Vandal fans are three days removed from the Sun Belt Conference’s bombshell announcement that the Idaho and New Mexico State football teams will not be conference members after the 2017 season.
Some are disappointed in the announcement, because it means our football program will likely become the first team to relocate from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) to the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). This would occur if University of Idaho President Chuck Staben accepts an invitation to join the Big Sky Conference.
Staben said Tuesday the Big Sky had extended an invitation to Idaho. The Vandals have until May 4 to make an official decision.
Staben said there is an option to request the conference to extend its deadline if necessary. For now, the Idaho football program has an impending decision to make before the summer.
I am personally torn about the decision, because the team was just two wins away from receiving a bowl bid last year. But I would not be surprised if the Vandals were to join the Big Sky after 2017 when the Sun Belt contract ends.
There’s been a lot of buzz on social media regarding Tuesday’s announcement, as some campaign for Independent FBS status while others lobby for the Big Sky. I can see the reason why fans support an FCS option, because playing independent football is difficult to maintain.
Idaho is not a powerhouse program like independent Notre Dame, which possesses an abundance of revenue and a lucrative NBC contract. Idaho attempted this route in 2013, and the football program struggled mightily.
A move to the Big Sky will finally allow all of athletic teams to remain within one conference, with the lone exception being the swim and dive program, which is part of the Western Athletic Conference.
It is very possible that Idaho will be an FCS team after 2017, and this is actually a blessing for the program’s future.
One of the issues for Idaho in the Sun Belt is the amount of time spent traveling around to the Southeast. The vast distance between Moscow and opposing schools results in hardly any Vandal fans attending away games.
For instance, in Idaho’s 19-16 win against Troy on Oct. 17, the team had several flight delays and didn’t arrive at their destination until just hours before the game. It must prove frustrating for the Vandals to not have any support on the road, but that is what happens when the team plays in a southern-based conference.
If Idaho joins the Big Sky, the Vandals would not have to worry about the long distances to travel in order to play a game.
Not only would fans get to attend more road games, but playing Big Sky football could potentially result in more competitive matchups that fans would get excited about.
On the downside, the university will lose a significant amount of scholarships, but at least Vandal fans will not have to travel to Alabama to cheer on their alma mater. Instead, fans can make relatively short drives throughout the Northwest to cheer on their team.
Imagine traveling to the Inferno in Cheney and having hundreds of Vandal fans rooting for our team to beat Eastern Washington – one of the top teams in the conference.
Not only would fans see more regional games, an old rivalry can finally be renewed. The Vandals would have the opportunity to face Montana, a team it has not faced since 2003.
The Grizzlies won the last matchup 41-28, but the Vandals have beaten Montana 55 out of the programs’ 84 meetings. I picture this future game as an event that will pack the Kibbie Dome and bring a little buzz to football.
Besides an occasional meeting with Washington State for the Battle of the Palouse, what opponent can Idaho face that will bring excitement to the program?
In this day in age, the Vandals lack a consistent and meaningful rivalry. Idaho and Boise State experienced an irreparable exchange of words before their meeting in 2010.
In the Big Sky, the Vandals could reignite the Little Brown Stein series with Montana, bringing excitement to Vandal football.
In contrast to general opinion, joining the Big Sky will not result in immediate success for Idaho football. The team would have to face Eastern Washington and Portland State, both of which have beaten Pac-12 teams in recent years.
At the end of the day, moving to the Big Sky will provide a geographically friendly feel for the Vandals. The move to the FCS could potentially increase the number of fans in attendance at away games.
The Vandals are slowly on the path to rebuilding a solid football program, and the 2016 season will be the ultimate test of whether or not the team is the real deal. If the team joins the Big Sky in 2018, the Vandals could become a conference contender.
Luis Torres can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @TheLTFiles
Ray Kent
Don't forget...at the very point at which Petrino is turning this program around...this President has done NOTHING to rally the Alumni base around a vision for the future of the Vandal football program. No talk of "we are committed to FBS...and this is what I need from the Alumni base to help us get there". No vision for how investing into a robust FBS football program can help the University reach its stated growth goals. To the contrary, he has basically said publically FCS is a viable solution option...only days before the recruiting deadline. And while the coaching staff should be applauded for bringing in a good class, they undoubtedly were sabotaged by the President of the very University they represent. If this President allows football to drop to FCS...expect the following. The people who buy season tickets will go away, and the those who support the drop to FCS will not make up that shortfall. A number of existing sports programs will have to be cut. The existing football players will leave the program so fast it will make your head spin. The coaches will soon follow, and we will never be able to complete this turnaround. You will lose a lot of loyal Alumni who have many years of season tickets who will simply disappear...for no other reason than this President has not provided a vision nor a commitment to succeed. I can appreciate that folks who might think the right thing to do is to move back to the Big Sky for football, but I am telling you it is short sighted, an easy out, and the worst thing that could possible ever happen for the University of Idaho. I guarantee you if you were to poll the Alumni who make the trip to Vandal home games and spend $500 to $800 in the local economy every home game weekend...you would know that I am right. Those who favor FCS...very few donate to the program...they simply are offering their misguided opinions...which they have the right to do.