The University of Idaho’s path toward football independence cleared a major hurdle last Friday when the State Board of Education approved the school’s request to explore Division-I Football Subdivision independce. The motion also allows Idaho to move its non-football sports to the Big Sky Conference.
“Given the WAC can no longer provide football for the University of Idaho, we have come to the conclusion that playing football as a football independent makes the most sense for us,” President M. Duane Nellis said.
Nellis mentioned a more attractive schedule and more potential for revenue as reasons for exploring independence as the best route.
Independence also provides more game revenue as an FBS compared to an FCS program. SBOE documents stated that Idaho would be in line to receive $1.5 million more in-game guarantees than they would as a Big Sky program. Idaho is in line to receive about $2 million this year from games against LSU, North Carolina and BYU.
The central theme of all of this revolves around the word ‘explore.’
Idaho has not yet put its non-football sports in the Big Sky, and Athletic Director Rob Spear said that Idaho has not officially declared its independence yet.
“(The State Board vote) gives us authority to pursue independence. We’re not announcing that we are going there 100 percent,” Spear said. “We just needed approval to move forward.”
Spear and Nellis made it clear that independence will be Idaho’s route if and when a full 12-game schedule is completed.
“We just need to make sure we secure those football games,” Spear said.
As for the 2013 football schedule, Spear said that he has five contracts completed, three ‘pending’ and two under negotiation. He also said Idaho will play a home and home with New Mexico State in 2012.
“We wouldn’t be sitting here today and wouldn’t be approaching our State Board if we weren’t confident we could get it done,” Spear said. “I’m very hopeful that is going to happen.”
For the future of the non-football sports Nellis said that the school remains in frequent conversation with the WAC and that Idaho won’t close the door on remaining there.
The WAC Board of Directors will have a conference this week to discuss its future that Nellis will be a part of. The WAC currently sits with four members, including Idaho. It would need to add four additional teams to be eligible to keep its automatic bids to NCAA tournaments.
It would be shocking if Idaho ultimately said no to the Big Sky for the non-football sports — the regional rivalries and reduced cost of travel could be reason enough to make the move.
Spear said they hope to have a definitive decision made within the next three weeks, both on the football schedule and on a home for the Olympic sports.
“We want to make sure that we can firm up these schedules for football and make sure we make the right decision for the institution on where we put all of our other sports,” Spear said.
Sean Kramer can be reached at [email protected]