According to the Idaho Statesman, the Big Sky Conference and Idaho are now talking. Doug Fullerton, the BSC commissioner, says that the FCS is a more stable financial situation for Idaho than remaining in the FBS. On that point, he is a little delusional. Here is why.
1. There is no TV money for football in the Big Sky Conference. There will be no games on ESPN-U. There will be no games every year at BYU. There will be "body bag" games at big time FBS schools, but the fee will be cut in half. Instead of 1 million per game, it will be 500,000. Idaho will face a loss of 1.5 to 3 million per year in football. Instead of pulling in around 7 million in football every year, it will be around 3.5 to 5 million per year.
2. The loss in revenue will be made up by cutting other sports. At Idaho, it will likely mean the loss of men's golf and women's swimming...sports which the Big Sky Conference does not sponsor.
3. The drop to the Big Sky Conference will mean a drop in profile for all sports that are not football. Idaho will have more trouble scheduling quality opponents in men's and women's basketball and all other sports. These sports will lose more money than they are now. As I pointed out in a prior blog, Montana's Olympic sports make back 45% of their costs, while Idaho's Olympic sports make back around 60%.
4. On the plus side, the BSC has, or used to have, a small footprint than the WAC. This means lower costs in travel.
It should be no wonder why Idaho will want to stay at the FBS level.
1 comment:
Nobody watches Idaho sports now, so they will not be losing any money or exposure. In factthey may actually gain exposure by getting out of Boise State's shadow. Idaho can never, and never has, competed at the FBS level.
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