Big Sky Team Considering Dropping Football?

[UNHWildCats]

Idaho State interim AD Jeff Tingley said ,"one school in the Big Sky Conference is weighing whether to drop football entirely".

http://www.idahostatesman.com/244/story/649393.html

[Wildcat Ryan]

I guess they are getting tired of losing to Weber State and Montana

[dbackjon]

I hope to god it is not NAU.

Arizona is having a huge budget crunch. Want to cut out Hundreds of millions from all the universities

[Willie]

Well if they leave then we can add Cal Poly or SUU to the Big Sky. That'd be a good deal. Not that losing ISU is a good thing either.

[UNHWildCats]

Well if they leave then we can add Cal Poly or SUU to the Big Sky. That'd be a good deal. Not that losing ISU is a good thing either.

the Idaho State guy wasnt saying they were dropping football, just that A Big Sky team was considering it.

[dbackjon]

California is in bad shape too - Sac State?

[Willie]

Either ISU or Sac would be wise ones to get rid of since they don't bring in much $$$. But what about Northern Colorado?

[SUUTbird]

Northern Colorado I dont think will be dropping their program anytime soon. Their team has improved alot in only a few years and i see good things from them in 2009. However ISU is a program that has steadily become a doormat for the big sky for several years now and they dont bring in enough $$, not even close. Instead of ISU maybe dropping football why not have them move into the great west were their standards would not be so high to keep. However if ISU drops football the Big Sky better be smart and add SUU or even Cal Poly. If Cal Poly was added to the big sky it may increase $$ with Sac State because it would kinda become "their rivalry" along with Montana. But if SUU went into the Big Sky then we would have two huge rivalry games to look forward to at the end of the year. SUU it seems is starting something with NAU and maybe playing Weber every year would help them get at least some media attention for one week.

[Wildcat Ryan]

It wont be Weber's, Utah's economy is one of the best in the Nation.

[AZGrizFan]

It wont be Weber's, Utah's economy is one of the best in the Nation.

Those damned Mormons got their SHIT together!!!

[AZGrizFan]

We can only HOPE it's ISU or Sac State. Then we can bring in Cal Poly and have a real conference again.

[travelinman67]

My gut feeling is ISU. SacState doesn't spend that much on football and in a community of 2 million, with a new sports complex well under construction, and a "new" coach (Sperbeck) who's been doing a good job developing the program, they'd be hard pressed to justify eliminating that program (anti-football politics aside). Moreso, the community is well represented with former players and coaches (and attorneys) going back decades, so a decision to end football would start a political "bloodbath" hardly worthy of the fiscal benefits.

[Wildcat Ryan]

Northern Colorado I dont think will be dropping their program anytime soon. Their team has improved alot in only a few years and i see good things from them in 2009. However ISU is a program that has steadily become a doormat for the big sky for several years now and they dont bring in enough $$, not even close. Instead of ISU maybe dropping football why not have them move into the great west were their standards would not be so high to keep. However if ISU drops football the Big Sky better be smart and add SUU or even Cal Poly. If Cal Poly was added to the big sky it may increase $$ with Sac State because it would kinda become "their rivalry" along with Montana. But if SUU went into the Big Sky then we would have two huge rivalry games to look forward to at the end of the year. SUU it seems is starting something with NAU and maybe playing Weber every year would help them get at least some media attention for one week.

I like that Idea, of course Weber will lose a rival, but I would hate to see anybody lose their football team, even though I hate the Bengals.

[Mvemjsunpx]

The article makes it sound like ISU may have been considering cutting football, but isn't now because of the Oklahoma game.

Who knows who's considering it? Sac & ISU are obvious choices, but it could be Weber because of their lousy attendance (they've always been more of a basketball school) or PSU because they were considering the cut a few years ago. The Glanville hire upped attendance dramatically, but that won't last if they keep losing.

The two Montanas are the only BSC schools that seem to have safe football programs at the moment.

[Wildcat Ryan]

Nah Weber wont get rid of their program, not when its becoming a good team.

Our attendance numbers have been lower than last year, and we still have the program, so Im actually not worried

[Mvemjsunpx]

Nah Weber wont get rid of their program, not when its becoming a good team.

Our attendance numbers have been lower than last year, and we still have the program, so Im actually not worried

Is the football team losing money? The longer the attendance numbers dwindle, the more likely the football program could see the axe. Weber wouldn't be my first choice either, but it's at least a possibility as with probably every other Big Sky school outside the state of Montana.

My guess is that the mystery school is Northern Colorado. Their football program has taken a nose dive since moving up. They're gradually improving, but it may not be fast enough to undo the fan support damage. The UNC basketball programs are improving much faster, so it's possible you could see them cut the dead weight to save everything else.

[BlackFalkin]

the way the guy worded his statement, was as if he "wasnt as bad at THAT school" so ISU WAS considering it but the slaughterhouse games helped. as for the OTHER school... let see..

also, teams who have spent money on upgrades for football are NOT planning on ditching football.

Montana-Hell NO
Eastern-NO
MSU-No
Weber-No
NAU.... maybe but NO
Portlan st. ......maybe
Idaho st-considered it but NOT anymore.
NorCol-Just moved up from d2 so i doubt it, they ASKED to be in d1 so they probably arent going to ditch.
Sac St- has taken some serious beatdowns lately.

California is in bad shape too - Sac State?

I think DBACKjon is correct, California is in a mild panic, and they are CUTTING money from its almost 200 schools. so i agree with dbackjon and vote SACRAMENTO STATE.

[Wildcat Ryan]

I have heard lots of Rumors that it is in fact Northern Arizona.

If that is the case Weber loses a home game, and SUU loses a road game..........

Hey SUU want to come up to Stewart Stadium?

[dbackjon]

I have heard lots of Rumors that it is in fact Northern Arizona.

If that is the case Weber loses a home game, and SUU loses a road game..........

Hey SUU want to come up to Stewart Stadium?

Even if it was NAU, it would not be immediate - we have a good money game with Arizona, and with NCAA scholarship rules, it wouldn't save much money until 2011, at the earliest.

NAU is hurting for sure, but football will not be dropped

[Wildcat Ryan]

I have heard lots of Rumors that it is in fact Northern Arizona.

If that is the case Weber loses a home game, and SUU loses a road game..........

Hey SUU want to come up to Stewart Stadium?

Even if it was NAU, it would not be immediate - we have a good money game with Arizona, and with NCAA scholarship rules, it wouldn't save much money until 2011, at the earliest.

NAU is hurting for sure, but football will not be dropped

Maybe NAU should join the Great West, I would hate to see them go, but it might be easier on them to move there.

[dbackjon]

Even if it was NAU, it would not be immediate - we have a good money game with Arizona, and with NCAA scholarship rules, it wouldn't save much money until 2011, at the earliest.

NAU is hurting for sure, but football will not be dropped

Maybe NAU should join the Great West, I would hate to see them go, but it might be easier on them to move there.

Why the hell would NAU leave the Big Sky to join the Great West?

Really, please think before you post. You do know that the Great West is a football only conference.

NAU has the best all around athletic department in the Big Sky, year in and year out.

[Wildcat Ryan]

Did I strike a nerve?

I had forgotten at the time I posted this that the GW was only a Football conf.

Sorry for forgetting, didnt mean to piss you off.

[Ursus A. Horribilis]

I think it was about 10 yrs ago that Weber was considering dropping football even though the team wasn't that bad due to a lack of fan support. They had a good year this year but I wonder if they could be floating this rumor again to get teh locals butts in the seats again? I just have a hard time seeing ISU dropping it becasue it is still somewhat popular to go to games in Pocatello for the locals but I don't even know what their attendance figures are in the last 5 years so I might be talking out of my ass...hole.

[grizzaholic]

Did I strike a nerve?

I had forgotten at the time I posted this that the GW was only a Football conf.

Sorry for forgetting, didnt mean to piss you off.

You didn't. let it slide. It is just a lot of people talk out their ass (hole) before thinking about what they post. One can get away with it in the Locker Room but on the football and sports boards you have to have your info correct. One doesn't want another poster to be labled as a full of shit person and then you lose all credibility when you post.

Just letting you know.

[Wildcat Ryan]

Did I strike a nerve?

I had forgotten at the time I posted this that the GW was only a Football conf.

Sorry for forgetting, didnt mean to piss you off.

You didn't. let it slide. It is just a lot of people talk out their ass (hole) before thinking about what they post. One can get away with it in the Locker Room but on the football and sports boards you have to have your info correct. One doesn't want another poster to be labled as a full of shit person and then you lose all credibility when you post.

Just letting you know.

I wasnt trying to talk smack, Like I said I had forgotten at the time that the Great West was only a football Conference, and I was only thinking that if NAU where dropping their Football program to save money, instead they could keep it and join the Great West where for them travel costs would be low, cause most of the teams are really close.

But like I said I had forgotten about the GW being a football only conference, I wasnt saying it to make someone mad or saying NAU sucks so they should leave, Im a Weber State fan after all.