Montana wants FBS opponents, but...

[BearIt]

...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.

[Ursus A. Horribilis]

Pflu must be reading me & AZ's posts over the last few years.

Or I suppose it could just be he FACTS and some of the other teams fans just don't want to believe it.

[Skjellyfetti]

How the fuck is Montana the flagship of FCS? What a fucking joke.

[BearIt]

How the fuck is Montana the flagship of FCS? What a fucking joke.

Who else would be the flagship?

The only FCS program that has what Montana could possibly want is GSU.

Give me 6 flags and there is nothing else. Except maybe a pee wall.

[Skjellyfetti]

How the **** is Montana the flagship of FCS? What a **** joke.

Who else would be the flagship?

The only FCS program that has what Montana could possibly want is GSU.

Give me 6 flags and there is nothing else. Except maybe a pee wall.

GSU and App, certainly.

But, the flagship atm would have to be Villanova since they won it last year.

Montana is second.

[Catattack]

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

[Ursus A. Horribilis]

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

No doubt. That would have been much more logically phrased "don't want to play Montana because it costs them more and there is a higher chance of a loss".

[Skjellyfetti]

App doesn't have a problem finding big-time games. And we have BY FAR the biggest win of an FCS team over an FBS team.

Sounds like a coach speaking to his fanbase's ego, imo.

[Ursus A. Horribilis]

App doesn't have a problem finding big-time games. And we have BY FAR the biggest win of an FCS team over an FBS team.

Sounds like a coach speaking to his fanbase's ego, imo.

does it.

[BearIt]

But, the flagship atm would have to be Villanova since they won it last year.

Hardly a flagship. They will be another in the line of CAA one and dones.

I will give the Socon the FCS flagship conference banner, but I don't think the individual programs can quite live up to flagship status. App had a nice streak, but we need to see some sustainablity going forward. GSU did not have sustainability.

[MrTitleist]

App doesn't have a problem finding big-time games. And we have BY FAR the biggest win of an FCS team over an FBS team.

Sounds like a coach speaking to his fanbase's ego, imo.

Let's see there's x amount of teams around App that they can DRIVE to, and there's x amount of team around Montana that they can FLY to.. it doesn't make sense. Michigan gave ASU a HUGE pay day to come play.. no one will give that to Montana. Thanks, ASU, for fucking that up for us. No one wants to lose to an FCS team. Our scheduling problems, FBS or FCS, are much more difficult than ASU, so this really isn't the time to get all uppity about "App doesn't have a problem finding big time games."

[MrTitleist]

GSU and App, certainly.

But, the flagship atm would have to be Villanova since they won it last year.

Montana is second.

ASU was an anonymous FCS team before their current 5 year streak. Once ASU has the run that Montana has (umpteen straight playoff appearances), then they can say, "We're the flagship!" Until then, ASU is just a really good team at the moment. Same goes for Villanova, GSU (who would be the other flagship candidate, IMO), etc.

[ASUG8]

But, the flagship atm would have to be Villanova since they won it last year.

Hardly a flagship. They will be another in the line of CAA one and dones.

I will give the Socon the FCS flagship conference banner, but I don't think the individual programs can quite live up to flagship status. App had a nice streak, but we need to see some sustainablity going forward. GSU did not have sustainability.

You really can't be serious....App finishes in the top 5 programs in the country for the last few years with 3 NC's in between with a huge FBS win and we're not at least in contention? 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.

[JayJ79]

Teams aren't lining up to play Montana because FBS teams can easily find other FCS opponents who don't demand as big of a paycheck and/or have more of a local interest (and/or closer travelling proximity). Especially with more and more FCS teams scheduling two "money games" a year.

I'm not faulting Montana for the money aspect, since it makes little sense to schedule a "money" road game if it's not going to pay significantly more than the program can make with a home game (either paying another team to come in, or as part of a home/home deal).

[MrTitleist]

Teams aren't lining up to play Montana because FBS teams can easily find other FCS opponents who don't demand as big of a paycheck and/or have more of a local interest (and/or closer travelling proximity). Especially with more and more FCS teams scheduling two "money games" a year.

I'm not faulting Montana for the money aspect, since it makes little sense to schedule a "money" road game if it's not going to pay significantly more than the program can make with a home game (either paying another team to come in, or as part of a home/home deal).

Winner winner chicken dinner!! Unfortunately, Montana's kind of screwed themselves for FBS games (unless they take a $800K thumping at the hands of Oklahoma or Georgia) because of their price tag.. sucks, but that's how it goes.

[BearIt]

Hardly a flagship. They will be another in the line of CAA one and dones.

I will give the Socon the FCS flagship conference banner, but I don't think the individual programs can quite live up to flagship status. App had a nice streak, but we need to see some sustainablity going forward. GSU did not have sustainability.

You really can't be serious....App finishes in the top 5 programs in the country for the last few years with 3 NC's in between with a huge FBS win and we're not at least in contention? 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.

I absolutely think ASU and GSU are in contention, but like I said it is about sustainability. I'm not here to discredit their accomplishments. They are both fantastic programs and that combined with Furman and Marshall is why I give the SOCon flagship conference status. The problem is where has GSU been lately? Where was ASU before 2005? Montana was there and is still here.

Check the record book at the last time Montana played JMU, also I hardly call the Nova game a spanking.

What's ASU's record vs. Montana?

[BearIt]

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.

[Thumper 76]

HE does also state in there they don't want to play Nebraska or Florida or bama or anyone like that that might give them that payday. I would say the App having the balls to go and play Michigan in their game should put them in there as the flagship. I guarantee that most people that don't follow FCS football would know App better than Montana cause of that game. No dog in the fight here but with you guys saying we want a FBS team but they won't pay us enough, but we won't play the big dogs that will pay us is like when Larry says on Dumb and Dumber "God there isn't a job in this town" "Ya, unless you want to work 40 hrs a week"

[Skjellyfetti]

Once ASU has the run that Montana has (umpteen straight playoff appearances), then they can say, "We're the flagship!" Until then, ASU is just a really good team at the moment. Same goes for Villanova, GSU (who would be the other flagship candidate, IMO), etc.

Not surprising that a Montana fan would want to use "playoff appearances" as the standard for which programs are measured. Noone gives a shit about who finishes second in a tournament... much less about who simply qualifies.

3>2... 6>>>>>>2

Georgia Southern has BY FAR the greatest history in I-AA/FCS. If you want to look at total history... it's Georgia Southern... and it's not even close.

Appalachian State has had BY FAR the most recent success. Appalachian State is BY FAR the most visible upper echelon FCS program currently. If you want to look at visibility, success, and name recognition... it's Appalachian State. And it's not even close.

But, you're right. Montana has made the playoffs and finished second quite a few times.

But... this forum is 90% Montana/Big Sky fans... so, I don't know why I bother arguing this...

[MrTitleist]

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.

[Aho Old Guy]

But, you're right. Montana has made the playoffs and finished second quite a few times.

Second is just the first loser

[MrTitleist]

But... this forum is 90% Montana/Big Sky fans... so, I don't know why I bother arguing this...

Luckily for you, you have a lot of your ASU fans to back you up, there's no shortage of Mountaineers here.

[Silenoz]

Well it's just a shame that it wasn't worded "a flagship." Then we wouldn't have all these people getting their panties in a twist

[BearIt]

HE does also state in there they don't want to play Nebraska or Florida or bama or anyone like that that might give them that payday. I would say the App having the balls to go and play Michigan in their game should put them in there as the flagship. I guarantee that most people that don't follow FCS football would know App better than Montana cause of that game. No dog in the fight here but with you guys saying we want a FBS team but they won't pay us enough, but we won't play the big dogs that will pay us is like when Larry says on Dumb and Dumber "God there isn't a job in this town" "Ya, unless you want to work 40 hrs a week"

Correction, he states we don't want to play them just to say we did. We need the paycheck to go with it. Apparently the offers that have come in are not enough money. A better "job analogy" would be saying that Montana doesn't want to leave their $100,000/year job to make $75,000. In this case the dollars are probably more in line with $600,000 vs $400,000. My guess is the big FBS programs still aren't coming up with enough cash.

As some one else mentioned other teams will do it for less so why would they pay us. I think it will have to be a situation where the FBS school is in a bind for an opponent so they have to pay the cash. This is what happened with Iowa.

Here is the paragraph in question:

"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."

[Skjellyfetti]

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.

Weigh your stats.

3 championships is far, far, far greater than 1....... The other stats don't really matter NEARLY as much, do they? Again, your number of "championship appearances" is impressive. But, no school other than Montana (and Ohio State in FBS) brags about "championship appearances." Your championship game win % is terrible. TERRIBLE.

And, every sports fan in the country has heard of Appalachian State. Outside of the Pacific Northwest... very few are familiar with Montana.

All time = Georgia Southern
Current = Appalachian State
Honorary = Nova
"Championship Appearances" = Montana