Conference realignment benefitting us

[Globetrotter]

What if we went to 16 teams, had 4 divisions of those 16 teams and then had a 2 week playoff for the championship at the end of the year. But get a little frustrating with things hanging up in the air but I would be all for anything that would make us a bit more interesting. Not quite sure how you add that 12th game for teams who are not in the playoff but who knows how it would work.

North
Directional Michigans
Toledo

South
OU
WKU
MTSU
Ark St

East
Temple
Buff
Akron
Kent

West
N Illinois
Ball St
BG
Miami

Not sure how it would really work but I think its fun to think outside the box about these kinds of things. We can't think like a BCS conference thinks.
Stolen from:
http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=439468

[Globetrotter]

Multiple sources are reporting that Texas is now likely going to stay in the Big 12, meaning that Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech would stay as well. That could bring an end to any major realignment/super conference rumors, at least for the time being

Interestingly enough I have been following this all day and CBS Sports has had this noted all day while ESPN has said the PAC 10 for Texas. I wonder if Texas AnM is still interested in getting out?

Regardless, this might just be buying us time and this might be a good time to be proactive and try to get some geographic Sun Belt teams in here or some rising FCS teams.

[SB-50]

I can tell ya one thing. If we move to anything less than full 1A status, you won't be seeing me renew my season tickets...I just have no desire to watch lower division football. The MAC be the taint of D1A, but at least it's still a part of the body.

Poetically put.

I'm dead set on BG remaining 1-A also.

The "financials" of I-A may dictate our move. If so, I know all of us will still be there backing & cheering for OUR team.

[Globetrotter]

I can tell ya one thing. If we move to anything less than full 1A status, you won't be seeing me renew my season tickets...I just have no desire to watch lower division football. The MAC be the taint of D1A, but at least it's still a part of the body.

Poetically put.

I'm dead set on BG remaining 1-A also.

The "financials" of I-A may dictate our move. If so, I know all of us will still be there backing & cheering for OUR team.

I think that you may have misread the above posts.

[SB-50]

I can tell ya one thing. If we move to anything less than full 1A status, you won't be seeing me renew my season tickets...I just have no desire to watch lower division football. The MAC be the taint of D1A, but at least it's still a part of the body.

Poetically put.

I'm dead set on BG remaining 1-A also.

The "financials" of I-A may dictate our move. If so, I know all of us will still be there backing & cheering for OUR team.

I think that you may have misread the above posts.

I interpreted the posts as ending their support for OUR squad if we drop to FCS/Div I-AA. I hope I did mis-read them, and if so, my apologies.

[fredthefalcon]

This just in. Texas has turned down the PAC10 bid. So, after all this maybe only 3-4 teams change leagues for now.

[BGFalconfromCincy]

This just in. Texas has turned down the PAC10 bid. So, after all this maybe only 3-4 teams change leagues for now.

Biggest loser of the Big 12 surviving for now may be the Mountain West, instead of trying to lure the Big 12 leftovers to their conference they now may lose some of their better members (Utah, TCU) because the Pac-10 will surely want at least one more team to get to 12, and the Big 12 will probably want to get back to 12 teams eventually as well

[MarkL]

Once again, Nathan, your assumption about what I was trying to say is incorrect. I want a playoff for the non BCS leagues and possibly the top FCS teams. The point I was trying to make is NOT being a part of the BCS but having a whole new division since it's obvious the non BCS leagues are not in the picture.

That's something I really don't want at all. We currently compete in the top level of football ... or at least we can say we do. By a straw poll at work, everybody in the office at a lunch could say who won the FBS title ... Alabama, and I was the only one who knew that Villanova had won the FCS title. If what you're suggesting happens, there goes Bowling Green as a decently known football team and there goes the general population known of our successes when we earn it. We need to ensure that we remain at the top level of play in order to keep Bowling Green as a name in college football.

[hammb]

I can tell ya one thing. If we move to anything less than full 1A status, you won't be seeing me renew my season tickets...I just have no desire to watch lower division football. The MAC be the taint of D1A, but at least it's still a part of the body.

Poetically put.

I'm dead set on BG remaining 1-A also.

The "financials" of I-A may dictate our move. If so, I know all of us will still be there backing & cheering for OUR team.

I think that you may have misread the above posts.

I interpreted the posts as ending their support for OUR squad if we drop to FCS/Div I-AA. I hope I did mis-read them, and if so, my apologies.

You didn't mis-read my post. Not at all.

If BG drops below the D1A level I will not be supporting the program in the same way I do now. Sure, I'll probably make it to a game or two...after all I do live about 3 miles from the Doyt. However, I wouldn't be buying season tickets. I wouldn't be going out of my way to attend every possible home game. I wouldn't be going out of my way to find score updates for any game that I can't attend. I certainly wouldn't be going out of my way to watch any road games. Continuing to compete at the 1A level (the HIGHEST level of collegiate football) is absolutely the reason why I continue to support the program in the manner that I do. I'd MUCH MUCH MUCH rather be a terrible 1A team than the best 1AA program in the country.

I have no desire to root for a D1AA football team. Moreover, I would almost argue we should drop football altogether if D1AA is the alternative. It's pretty tough to justify the costs of a football program if you really think about it rationally. The only thing it really provides is a good advertising avenue to get your name in the public eye. Have a great player make headlines (Freddie) or put together a great season (like in '03) and you'll find your name in various papers and on ESPN. That has GREAT value, and can be used to justify the program.

You drop to D1AA and nobody gives a rat's ass about it. Win the national title 3 years in a row? Nobody cares. Well...there will be 1A teams poaching your coaches, but other than that it's completely irrelevant. D1AA football is a pointless endeavor that will still cost millions of dollars with almost no return on that investment.

So, no, you didn't misread my post. I am adamantly AGAINST dropping from the 1A ranks, and I honestly wouldn't want anything to do with the lesser levels of football. I'd still show up occasionally to tailgate with the people from this site, but otherwise wouldn't really care.

[bgsufn]

If BG drops below the D1A level I will not be supporting the program in the same way I do now. Sure, I'll probably make it to a game or two...after all I do live about 3 miles from the Doyt. However, I wouldn't be buying season tickets. I wouldn't be going out of my way to attend every possible home game. I wouldn't be going out of my way to find score updates for any game that I can't attend. I certainly wouldn't be going out of my way to watch any road games. Continuing to compete at the 1A level (the HIGHEST level of collegiate football) is absolutely the reason why I continue to support the program in the manner that I do. I'd MUCH MUCH MUCH rather be a terrible 1A team than the best 1AA program in the country.

I have no desire to root for a D1AA football team. Moreover, I would almost argue we should drop football altogether if D1AA is the alternative. It's pretty tough to justify the costs of a football program if you really think about it rationally. The only thing it really provides is a good advertising avenue to get your name in the public eye. Have a great player make headlines (Freddie) or put together a great season (like in '03) and you'll find your name in various papers and on ESPN. That has GREAT value, and can be used to justify the program.

You drop to D1AA and nobody gives a rat's ass about it. Win the national title 3 years in a row? Nobody cares. Well...there will be 1A teams poaching your coaches, but other than that it's completely irrelevant. D1AA football is a pointless endeavor that will still cost millions of dollars with almost no return on that investment.

So, no, you didn't misread my post. I am adamantly AGAINST dropping from the 1A ranks, and I honestly wouldn't want anything to do with the lesser levels of football. I'd still show up occasionally to tailgate with the people from this site, but otherwise wouldn't really care.

Tell us how you really feel

I agree wholeheartedly with you, BTW.

[Lord_Byron]

. . .if you really think about it rationally. . .

Are you new to these boards?

[Falconfreak90]

I think a lot of good points have been raised....I'll renew my season tickets no matter what cuz it's the program I support.

Trust me...I love the fact BG is 1-A. My biggest beef is fighting a system that doesn't want us. And I don't recall every saying "Drop down a division". I said "create a new division between the BCS and the FCS. We could and would still play the BCS teams for $$$. The BCS teams play FCS teams all the time now.

Hammb-

"I'd MUCH MUCH MUCH rather be a terrible 1A team than the best 1AA program in the country."

Really? So who has more fun and attracts more of a following? EMU or Richmond? I can't agree with that statement you made but hey, all opinions are cool.

I'd rather see BG and the MAC remain 1-A...but my dad's argument makes more sense every year that goes by.

Also, ask the 1959 National Champion BG Falcon players if it means any less that the NC they won wasn't the big one. I'll bet it doesn't mean any less to them. Plus, people here are always complaining how bad the conference is and how we don't belong with the BCS teams. Seems to me you can't have it both ways.

At any rate, kickoff is 84 days away...

BEAT TROY!

[hammb]

I think a lot of good points have been raised....I'll renew my season tickets no matter what cuz it's the program I support.

Trust me...I love the fact BG is 1-A. My biggest beef is fighting a system that doesn't want us. And I don't recall every saying "Drop down a division". I said "create a new division between the BCS and the FCS. We could and would still play the BCS teams for $$$. The BCS teams play FCS teams all the time now.

I just see that as us dropping to 1-AA and basically making the current 1-AA become a 1-AAA of sorts. Either way, if you take us out of the bowl picture, I think you're going to see a pretty big dropoff in the level of talent that we attract. Right now we can recruit with the lesser programs from the BCS leagues. It's not uncommon at all that we would beat out the Indianas, Illinois, Minnesota, Vandy, etc for recruits. There are players that would rather be on a good MAC team than a bad Big 10 team. I don't think you'd get that nearly as often if we didn't have the potential to go to bowls and still be competing at the highest level of college football.

Yeah, the big boys don't want us here, but so what, we are here. And rather than give them what they want I would much rather go out and occasionally beat them at their own game. And it may be a 1 in a billion shot, but dammit I'm not about to give up that oh so slim shot we could play in a BCS bowl game some day.

I also refuse to just give up and throw in the towel on the MAC becoming part of a future national championship tournament at the D1 level. I don't think it's very likely, but if we're willing to drop into our own level, you can pretty much kiss that goodbye.

Also, I'm curious who you think would join the MAC in this 1-A.5 level? I can't see the WAC or Mountain West doing anything like that. Not when they've got programs that have made BCS bowls in recent years. Conference USA still makes a ton on bowls so I can't see them doing it either. You're basically looking at creating a division with the MAC & the Sunbelt. Sorry, but I see that as a BIG step towards irrelevancy.

Hammb-

"I'd MUCH MUCH MUCH rather be a terrible 1A team than the best 1AA program in the country."

Really? So who has more fun and attracts more of a following? EMU or Richmond? I can't agree with that statement you made but hey, all opinions are cool.

As to who has more fun, I'd have far more fun as an EMU fan. 1AA football is just meaningless to me. I'm sure it's great for those involved, but BG was 1A when I was there, and any step back and I'd find it VERY difficult to care. Richmond may have a better following, and their fans may have more fun, than EMU, but they don't have a chance to gain nearly the recognition for their program that EMU does. The country just flat out doesn't care about 1AA football. At the 1A level you have a chance to get your name and school recognized by sports fans. The only people that pay attention to 1AA football are those that attended a 1AA institution...it is not on the radar of the average sports fan.

I'd rather see BG and the MAC remain 1-A...but my dad's argument makes more sense every year that goes by.

Also, ask the 1959 National Champion BG Falcon players if it means any less that the NC they won wasn't the big one. I'll bet it doesn't mean any less to them. Plus, people here are always complaining how bad the conference is and how we don't belong with the BCS teams. Seems to me you can't have it both ways.

At any rate, kickoff is 84 days away...

BEAT TROY!

Oh I'm sure it doesn't mean any less to the players. They worked their asses off either way. But it means far less to the average joe fan. And while I suppose that shouldn't be that meaningful of a fact it's really the only reason to field an athletic team at the collegiate level. The goal of your program is to graduate kids and get your name out in the public eye. Lesser division football isn't going to put your name anywhere...people just don't care.

As to the conference yeah, it's been pretty shitty the last 6 years or so. But it's still a 1A conference. I want them to work on improving so they DO belong with the BCS teams, not conceding defeat and tucking our tails between our legs. I'm not saying I expect the MAC to be a BCS level conference, but it wasn't that long ago that we were consistently beating teams from C-USA and wins against BCS teams weren't expected, but happened. I still believe the MAC can get there again, and I'd much rather see them move in that direction than concede defeat.

[SB-50]

I do not want to drop from I-A either. But I have to admit that I am disheartened by the "conditional" support for OUR Falcons. I would hope that if (and that's a big if) we dropped to I-AA (just as we did in 1982) that all of us would still stand behind OUR team.

In my travels, when I begin to speak of my alma mater, I am constantly asked two things:

1. Is that in Kentucky?
2. Are you guys Division I?

The luster of Div I is a bit lost on the MAC. Outside of MAC/Big Ten country, very few people know who any of the teams are, let alone our D-I status.

I don't want to drop, but will remain in a "Frenzy" if we do.

[daspollak]

I live relatively close to App. St., and they alumni from there beam when their team does well. Not only do they have a few NCAA titles to brag about, but they did have one guy drafted in the 3rd round this year. They love their school, and because of the success they draw more fans than most MAC schools. This proves one important thing, that winning brings support no matter what level you play at.