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Northern Illinois to join MWC

This is great news. Realistically, Northern Illinois and North Dakota State for football only was the conference’s best option. Not a tough road trip either really (fly into O’Hare and drive 45 minutes to DeKalb).
 
The new MWC fits UW well and is better fit than the pac. When the big split happens, it'll be an adequate conference at our level. UW should be able to compete and challenge for championships in most sports on occasion.

Like the NIU addition.
 
ragtimejoe1 said:
The new MWC fits UW well and is better fit than the pac. When the big split happens, it'll be an adequate conference at our level. UW should be able to compete and challenge for championships in most sports on occasion.

Like the NIU addition.
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pac-whatever will be wherever we are when the big split happens
 
Very good addition when you look at what possibilities are out there. I was unaware Northern Illinois had been in Big West in the 1990's for 3 years. Also, they made it to the Orange Bowl in 2013 and of course the victory over Notre Dame this year. Probably have had more football success than just about any of the remaining members of the MWC besides Air Force. Plus it is just football only so not all the other sports which would have been a hassle to travel for everybody. Northern Illinois enters immediately (at least immediately in 2026) whereas North Dakota State or any FCS school has to pay $5 million and has 2 year transition period. Still waiting on what the new Pac12 can come up with for their final member. Northern Illinois was not on their radar, but probably should have been. It almost has to be Texas State. Unless, UTEP or UNLV figure a way out of the MWC and this gives the MWC eight teams if that happens.
 
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LanderPoke said:
Might as well get ndsu and a team in the eastern time zone to make us even more attractive for TV if we are going to be in a Frankenstein conference
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I have a hard time believing NDSU would want to join the MWC. They vie for a FCS championship regularly.
 
From a conference point of view, its goofy. From a personal point of view, I am glad. This will be the closest road trip to me and very doable from southeast Wisconsin. I am a dinosaur and still think about regional rivalries. North Dakota, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, Colorado, New Mexico, Montana, Nebraska could have been cool. NIU playing Hawaii is unsustainable. But I am happy.
 
ragtimejoe1 said:
No one is going to give a rat's ass about whatever division we end up in after the split.
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Well guess we’re in the same boat. Only we make way more money, fund more scholarships, play on TV, have better players, and play way better schools and are better
 
LanderPoke said:
Well guess we’re in the same boat. Only we make way more money, fund more scholarships, play on TV, have better players, and play way better schools and are better
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Things were very different in 1978 when the Division 1A/1AA split occurred. Eventually this morphed into FBS/FCS for football.

I'd argue that the main reason Wyoming remains where it is today is because of inertia. Basically, it was easier to keep things the same rather than make big sweeping changes to the organization of college athletics. This is exactly why the conference realignment fiasco has always spelled ultimate doom for Wyoming athletics.

Somehow, we have managed to hang on by the skin of our teeth. Personally, I'm not sure how much longer we are able to pull that off.
 
OrediggerPoke said:
How is it less sustainable than Hawaii playing Wyoming? I’d argue that NIU (45 minutes from O’Hare Airport) is probably an easier football travel destination for them as opposed to Laramie.
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I didn't include Hawaii or California schools in my list of regional schools. But it is another 1,100 miles east of Laramie. I think Hawaii playing Rocky Mountain/Plains schools is silly, too. Way too many resources being spent for a short game. I'd put Hawaii in with SoCal schools. But again, I am a dinosaur.
 
TheRealUW said:
Things were very different in 1978 when the Division 1A/1AA split occurred. Eventually this morphed into FBS/FCS for football.

I'd argue that the main reason Wyoming remains where it is today is because of inertia. Basically, it was easier to keep things the same rather than make big sweeping changes to the organization of college athletics. This is exactly why the conference realignment fiasco has always spelled ultimate doom for Wyoming athletics.

Somehow, we have managed to hang on by the skin of our teeth. Personally, I'm not sure how much longer we are able to pull that off.
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Ok. Wyoming is in the same boat as about 30 - 40 other schools. So?
 
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