The Mountain West is in serious dialogue to add FCS powerhouse North Dakota State as a football-only member starting this coming season

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swede2 said:
For the average fan, 10pm (or later) kickoffs and navigating the various streamers and linear carriers to find a game, will suck. The MAC isn't a sexy league, and MACtion isn't ideal, but having eastern and central time zone opponents is a positive.
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10 PM Kickoffs would suck, but if it was just 1 or 2 of those that would be a Net gain to avoid multiple Tue-Wed MACtion contestes.

Just my opinion.
 

Ski-U-Ham said:
View attachment 44112
MAC map

View attachment 44113MWC map (ND should be included)

Their four conference road trips this year are to UNLV, San Jose St., NDSU, and Wyoming. They lucked out in the travel department and get Hawaii at home. So I would say their travel expenses for football will increase significantly (I have no idea how much "significantly" is, I saw Ohio St. and Michigan spend $10 million per year on travel, but NIU is not Ohio St. or Michigan).

I read something that the Mountain West's TV deal supports the "legacy schools." I don't know how NIU factors into that.

The move to the MWC will infuse $34 million over six years. I'm not sure how much the extra travel expense will eat into that. But after the money for the move stops coming in after six years, they'll still have the increased travel costs to pay for.

I'm guessing NIU ran the numbers and will come out ahead in the long run. If they went to the Mountain West in all sports, that might be different.
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I think they ran the numbers and in the long run it looks better

I wouldn’t have made the move though because the MAC is more stable
 

Some guy said:
I think they ran the numbers and in the long run it looks better

I wouldn’t have made the move though because the MAC is more stable
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NIU is a football only member, so while they may or may not be successful on the field, the money makes a lot more sense than the paltry MAC money.
 

BillyMyr said:
NIU is a football only member, so while they may or may not be successful on the field, the money makes a lot more sense than the paltry MAC money.
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True, but the mountain west has a greater than zero chance of disappearing in the next 10 years. Where as I don’t think that’s true of the Mac.

The mountain west also has a greater than zero chance of looking like conference USA the next 5 years.
 

Ski-U-Ham said:
View attachment 44112
MAC map

View attachment 44113MWC map (ND should be included)

Their four conference road trips this year are to UNLV, San Jose St., NDSU, and Wyoming. They lucked out in the travel department and get Hawaii at home. So I would say their travel expenses for football will increase significantly (I have no idea how much "significantly" is, I saw Ohio St. and Michigan spend $10 million per year on travel, but NIU is not Ohio St. or Michigan).

I read something that the Mountain West's TV deal supports the "legacy schools." I don't know how NIU factors into that.

The move to the MWC will infuse $34 million over six years. I'm not sure how much the extra travel expense will eat into that. But after the money for the move stops coming in after six years, they'll still have the increased travel costs to pay for.

I'm guessing NIU ran the numbers and will come out ahead in the long run. If they went to the Mountain West in all sports, that might be different.
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Bold: That's just wild to me if true, that the MWC would fork over that much money to ... a MAC team ... in football only? Good lord.
 


swede2 said:
Word is that the Mountain West was ready to add NDSU, SDSU, Montana and Montana State last off season and was willing to subsidize their entry. At the time, it appeared that UNLV and AFA were leaving. Instead, MWC is paying a significant sum to keep those schools in the fold. When the lousy media rights deal came out, MWC needed a new infusion of cash and another school to backstop against an eventual departure of UNLV and AFA and the folks in Fargo were one of two schools willing to pay such a ridiculous fee (Sac St being the other, being used as leverage against the Bisons). I don't doubt for a minute that if Montana State, Montana and SDSU came to the table with a similar bag of cash that MWC would extend invitations. In other words, I think the door is open now. Money talks and MWC is cash strapped.
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If your "eventual" here refers to after the 2032 expiration of the new GoR, then I suppose you could be right. I can't see AFA or UNLV leaving before then, unless the whole thing completely blows up and the new P4 super league decides they want a local Las Vegas school and/or all three main military academies.

Everything else you say makes sense.

But wouldn't that bag from SDSU or perhaps more likely the Montana schools have already been on the table, now? What are they waiting for?
 

Some guy said:
True, but the mountain west has a greater than zero chance of disappearing in the next 10 years. Where as I don’t think that’s true of the Mac.

The mountain west also has a greater than zero chance of looking like conference USA the next 5 years.
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Maybe NIU will become the next Idaho, and drop down to the MVFC. Now that they're in Horizon for most sports, it may honestly make the most sense.
 

GopherGrit said:
Bold: That's just wild to me if true, that the MWC would fork over that much money to ... a MAC team ... in football only? Good lord.
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nevadasportsnet.com

Northern Illinois expecting a $34 million boost by moving football team to Mountain West

Northern Illinois expects to make more than $34 million in the next six seasons as a result of the Huskies joining the Mountain West as a football-only member,
nevadasportsnet.com nevadasportsnet.com

www.on3.com

Northern Illinois will earn more than $34 million next 6 seasons in Mountain West

With the move to the Mountain West Conference, Northern Illinois will earn more than $34 million over the next 6 seasons.
www.on3.com www.on3.com


Here are a few sources referring to that amount, not saying you don't believe me but here they are
 

These
Ski-U-Ham said:
nevadasportsnet.com

Northern Illinois expecting a $34 million boost by moving football team to Mountain West

Northern Illinois expects to make more than $34 million in the next six seasons as a result of the Huskies joining the Mountain West as a football-only member,
nevadasportsnet.com nevadasportsnet.com

www.on3.com

Northern Illinois will earn more than $34 million next 6 seasons in Mountain West

With the move to the Mountain West Conference, Northern Illinois will earn more than $34 million over the next 6 seasons.
www.on3.com www.on3.com


Here are a few sources referring to that amount, not saying you don't believe me but here they are
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These really aren't multiple sources - they essentially parrot each other. I'm not really in deep thinking mode right now but a big note on the data is "expecting.". Even under the rosy scenario that didn't come to pass (media rights), where did the $34 million come from?
 



GopherGrit said:
If your "eventual" here refers to after the 2032 expiration of the new GoR, then I suppose you could be right. I can't see AFA or UNLV leaving before then, unless the whole thing completely blows up and the new P4 super league decides they want a local Las Vegas school and/or all three main military academies.

Everything else you say makes sense.

But wouldn't that bag from SDSU or perhaps more likely the Montana schools have already been on the table, now? What are they waiting for?
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AFA and UNLV could go earlier if MWC can't deliver on it's promise. That would occur if PAC is successful in the poaching litigation. PAC has a healthier media rights deal (UNLV) and AAC has the other service academies (AFA).

Do SDSU and the Montanas want to be FBS? I'm an SDSU grad and fan. I want meaningful football. Absolute best case scenario for schools like NDSU and SDSU is making the CFP and getting blown out in the first round. We already have that opportunity in basketball. Playing 10pm games in a shitty MWC and a crappy bowl game isn't appealing. I think the difference between SDSU fans and NDSU fans is that the former have a firm grasp on reality.
 


Bison Dan said:
Wow, I guess I could mention that most of ND, SD and outstate MN by pass the Twin Cities now after the BLM & ICE riots. I could also mention that streets are still boarded up after the riots. Lets get real, MN football is a after thought in the B10 and if it wasn't for the 3 boring games to start the season you'd have a hard time getting to a bowl game.
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Poor baby scared of the big bad city? Stick to your cows they will protect you Dan!
 

swede2 said:
AFA and UNLV could go earlier if MWC can't deliver on it's promise. That would occur if PAC is successful in the poaching litigation. PAC has a healthier media rights deal (UNLV) and AAC has the other service academies (AFA).

Do SDSU and the Montanas want to be FBS? I'm an SDSU grad and fan. I want meaningful football. Absolute best case scenario for schools like NDSU and SDSU is making the CFP and getting blown out in the first round. We already have that opportunity in basketball. Playing 10pm games in a shitty MWC and a crappy bowl game isn't appealing. I think the difference between SDSU fans and NDSU fans is that the former have a firm grasp on reality.
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They might want to go earlier if the MWC loses the court cases and therefore gets paid less from the Pac 12 than expected, but they did sign a new GoR with the rest of the league schools. Maybe it has an escape clause based on the court outcome? I don't think anyone knows what's in it for sure.

I can't speak for SDSU and Montanas fans, but I know plenty of NDSU fans and the sentiment is nearly unanimous regarding the FCS and moving to FBS: there is nothing possibly left for NDSU to prove in FCS. How many more times can you win the same championship over and over? It's time for a new challenge. I can see how SDSU fans don't have that since they haven't done all that winning.


While it may be a fluke, what James Madison did just last year in making the CFP is probably the ceiling for a Dakota or Montana school and it certainly isn't nothing. It's well above playing a crappy bowl game.
 




NDSU O/U win totals 9.5.
Vegas and Us expect a big year
Put $1000 on over. easy Money
 

You can see the value for NDSU joining MWC. Nearly all games available nationally.

 

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