Does anyone know why they are going back to FCS? I know that they are leaving the Sunbelt and going back to FCS in a couple of seasons. We played them in Boone on rivalry weekend last year and I remember talking to some great Idaho football fans and this is hard to understand for me. I am Idaho in the "Famous Idaho Potato Bowl" tonight and at the half they are kicking Colorado State's butt. They are Sunbelt for now still, so I say Go Vandals!!

Don't believe they had a conference to join at the FBS level

That is correct. They could have gone independent for football and Big Sky for everything else. But they chose to do Big Sky for all sports.

Going to be a contest when we go out there next year. Could be our toughest Sun Belt game especially if we have no Troy, StAte, or USA on the schedule.

hapapp wrote:Going to be a contest when we go out there next year. Could be our toughest Sun Belt game especially if we have no Troy, StAte, or USA on the schedule.

Which is no bueno! I hate that the conference has set up App's schedule to miss out on those teams. If App ends up winning the conference again, we get to hear, ***didn't play xxxx****.

Petrino has made huge strides with the Vandals. I'm not so sure they can hold on to him much longer.

"Which is no bueno! I hate that the conference has set up App's schedule to miss out on those teams. If App ends up winning the conference again, we get to hear, ***didn't play xxxx****."

The only ones who will say that are the losers - we don't choose our conference games ---
If I am not mistaken, last year in the regular season the holes didn't play Florida State, Louisville or Clemson - but, you know, they were in the championship game and if they had won they were ACC Champions - Anyone can say what they want - If we win the SunBelt again, we will be SunBelt Champions again !!!

If the plan is for us not to play stAte or Troy, the Sun Belt should rethink that plan while there's still time. It will be different when there's a conference title game, but we don't have one of those yet.

Beyond issues of fairness, what about TV games? The Sun Belt has a limited number of appealing matchups they can offer ESPN. Why would they NOT want to have as many games as possible between the teams that are expected to be near the top of the league?

EastHallApp wrote:If the plan is for us not to play stAte or Troy, the Sun Belt should rethink that plan while there's still time. It will be different when there's a conference title game, but we don't have one of those yet.

Beyond issues of fairness, what about TV games? The Sun Belt has a limited number of appealing matchups they can offer ESPN. Why would they NOT want to have as many games as possible between the teams that are expected to be near the top of the league?

I am speaking/ thinking outloud and ignorantly because I don't understand all the dynamics of the powers that be, but it seems to me the SunBelt directors or whomever to blame don't know a thing about growing a conference. In a year where your best two teams don't play each other on TV and quite possibly both 10 win teams worthy of top 25 rankings is absurd. Also no tie ends with P5 conferences in bowl matchups when other G5s have.....I say your fired!

Much of this is the crooked unfairness of the NCAA and the power of the P5s I do realize. Idaho is prime example being subjected to things that bar them.

Also, speaking of our own.....Our marketing and licensing/ buyer group at App needs to step it up BIG TIME! We are way way behind the curve and should be generating more revenue on that end.......Missing way too much opportunity.

They didn't look that good in Boone, but last night they looked like a different team!

The decision to kick Idaho to the curb was strictly a financial one. Sun Belt members decided that flying to Idaho every other year didn't make economic sence. Ditto for New Mexico State. I can't blame them. The Sun Belt is a better conference (i.e. more financially secure) when it's not spread across three time zones.

tmetcalf2 wrote:They didn't look that good in Boone, but last night they looked like a different team!

Very true. They have good offensive team I just think too many including ourselves underestimate just how good we were this year.

I just feel sorry for them in having to move back down because they can't get in the MW conference for to cut expenses.

Didn't realize Linehans brother also played at LB.
The Dad is prospect for Rams HC job.

In a perfect world, teams like Idaho could go independent with some brethren if enough wore the same shoes to force a loop hole consensus for more ideal regional structure such as BYU but sadly the platform doesn't fit the misfits.

Idaho and NM State were flipping much of the bill for conference teams to travel there.

AppGrad78 wrote:The decision to kick Idaho to the curb was strictly a financial one. Sun Belt members decided that flying to Idaho every other year didn't make economic sence. Ditto for New Mexico State. I can't blame them. The Sun Belt is a better conference (i.e. more financially secure) when it's not spread across three time zones.

Good points. I'll also add, it is not just the 4 conference games played in Moscow each season, but also the 4 road games Idaho plays. I Believe the SunBelt subsidizes those trips as well.

AppDawg wrote:

AppGrad78 wrote:The decision to kick Idaho to the curb was strictly a financial one. Sun Belt members decided that flying to Idaho every other year didn't make economic sence. Ditto for New Mexico State. I can't blame them. The Sun Belt is a better conference (i.e. more financially secure) when it's not spread across three time zones.

Good points. I'll also add, it is not just the 4 conference games played in Moscow each season, but also the 4 road games Idaho plays. I Believe the SunBelt subsidizes those trips as well.

Actually, we pay travel subsidies to the Sun Belt, not the other way around.

Idaho coaches, fans and players absolutely wanted to stay in the Sun Belt. Our President says he did too, although I have my doubts after seeing his presentation to the conference and subsequent behavior.

AppGrad78 wrote:The decision to kick Idaho to the curb was strictly a financial one. Sun Belt members decided that flying to Idaho every other year didn't make economic sence. Ditto for New Mexico State. I can't blame them. The Sun Belt is a better conference (i.e. more financially secure) when it's not spread across three time zones.

I see your point, but Idaho and New Mexico State didn't suddenly move from where they were when they joined the conference. Kinda ex-post facto sort of thing.

NewApp wrote:

AppGrad78 wrote:The decision to kick Idaho to the curb was strictly a financial one. Sun Belt members decided that flying to Idaho every other year didn't make economic sence. Ditto for New Mexico State. I can't blame them. The Sun Belt is a better conference (i.e. more financially secure) when it's not spread across three time zones.

I see your point, but Idaho and New Mexico State didn't suddenly move from where they were when they joined the conference. Kinda ex-post facto sort of thing.

Believe they were added because the Sun Belt was scrambling to get to 12 teams so it could have a FB championship game. With that requirement no longer in place, it was time to part ways.

EastHallApp wrote:

NewApp wrote:

AppGrad78 wrote:The decision to kick Idaho to the curb was strictly a financial one. Sun Belt members decided that flying to Idaho every other year didn't make economic sence. Ditto for New Mexico State. I can't blame them. The Sun Belt is a better conference (i.e. more financially secure) when it's not spread across three time zones.

I see your point, but Idaho and New Mexico State didn't suddenly move from where they were when they joined the conference. Kinda ex-post facto sort of thing.

Believe they were added because the Sun Belt was scrambling to get to 12 teams so it could have a FB championship game. With that requirement no longer in place,
it was time to part ways.

i.e. They used them and then threw them out. Real classy. Sounds like something the ACC or SoCon would do.

NewApp wrote:

EastHallApp wrote:

NewApp wrote:

AppGrad78 wrote:The decision to kick Idaho to the curb was strictly a financial one. Sun Belt members decided that flying to Idaho every other year didn't make economic sence. Ditto for New Mexico State. I can't blame them. The Sun Belt is a better conference (i.e. more financially secure) when it's not spread across three time zones.

I see your point, but Idaho and New Mexico State didn't suddenly move from where they were when they joined the conference. Kinda ex-post facto sort of thing.

Believe they were added because the Sun Belt was scrambling to get to 12 teams so it could have a FB championship game. With that requirement no longer in place,
it was time to part ways.

i.e. They used them and then threw them out. Real classy. Sounds like something the ACC or SoCon would do.

No, not anything like that. They needed a conference and the Belt needed teams. It was a mutually beneficial relationship. There was no used.

When Idaho and NMSU joined it was with the understanding that their membership would be revisited. It wasn't as if they entered the relationship blind. Of course, the Belt didn't get to 12 because before we entered with GS, Western Ky left for CUSA.