(04-07-2014 01:30 PM)MWC Tex Wrote:  

(04-07-2014 01:13 PM)chiefsfan Wrote:  

(04-07-2014 01:10 PM)MWC Tex Wrote:  

(04-07-2014 11:08 AM)FIUFan Wrote:  

(04-07-2014 11:00 AM)Crump1 Wrote:  That is not the case. Idaho was not needed to keep the league going in FBS.

You're probably right; there was a time of uncertainty 18-24 months ago where there was concern about having time to process the FCS schools to maintain eligibility given certain realignment scenarios though.

At that time the conference was down to 8 members (including WKU), then on 3/28/13 the SB added 4 schools (2 FBS, 2 FCS NMSU/Idaho, App St/GaSo). WKU left on April 2, 2013.

So when did anybody know WKU was leaving to replace Tulsa in CUSA? Perhaps, it was thought that WKU could be talked into staying, otherwise, why invite Idaho? Adding NMSU/App St/Ga Sou were necessary to get to 10 football members.

WKU and a few others pushed hard for a championship game...At the time we saw it as a way to keep WKU happy because their biggest rival had just left, and they had not been invited yet.

NMSU and Idaho were a means to get us to 12. Otherwise, we'd have just added App and GSU and stopped.

I guess the lure of CUSA was too much for WKU to resist. More TV $$/exposure? Actually, I think NMSU would have been added anyway. Having 10 fb members is much more stable and still play 8 conference games can get another team bowl eligible.

I think Idaho is really just a few years away of being in the Big Sky fully. The Sunbelt membership won't be the life saver for FBS. They didn't do well in the first round and their attendence was really bad and this time around will still be the same. When the their president sees a lot of empty seats, that is going to be the telling sign.

This is their last chance...that's for sure.

However, I think most of us understand that Idaho is a very short term option. You can almost bet that in the next couple years we'll serve Idaho with notice, so we can bring in another Western based all sports Member.

All it really takes is one conference by law eliminating football only members, and its done.