There are a few requirements for a FCS team to move up to the FBS. Most of these have not been successful. But here in the west it has not been all bad. We've seen Boise State do incredible things since they moved up. Nevada has been successful as well. Idaho has struggled, but has improved this year. Last year, after the Boise State rumors to MWC came up, the Missoulian ran a story about Montana joining the WAC along with a "California School" to replace Boise State and New Mexico State.
New Mexico State may have repaired their attendance issue with Duane Walker at the helm. Same for Utah State with Gary Anderson. We'll see how they recruit. But, NMSU is not longer the worst team in the Land of Enchantment. And I like the who Gary Anderson is bringing to Logan...but I digress.
Are the Grizzlies ready for the WAC? In the Brian Dennehy era, the Grizzlies were know for building a team based upon getting players academically ineligible for D-IA schools or those unsatisfied with their playing time, like ex BYU QB Drew Miller. But the Grizzly roster only has two such transfers right now. The Stadium has recently been expanded to over 25,000. And they sell out regularly. Right now, they are the only unbeaten team in the FCS. There are some lingering questions.
Montana only has a population of 1 million. About half of those people are in the western third of Montana. Missoula is close two four of Montana's other larger towns: Kalispell, Great Falls, Helena and Butte. It is not exactly a recruiting Mecca. One of the problems (according to BYU head coach and former New Mexico defensive coordinator Bronco Mendenhall) with New Mexico/New Mexico State is the lack of local recruits. Same with Nevada in Reno. Nevada has an advantage due to their proximity to the Bay area. Missoula is about a day's drive from Seattle. Albuquerque is about a days drive from Denver. The size of the TV market in Western Montana is a major hindrance to Montana's success in the Bowl Subdivision. Not only because of the smaller market, but the lack of recruits in the area. One difference between Montana and New Mexico is the age of the population. New Mexico is a sun belt state with a higher percentage of retirees than Montana. The University of New Mexico is a basketball-oriented school where football in an afterthought. It is the opposite in Missoula.
But to Montana's credit, there are rivals nearby. Before Idaho moved up, the two schools competed for the Little Brown Stein. This rivalry can resume if the Grizzlies and Vandals are in the same conference. Montana could resume rivalries with Nevada, Boise State and Utah State. These former rivals used to be conference mates with Montana, and those rivalries would resume as well. UM could also resume rivalry games against Washington State, Utah, Wyoming and BYU.
Now for the WAC. A ten team conference would help with scheduling. With a 12 game schedule, there would be 9 conference games. It is easier to schedule three non conference games than four. It is also easier to help conference members become bowl eligible. A 12 team conference would mean the exposure of a conference championship game.
Could the WAC go to twelve? Who would move up with Montana? The WAC could try to lure back teams like BYU, Utah, Wyoming, UTEP or others. But it is more likely that other FCS teams could come with the Grizzlies to the WAC.
On name that comes quickly to mind is the other school from Montana, Montana State. Bozeman is Montana's fastest growing city. The population has more than doubled since I was a missionary there. And MSU is making plans to expand Reno/Bobcat stadium to 25,000. Bozeman is also within a two hour drive of Billings, the largest city in Montana. And Bozeman is also close to Idaho Falls and Rexburg in Idaho as well as Wyoming's Big Horn valley. And remember, the biggest college in Eastern Idaho does not have an extramural sports program. Montana State, however, has an aging basketball arena and the weather in Bozeman has the potential, at times, to make Laramie look like a tropical paradise. Bozeman is just downhill from West Yellowstone--in fact it is the county seat. This is the coldest county in the continental US.
The "California School" is one of three that I can think of: Cal Poly, Sacramento State or Cal Davis. More likely, it is Cal Poly. The Mustangs have the only football program on the Central Coast, an area with about 2 million people. The academic reputation of the San Louis Obisbo school would make it the class of the WAC. The only problem is that they have a football stadium that is a little bit undersized for the FBS, but it could easily be expanded. (It would have to be tripled in size). Sacramento State would like to move up, but they do not have the support from the community that Cal Poly enjoys. Cal Davis is a little bit more successful on the field and a at the gate. If you choose one Sacramento Valley team over the other, it would be the Aggies and not the Hornets.
If you are looking at population base, Portland State comes to mind. They have large enough facilities. But they are in the shadow of three PAC-10 programs and compete with an NBA team and an MLS team for fans. Eastern Washington has similar problems, except with a smaller population base. And the problems are even worse for Weber State.
Another possibility to the WAC that they lure a team out of the Sun Belt to provide a travel partner for Louisiana Tech. Louisiana Monroe, Louisiana Lafayette or North Texas comes to mind. If this is the intent of the WAC, why not invite these schools now? Would they not be there already?
Here is how a new 12-team WAC could work, this is what I think they have in mind if the Missoulian is to be believed.
Northern Division
Boise State
Idaho
Montana
Montana State
Nevada
Utah State
Southern Division
Cal Poly
Fresno State
Hawaii
Louisiana Tech
New Mexico State
San Jose State
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