From the outset, this is speculation on my part. I do not have any inside information, and no news reports other than what has been reported. Besides Idaho, there are reported 5 other schools who could become the 14th member of the Big Sky Football conference. Who are they? What follows in my speculation.
Current FCS-level schools.
San Diego. The Torreos are one of two WCC members that play football, the other is BYU. USD does not offer scholarships for football and that is why they compete in the Pioneer Conference. Other than geography, they are not a good fit for the Big Sky. They are a religious school and the Big Sky Conference is all public schools. However, they are not a good fit for the Pioneer Conference, either. Their nearest conference rival is Drake in Des Moines, Iowa. The Big Sky Conference would be a lower-cost travel alternative. Gonzaga, a religious school that used to have a football team, was a charter member of the Big Sky Conference. My hunch is that Fullerton is looking for a school that would compete in all sports, and therefore SDU is probably not the choice.
North Dakota State, South Dakota State, South Dakota. I can't imagine these schools want to leave the MVFC, but that does not mean that Fullerton does not have an offer on the table for them. South Dakota turned down BSC membership a couple of years ago.
Current Division II shcools.
Central Washington, Western Oregon and Simon Frasier. There are not a lot of Division II schools in the northwest that play football, these are the only three. Central Washington has dominated GNAC for many years, and may be looking to move up. Their biggest rival, Western Washington, has dropped football. Would make a good new rival for Eastern Washington. Western Oregon has been willing to give teams in the BSC a game when they have needed it, but have not been much for competition. Simon Frasier is the only Canadian college in the NCAA. They are a school that would be out of place not matter where they are.
Dixie State is a good geographical fit with the conference, being close to Southern Utah and Northern Arizona. But having just moved from a dominate junior college team, they have struggled as a Division II school. It may be early for them to move up. However, the St. George market is probably the best that the Big Sky Conference can hope to get all to themselves.
Colorado Mesa is probably the best option out of all of the RMAC schools. They offer a Big Sky sized market and are isolated from some of the bigger boys in the world. Other possible (I will refrain from saying good) choices are New Mexico Highlands, CSU-Pueblo, Ft. Lewis and Colorado Mines. The Big Sky should stay away from any school that is in a small isolated town that has a student body below 3,000.
Maybe SDU is out of the picture, but CS-San Diego, if they finally decide to make the jump to Division I would be a good fit for the Big Sky.
Non-football Division I schools
Utah Valley and CS Bakersfield are some good choices if they decide to add football. But football virgins may not be very competitive for the first decade.
There are some other schools in California that would make a good fit for the Big Sky if they decide to add football. These include former Big West football players like CS Fullerton, Long Beach State, and UC Santa Barbara. The BSC may be a temporary stopping place for these guys, but it would be a good place to begin. Other California schools that may make the BSC a more permanent home include former BSC member CS-Northridge, as well as UC-Irvine and UC-Riverside.
Non-football Division II schools
After they first add football, schools like Montana State-Billings, Colorado-Colorado Springs, Regis and Metro State would be possible choices. Stay away from schools such as Adams State...very small schools in very small towns do not have football for a good reason. Others include Western Washington and many others that I will not mention right now.
Another very intriguing possibility is Alaska-Anchorage. After spending 3 years in Alaska on an Air Force Tour of Duty, I can see why UAA does not have a football program. It has very little to do with the cost. I suspect that there is some sugar daddy in Anchorage who will help them meet the expenses. There are some people with some serious bucks in Anchorage, and there is not enough to do between September and May. October weather in Anchorage can be like January weather elsewhere. Bozeman and Missoula are cold, but the weather in Montana is usually bearable in October. If UAA adds football, expect it to be indoors. It is not impossible to build an expandable, 15,000-seat indoor, climate-controlled, multipurpose, configurable stadium. They could build something like the old field-house in Bozeman. But something that the Kibbie Dome and Walkup Skydome are not, easily expandable should the sports program outgrow the Big Sky Conference. It could host football in the "fall", the Great Alaska Shootout and basketball in the Winter, and Baseball in the "Spring". They would have little trouble in filling it because it is not like there is a lot going on Anchorage. There is a stadium that can be used while the new indoor stadium is getting built...just dress warmly for the occasion...and pray for a Chinook.
Non-athletic schools
BYU-Idaho would be a good fit for the Big Sky Conference if they bring back athletics. Natural rivalries and in the heart of the Conference. But I don't believe it will ever happen.
Final Analysis
My guess is that if Idaho will not join the BSC, the 12th member is likely to be Central Washington. But the door will be open to others on this list if conditions are right. The other 4 are probably Dixie State, Utah Valley, CS-San Diego and Colorado Mesa. 4 of the 5 are Division II schools, and the other has to add football. It will be interesting to see what happens.
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