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Although many probably would not like it (myself included at least initially I think) would anyone be surprised if after Bohl's tenure is over with that the program then slides down to FSC? I ask this with no sarcasm and I'm not trying to pick on some old scabs with conversation about something like this having been previously mentioned a few times on this board, I truly wonder if that is a destination we will soon be at and further a destination that would be appropriate given the massively shifting landscape throughout the CFB industry. I'm thinking they could still find a way to play CSU and perhaps maybe Air Force, and I'll admit games against schools like Montana, Montana St, NDSU, Weber St, UC-Davis, I think it would be kind of cool and I could see some terrific rivalries building pretty quickly. Thoughts?

No, unless the landscape of college football changes a LOT, a move to FCS would be financial suicide for UW athletics.

I'm not being hyperbolic when I say that I honestly think cutting the football program would be on the table before dropping to FCS.

We'll do whatever our conference mates do. No one wants FCS, so no. What an embarrassing topic. geez

With the way things are trending. Why would we drop when we are not even the weakest team in our conference let alone our division. Plus in the next five years Montana, Montana State, North Dakota State and South Douth Dokota State will be moving up to our level anyways.

LanderPoke wrote: ↑Thu Jan 12, 2023 8:16 am We'll do whatever our conference mates do. No one wants FCS, so no. What an embarrassing topic. geez

This.

The TCU game highlighted the growing disparity even in the P5. There is still a lot of dust to settle in all of this. I once read about the TV era and how it drastically changed the landscape of cfb (Ivy League leaving). At the same time, attendance and stadium capacity criteria were discussed but the TV deal was the biggest issue. It resulted in some of the oldest football programs in the nation leaving the upper ranks of cfb. It seemed to happen almost overnight but there were signs and discussions years prior. The Ivy league schools' prominence ended 40 years prior to them leaving d1 with some success littered in over the decades leading up to the split. Schools like Alabama, Penn State, Notre Dame, OU, and TX forced the change. Sound familiar?

IMO, we are on the cusp of another one of those major, landscape altering events. Holding tight with current peer institutions is by far the most prudent option. Status quo could definitely continue, but I have a feeling we are on the verge of something that is unpredictable and most likely uncontrollable from a UW perspective.

ragtimejoe1 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 12, 2023 8:42 am

LanderPoke wrote: ↑Thu Jan 12, 2023 8:16 am We'll do whatever our conference mates do. No one wants FCS, so no. What an embarrassing topic. geez

This.

The TCU game highlighted the growing disparity even in the P5. There is still a lot of dust to settle in all of this. I once read about the TV era and how it drastically changed the landscape of cfb (Ivy League leaving). At the same time, attendance and stadium capacity criteria were discussed but the TV deal was the biggest issue. It resulted in some of the oldest football programs in the nation leaving the upper ranks of cfb. It seemed to happen almost overnight but there were signs and discussions years prior. The Ivy league schools' prominence ended 40 years prior to them leaving d1 with some success littered in over the decades leading up to the split. Schools like Alabama, Penn State, Notre Dame, OU, and TX forced the change. Sound familiar?

IMO, we are on the cusp of another one of those major, landscape altering events. Holding tight with current peer institutions is by far the most prudent option. Status quo could definitely continue, but I have a feeling we are on the verge of something that is unpredictable and most likely uncontrollable from a UW perspective.

Good analysis. There is nothing we can do when it comes to football. Money and markets have so drastically changed the dynamic overnight. Wyoming has neither.

We need to make sure we don’t ever fall behind the CSUs and Air Forces of the landscape when it comes to investments in the program because that will be the death knell for Wyoming football.

The hierarchy of college football is starting to shape up like European soccer leagues which is based on money and markets.

OrediggerPoke wrote: ↑Thu Jan 12, 2023 8:50 am

ragtimejoe1 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 12, 2023 8:42 am

This.

The TCU game highlighted the growing disparity even in the P5. There is still a lot of dust to settle in all of this. I once read about the TV era and how it drastically changed the landscape of cfb (Ivy League leaving). At the same time, attendance and stadium capacity criteria were discussed but the TV deal was the biggest issue. It resulted in some of the oldest football programs in the nation leaving the upper ranks of cfb. It seemed to happen almost overnight but there were signs and discussions years prior. The Ivy league schools' prominence ended 40 years prior to them leaving d1 with some success littered in over the decades leading up to the split. Schools like Alabama, Penn State, Notre Dame, OU, and TX forced the change. Sound familiar?

IMO, we are on the cusp of another one of those major, landscape altering events. Holding tight with current peer institutions is by far the most prudent option. Status quo could definitely continue, but I have a feeling we are on the verge of something that is unpredictable and most likely uncontrollable from a UW perspective.

Good analysis. There is nothing we can do when it comes to football. Money and markets have so drastically changed the dynamic overnight. Wyoming has neither.

We need to make sure we don’t ever fall behind the CSUs and Air Forces of the landscape when it comes to investments in the program because that will be the death knell for Wyoming football.

The hierarchy of college football is starting to shape up like European soccer leagues which is based on money and markets.

I agree.

I think the other part of the Ivy League split was when schools were allowed full-ride scholarships, the Ivy League stuck to their formula of only providing scholarship based on a family's ability to pay. It has probably since changed, but still eerily similar to this NIL deal. Athlete compensation was another factor that drove the change in landscape.

Comes down to economics and money. Right now it makes sense to keep playing BCS football.

I agree with staying with our peer institutions. I would even expand our peer institutions to include some schools like Arizona State, Arizona, Kansas State, Iowa State, Oregon State, Utah, TCU among others. Right now they are in higher profile conferences making much more money and playing in Rose bowls and in the playoff this year. But I think in the long run the SEC and Big ten end up consolidating to 20 or 24 teams each and breaking away and forming essentially an NFL light with their own playoff, and the large payments to players. They are already well on their way to doing that. I think that will leave 20 or so schools currently in power five conferences that don't make it into those conferences that may or may not include some of the list that I put above but still will be some 20 schools from the power five conferences.

I think the group of five conferences, and the 20 or so leftovers from the power five conferences will end up forming a new middle division of college football with their own playoff. I think Wyoming needs to try to stay with those peer institutions in that grouping. Rather than dropping down to FCS, we should be in that middle division with schools that we have been in conferences with and in competition with for a 100+ years.

In the short term the expanded 12 team playoff gives the mountain West more access than ever. With Houston, UCF, and Cincinnati all going to the Big 12, the AAC has gotten much weaker. With USC and UCLA headed to the Big ten and at least so far the pac-12 not back filling has made the pac-12 weaker. With the guaranteed auto bid to the playoff of the top six conference champions, the mountain West is in better position than it ever has been for actually making the playoff.

My guess is the 12 team playoff only lasts a decade or so before the SEC-Big ten split happens. But I think Wyoming is best riding in the mountain West during that time with at least a chance at the playoff, and then sliding into the new middle division of college football that I think eventually occurs.