I-AA West: Will the Great West Last?

[ralph]

http://www.i-aa.org/article.asp?articleid=70804

I-AA West: Will the Great West Last?
Kent Schmidt, I-AA Western Columnist

Rumors are circulating that I-AA football will not last too far into the future. I find such unfounded speculations amusing. A topic of more concern, however, is the future of the newest I-AA conference, the Great West Football Conference.

Just sixteen short months ago a new I-AA conference in the West was born and it had a combination of I-AA West independents and I-AA transition teams from Division II. It made a name for itself in just over the short time of its existence in terms of their scheduling. The group originally included seven total schools; Cal-Poly, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Saint Mary’s (Calif.), South Dakota State, Southern Utah, South Dakota State, and UC Davis.

At the time of the league’s inception in February 2004, all seemed well. Six schools is the minimum size to be considered for an at-large playoff spot so having seven, the league was on track to gain an automatic bid shortly after the four transitional teams gained full I-AA stature.

This optimism at the beginning, however, has now turned into pessimism. Several events over the past year have put the new conference in a questionable mode in terms of its longevity. ...

[silkamilkamonico]

Too bad, it could have been a great football conference.

I know NDSU wants to get a conference where all their sports can compete, but as a football conference it would have been a downgrade to leave something like the Great West for the lowly Big Sky, that finished around the 7th best conference and has absolutely no serious football contenders with the exception of Montana.

[BisonMav]

Too bad, it could have been a great football conference.
It's still a great conference, minus the last place team.
You can still have a good conference with 5 teams, you just won't get an auto-bid.

http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:eDEDCOOazDIJ:www.laider.altervista.or g/immagini/bluto.jpg
Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!

[mikelsch]

I would add E Wash and Mont St to the list of serious contenders in the Big Sky.

[Rodentia]

I think the Great West will last. It's a good football conference. I believe that the Great West will be able to add members as other D-II programs move up.

[Gamehunter]

Too bad, it could have been a great football conference.

I know NDSU wants to get a conference where all their sports can compete, but as a football conference it would have been a downgrade to leave something like the Great West for the lowly Big Sky, that finished around the 7th best conference and has absolutely no serious football contenders with the exception of Montana.


I think EWU would have been able to put up some good points against NDSU last year. That would be a good game. Montana St. can also have some good seasons too. And I believe PSU should be very good this year. I'm not going to mention the rest...

[silkamilkamonico]

What kind of a team did EWU have last year/this year?

I guess I never hear much about the other teams outside of Montana in the Big Sky.

[WYOBISONMAN]

EWU was very tough making it to the DI-AA playoffs. They will be tough again this year too.

[dakotadan]

Not to jump off topic but I saw in that article about UC-Davis starting on their new stadium. Does anyone know a link that shows more about it?

[PDXKat]

Too bad, it could have been a great football conference.

I know NDSU wants to get a conference where all their sports can compete, but as a football conference it would have been a downgrade to leave something like the Great West for the lowly Big Sky, that finished around the 7th best conference and has absolutely no serious football contenders with the exception of Montana.

Whatever you say silkymilk. Can't wait to see you in Bozeman!

[silkamilkamonico]

It will be a good game, ande MSU is just getting their program going.

I lived in Bozeman for a few years and suffered through their no win season. I was even at the game where they beat Montana for the first time in I don't know how long in 01' or 02' or whatever.

The coach they have know is doing a great job getting the program going again, but as a football University they are nowhere in the class that the Grizzlies are.

[PDXKat]

It will be a good game, ande MSU is just getting their program going.

I lived in Bozeman for a few years and suffered through their no win season. *I was even at the game where they beat Montana for the first time in I don't know how long in 01' or 02' or whatever.

The coach they have know is doing a great job getting the program going again, but as a football University they are nowhere in the class that the Grizzlies are.

Maybe not but we've beat them now 2 out of 3 years and you have start somewhere!

[Gamehunter]

Whatever you say silkymilk. Can't wait to see you in Bozeman!

I'm going to Bozeman! And I know about 20 others that are planning to travel from Fargo. Should be a nice roadtrip this fall. Hope to see YOU in Fargo in 06'.

I would take the cats over the grizz most days of the week. They arn't 1/10 as arrogant. Hopefully they will schedule us soon and not wimp out like other more prominant past rivals. I believe BISON leads the series 3-1 vs. grizz.

Can you say chicken shit?

[Bisonguy]

*I believe BISON leads the series 3-1 vs. grizz.



The series is tied at three wins apiece, with Montana's victories in 1914, 1921, and 1941, and NDSU's victories in 1969, 1970, and 2003. Something got screwed up with NDSU's record against the Montana schools- something like name changes and NDSU being listed as the NDAC.

Contrast that with NDSU's record against Montana State (12-20), with Montana State winning five of the last six meetings.

Montana State is a very good football program. They may have had a couple down years, but I remember a pretty down year for NDSU in 2002 and didn't dismiss NDSU as an inferior program.

[somebison]

The series is tied at three wins apiece, with Montana's victories in 1914, 1921, and 1941, and NDSU's victories in 1969, 1970, and 2003. Something got screwed up with NDSU's record against the Montana schools- something like name changes and NDSU being listed as the NDAC.


at one time the University of Montana was called Montana State, which I beleive led to the problem.

[Gamehunter]

The series is tied at three wins apiece, with Montana's victories in 1914, 1921, and 1941, and NDSU's victories in 1969, 1970, and 2003. Something got screwed up with NDSU's record against the Montana schools- something like name changes and NDSU being listed as the NDAC.

Contrast that with NDSU's record against Montana State (12-20), with Montana State winning five of the last six meetings.

Montana State is a very good football program. They may have had a couple down years, but I remember a pretty down year for NDSU in 2002 and didn't dismiss NDSU as an inferior program.



guess I didn't go far enough back.

On Montana St., this is the longest period that we havn't played them since the early 1900's. This fall it should be 25 years since the last game, which they won.