307bball said:
You remind me of a younger, less jaded me. I remember when I felt like football relevance was just around the corner.
You and I agree on one thing though. A conference championship football team in Laramie isn't happening anytime soon.... And by the time it happens... It will not come with a CFP invite.
I really don't see Wyoming football being nationally relevant ever again. We're currently in a Tier 3 conference, and we're struggling to get out of the middle of that pack. Given the financial setup of college football there isn't much Wyoming can do about it. We can start winning more. That would sure help. But I've also seen what happens when we swing for the fences and miss. Being at the bottom of the MWC is soul crushing.
What gives me optimism is that the system is changing. Not in a way that would let Wyoming get to the top, but in a way that may end up with us in the Tier 2 group. That's an improvement. We could even catch lightning in a bottle and make the CFP some year. Not remotely likely, but possible. Compared to the current system where some people actually believe Alabama should have been in the CFP this year, it's an improvement. It's possible for a team like Wyoming to play our way in to a 12 team playoff. Again, highly unlikely, but possible.
Maybe my perspective is just different. I grew up in Montana as a fan of a B1G team because my family was from the Midwest. Everyone around me went to either Bozeman or Missoula. Cat/Grizz was a big deal. I didn't go to Bozeman or Missoula, or to the B1G school. I went to Wyoming and I'm still here in Laramie. The perspective gained from being a Cowboy is so different than the FCS or B1G perspective. The B1G guys have nearly unlimited money and a true sense of superiority. They will never drop to the Tier 2 level no matter how much they lose. See Nebraska for reference. Also, they aren't going to let Wyoming join their club. The FCS schools really, really want to be at the level of Wyoming. They won't say it, though. And they aren't willing to spend the money to get here. Thankfully we put UW in Laramie 120 years ago instead of Sheridan or we'd be in the Big Sky.
So, we're not Tier 1, and we're never going to be. Ever. No matter how much we want it. If the P5 turns into the P4 or even P2, which is very possible, we can get to the Tier 2 level. We'll get to play againt Tier 2 competition in our conference and Tier 1 schools a couple of times a year. Hopefully the Power conferences stop playing FCS schools and just play non-power FBS schools like us (the SEC should be ashamed). That change is overdue.
We're also not FCS. And I don't think we ever will be. It's an entirely different level we don't want to drop to. It's the same as waving a white flag. The money, exposure, and opportunity for our athletes is just vastly different. Anyone who thinks we should entertain the idea of FCS sports just doesn't know what they're talking about.
Given my perspective, I think Wyoming is likely to end up in an improved position. Not in a Power conference, not in the FCS. Likely in a group with peers like Boise, CSU, Tulsa, Memphis, SMU, etc. And maybe some schools that don't get to join the Power 2 or 4 like Washington State, Oregon State, and a few more that don't step up their spending. Seems like a good place to be.
