Question for Montana Fans

[UNC2857BEARS]

Quick question for all the UM fans out there....

How come for the last couple years you guys haven't been scheduling a FBS opponent in either the first or second week???

I know you guys probably don't need a "paycheck" as is the case when NorCo plays teams like Kansas, Purdue, and Hawaii. Even still with how much pride you guys have I figure you'd at least schedule a lowly FBS team or go the other route like Weber or EWU does and schedule two FBS opponents.

I just think it looks better that Weber took it to both Wyo and Colorado State (Should have beat CSU) than playing a D2 Western State and killing them...

I don't think it would be unreasonable to get a Utah State or Idaho even to come to Wash-Griz, both probably being wins for the Griz.

Your thoughts????

[SUUTbird]

UNC...your stirring up a hornets net with this one. You will be getting a ton of replies of how they make more money beating up little teams then they would going out to play a minor FBS school, which in a way sense does make sense. Personally i would love to see the Griz play the Utes or the Aggies but that is wishful thinking. The Griz have stepped up their non-con schedule for the future though, getting games with North Dakota, North Dakota State, Mcneese State and Appalachian State.

[UNC2857BEARS]

Ha ha, ya I expect to get bashed for posting this.
Just had to point out EVERY other Big Sky team plays at least one FBS school this year.
I think they should schedule App every year and make it a rivalry.

[Montanan]

[Col Hogan]

Ha ha, ya I expect to get bashed for posting this.
Just had to point out EVERY other Big Sky team plays at least one FBS school this year.
I think they should schedule App every year and make it a rivalry.

And since, I think, 1986, EVERY other Big Sky team has watched the National Championship game from home...except Montana...

Think about it...

[SUUTbird]

Wow montanan never knew your mouth could open so wide, been to prison?

[BlackFalkin]

Quick question for all the UM fans out there....

How come for the last couple years you guys haven't been scheduling a FBS opponent in either the first or second week???

I know you guys probably don't need a "paycheck" as is the case when NorCo plays teams like Kansas, Purdue, and Hawaii. Even still with how much pride you guys have I figure you'd at least schedule a lowly FBS team or go the other route like Weber or EWU does and schedule two FBS opponents.

I just think it looks better that Weber took it to both Wyo and Colorado State (Should have beat CSU) than playing a D2 Western State and killing them...

I don't think it would be unreasonable to get a Utah State or Idaho even to come to Wash-Griz, both probably being wins for the Griz.

Your thoughts????

to answer your question...

1. they make a decent amount of money simply playing there regular home games.
2. I THINK a home team has to pay the away team to come, so if Montana is gonna play an home game, they might as well make the most money they can and schedule a 'cheap' home game....d2 is cheaper than paying a fcs or fbs.
3. they dont want to blemish that record with a fat 'L'. good idea too, why have a sure loss?
4. players feel that loss psychologically too, the effects/injuries from a money game could last all the way into conf play.

[Willie]

[Grizalltheway]

Yup, but what else would you expect from a UNC fan not named Wedgie?

[UNC2857BEARS]

Well just as I suspected not one Montana fan would give a REAL answer

[UNC2857BEARS]

Ha ha, ya I expect to get bashed for posting this.
Just had to point out EVERY other Big Sky team plays at least one FBS school this year.
I think they should schedule App every year and make it a rivalry.

And since, I think, 1986, EVERY other Big Sky team has watched the National Championship game from home...except Montana...

Think about it...

Exactly my point Col Hogan. Since Montana is so good why not play the best???

[Griz03]

Quick question for all the UM fans out there....

How come for the last couple years you guys haven't been scheduling a FBS opponent in either the first or second week???

I know you guys probably don't need a "paycheck" as is the case when NorCo plays teams like Kansas, Purdue, and Hawaii. Even still with how much pride you guys have I figure you'd at least schedule a lowly FBS team or go the other route like Weber or EWU does and schedule two FBS opponents.

I just think it looks better that Weber took it to both Wyo and Colorado State (Should have beat CSU) than playing a D2 Western State and killing them...

I don't think it would be unreasonable to get a Utah State or Idaho even to come to Wash-Griz, both probably being wins for the Griz.

Your thoughts????

to answer your question...

1. they make a decent amount of money simply playing there regular home games.
2. I THINK a home team has to pay the away team to come, so if Montana is gonna play an home game, they might as well make the most money they can and schedule a 'cheap' home game....d2 is cheaper than paying a fcs or fbs.
3. they dont want to blemish that record with a fat 'L'. good idea too, why have a sure loss?
4. players feel that loss psychologically too, the effects/injuries from a money game could last all the way into conf play.

falcons right. we make 1/2 million every home game and when the university gives athelitics no money not getting that money really hurts and also no FBS team wants to pay us enough money to come and be they're punching bag.

[JALMOND]

Well just as I suspected not one Montana fan would give a REAL answer

Believe me, you do not want an answer to this one. I am getting out of here and never coming back.

[Willie]

Well just as I suspected not one Montana fan would give a REAL answer

Believe me, you do not want an answer to this one. I am getting out of here and never coming back.

[CrunchGriz]

And since, I think, 1986, EVERY other Big Sky team has watched the National Championship game from home...except Montana...

Think about it...

Exactly my point Col Hogan. Since Montana is so good why not play the best???

Montana does play the best...in our division...in the playoffs...every year.

And they have App State, McNeese State, and North Dakota State scheduled in the coming years in home-and-home match-ups in the regular season. No need for tilting at the FBS windmill.

Montana has averaged over 13 games per year for the last 16 years, which tends to wear on a team. One creampuff per year when a team ends up playing, on average, 3+ playoff teams (two in the playoffs and 1 or 2 in the regular season) tends to more than outweigh the schedules of virtually any FCS team out there.

[Edit: I just checked Montana's record during its current playoff streak. In the last sixteen years, Montana has averaged 1.3125 playoff participant opponents during the regular season, 2.4375 playoff games, and .75 I-A/FBS opponents per season, for an average total of 4.5 opponents each season that are either playoff teams or I-A/FBS. Basically, I'm done apologizing for Montana's 'poor' scheduling. Montana plays plenty of good opponents. A couple of lightly scheduled years because of financial problems don't negate the overall quality over a long span of years, with more great opponents on the way in the next few years.]

There, a Montana fan has answered your question.

[Wedgebuster]

I look forward to those good caliber FCS games ILO the little D-2 beatings, and more so than playing any FBS. In Montana's case, scheduling Apple State, UND, NDSU, that's where it's at.

[kemajic]

This longtime Montana fan does not defend the UM admin scheduling posture, he abhores it. The more money the football program produces, the more the Univ. President demands. They are assaulting the goose that lays the golden eggs. Yes, Montana played 16 straight weeks last year with two trips across the country in the last week and it showed at the end. But there is room in the schedule and in the budget for one regional (winnable) FBS game per year to offset the inevitable DII cupcake. Yes Montana would make $300M to $400M less playing at Wyoming, Utah St. or Idaho than they would with another cupcake home game. But that is manageable and a small price to pay to please their fans and players and to acquaint the team with a faster game than they will see until the playoffs. It is an insufficient excuse to cover the admin's unwillingness to take the risk of losing a game and the larger risk of exposing the Montana fans to a more exciting brand of football than is found in their lame OOC scheduling and the BSC.

[mtgrizfan4life]

I think he meant 300 k to 400k less. I wish we were in the 300M area. I think we would be BCS PAC 10 then.

[DoubleNicks]

As much as I would like to see us beat Idaho, Oregon State, Boise State, etc. again, you pretty much answered your own question with the example of Weber State that you gave. For all that they did to keep them in games with lower tier FBS teams, they just couldn't get it done. Those games proved to me that WSU in fact is not ready to be a top 5 team in the nation because you need to be consistent and find ways to win in order to be considered so. Somehow they managed to not only throw one of those games away but both. If you look at it, those are games you would think WSU should have won, but didn't. Not that impressive. UM won the games they were supposed to. Plus, by years end or even now, most people just look at win-loss record. 3-0 looks better than 1-2 IMO.

[grizband]

Money issues aside, my ideal OOC schedule follows this format:

1. D2 team for a tune up game
2. Home game against a quality FCS opponent
3. Home or Away game against a quality FCS opponent

I like where the Griz are headed, scheduling App State, McNeese State and North Dakota for future games, along with Cal Poly and UC Davis in the last few years. Hell even Southern Utah has improved, and has given Montana a game the last few times we've played. Honestly, though, I see no reason to play FBS teams, but that's just me being selfish and wanting more Griz home games.

[hank scorpio]

This longtime Montana fan does not defend the UM admin scheduling posture, he abhores it. The more money the football program produces, the more the Univ. President demands. They are assaulting the goose that lays the golden eggs. Yes, Montana played 16 straight weeks last year with two trips across the country in the last week and it showed at the end. But there is room in the schedule and in the budget for one regional (winnable) FBS game per year to offset the inevitable DII cupcake. Yes Montana would make $300M to $400M less playing at Wyoming, Utah St. or Idaho than they would with another cupcake home game. But that is manageable and a small price to pay to please their fans and players and to acquaint the team with a faster game than they will see until the playoffs. It is an insufficient excuse to cover the admin's unwillingness to take the risk of losing a game and the larger risk of exposing the Montana fans to a more exciting brand of football than is found in their lame OOC scheduling and the BSC.

I would like to see regional games like this again, but after we beat Idaho 4(?) years in a row why teams like this want to play us, especially a home and away.

[BlackFalkin]

if every FCS team had tons of money for their programs, & didnt need FBS money just to keep the program afloat.. I highly doubt FCS teams would play FBS teams...unless it was a lower tier (temple, idaho) type of team.

......Plus, by years end or even now, most people just look at win-loss record. 3-0 looks better than 1-2 IMO.

exactly, at the end of the day, its all about WINNING. id much rather see Eastern start 3-0, rather than 1-2.

[AZGrizFan]

Well just as I suspected not one Montana fan would give a REAL answer

This has been beaten to death and explained so many different times it gets old. Go read some old posts/threads, then come back educated.

[GrizFanStuckInUtah]

Well just as I suspected not one Montana fan would give a REAL answer

Believe me, you do not want an answer to this one. I am getting out of here and never coming back.

[grizband]

Well just as I suspected not one Montana fan would give a REAL answer

This has been beaten to death and explained so many different times it gets old. Go read some old posts/threads, then come back educated.

No, you have been given "real" answers. They're just not the answers you wanted to see - Montana doesn't play FBS every year (our last game came in 2006 against Iowa).