe quite a bit better. Just sayin.....

[mlbowl]

No dog in this fight, just pointing out that if ASU were in the Big Sky Conference they'd have a record at least equal to the Griz, and maybe quite a bit better. Just sayin.....

Wow...a statement of fact based on...??? Maybe instead of "just pointing out" you could use...In my opinion or IMO...or IMHO...because, afterall, it is speculation


JUST SAYIN

[mlbowl]

Montana has a great program, but Nova and JMU have spanked you the last two years and they're playing FBS schools......

Crank up the oxygen a little, because you're clearly not thinking completely rationally.

WOW...I didn't realize that 2 pt. victory for 'Nova was such a "spanking"...I guess you would have to consider Montana's semi-final 7 pt. victory a complete annihilation...more oxygen please!

[GannonFan]

Ask 100 average fans across America who is the "flagship" FCS team and the answer will be ASU. If you look at ASU vs. Montana in the FCS it would be really close, as for team of the decade ASU - three titles and the all-time best FCS win over the FBS, nuf said.

Michigan only paid ASU $400K. LSU paid ASU $750K. ASU has accepted minimal payouts from Hawaii and Wyoming, so the distance excuse doesn't hold up.

News flash top 25 FBS teams aren't scared to play FCS opponents no matter the name. If Florida, Va Tech, UGA, etc. will schedule one of the top PAC 10 teams will schedule Montana, tell your AD to pick up the phone.

Like some other posters have said, I'm not sure if you ask 100 "average" fans if they can even name an FCS team, Montana and Appy St included, let alone know that they are in FCS (assuming they even know something like FCS exists).

But as for the article, teams aren't scared to play Montana - that's silly. Teams like Florida and the Penn St's will play anyone. Money, however, is the big deal, and it's understandable that Montana, who makes $600k per home game, would need more than that to go play an FBS team. That means the list of FBS teams who can pay that is significantly reduced. I'm sure a team like Wyoming might be scared to play Montana, but Montana wouldn't be getting more than $600k from them to play so it's a moot point anyway. The teams that can pay more than $600k aren't going to be running scared.

[93henfan]

Montana is the team of this decade, without question.

Rings 2000-09: ASU - 3, Seven other teams - 1

[mlbowl]

But as for the article, teams aren't scared to play Montana - that's silly. Teams like Florida and the Penn St's will play anyone. Money, however, is the big deal, and it's understandable that Montana, who makes $600k per home game, would need more than that to go play an FBS team. That means the list of FBS teams who can pay that is significantly reduced. I'm sure a team like Wyoming might be scared to play Montana, but Montana wouldn't be getting more than $600k from them to play so it's a moot point anyway. The teams that can pay more than $600k aren't going to be running scared.

I'm not sure if you are saying that the article implied teams like Florida are scared to play Montana...but ...


"We don't want to be cannon fodder for Nebraska or Florida or Alabama just to say we went and played them. I think our players have to get something out of it and I want it to be a positive experience. And our administration needs to get something out of it in a paycheck."

Doesn't look like he's saying those teams are scared...just the opposite.

[GrizFan5]

[
Sounds like the Pflugrad is willing to schedule FBS as long as they are bottom level FBS paying top level FBS prices. Makes me wonder how he would feel if he had taken the PSU job. Still, there is a good point here. If you can get top level FCS to do a home and home, especially from this part of the country, then why also schedule FBS? Either way, it is better than playing Western State every year.

Pflugrad didn't say he wanted to play bottom level FBS teams. He said he wanted to be paid well for paying any FBS team, including the top teams. Learn how to read.

[GrizFan5]

[
No dog in this fight, just pointing out that if ASU were in the Big Sky Conference they'd have a record at least equal to the Griz, and maybe quite a bit better. Just sayin.....

The Big Sky conference has been rated above the SoCon over the last 10 or 12 years. Not every year, of course, by overall during this period.

[93henfan]

[
No dog in this fight, just pointing out that if ASU were in the Big Sky Conference they'd have a record at least equal to the Griz, and maybe quite a bit better. Just sayin.....

The Big Sky conference has been rated above the SoCon over the last 10 or 12 years. Not every year, of course, by overall during this period.

This is true, at least for Sagarin. The Big Sky was rated higher than the SoCon for eight of the ten years from 2000-09.

Here are the top five I-AA conferences, per Sagarin year-end ratings, for 2000-09 (conferences listed as their current name):

2000 - BSC, SoCon, CAA, MVFC, Southland
2001 - CAA, Southland, BSC, SoCon, MVFC
2002 - MVFC, CAA, BSC, Southland, SoCon
2003 - MVFC, BSC, CAA, Southland, SoCon
2004 - CAA, Great West, BSC, Southland, Ivy League
2005 - MVFC, BSC, Great West, SoCon, Southland
2006 - Great West, CAA, MVFC, BSC, SoCon
2007 - SoCon, CAA, MVFC, Great West, Patriot
2008 - CAA, SoCon, BSC, MVFC, Southland
2009 - CAA, BSC, SoCon, Great West, MVFC

If you assigned a simple point scale: 5 points for first down to one point for fifth, you get a ranking for the last decade of:

CAA - 38
BSC - 31
MVFC - 27
SoCon - 23
Southland - 13
Great West - 11
Patriot - 1
Ivy - 1

[AZGrizFan]

Sure, ASU is currently the most recognizable name in FCS right now, but that doesn't crown them as the flagship. Ryan Leaf is the most recognizable athelete from the state of Montana, but that doesn't make him the best. (I'm not saying ASU is like Ryan Leaf. I'm just saying name recognition isn't everything.)

Using the term "flagship" certainly implies "most recognizable" and widest "name recognition."

Like AZ, your arguments are easily countered:

flagship = a single item from a related group considered as the most important, often in establishing a public image

And, like dback, your arguments are blinded by hatred.

Ask 100 average fans across America who the flagship FCS team is and the answer you'll get from 90 of them is obvious:

What's FCS?

[AZGrizFan]

Montana has a great program, but Nova and JMU have spanked you the last two years and they're playing FBS schools......

Crank up the oxygen a little, because you're clearly not thinking completely rationally.

WOW...I didn't realize that 2 pt. victory for 'Nova was such a "spanking"...I guess you would have to consider Montana's semi-final 7 pt. victory a complete annihilation...more oxygen please!

Hey, G8...get your fuckin' facts straight: WE spanked JMU two years ago. It was Richmond that beat us.

[griz8791]

Ahh, dick stretching threads. Always plentiful in the off-season.

This thread is surreal.