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[CCRedbirds]

https://fbschedules.com/

Our 2020 Schedule is posted.

 

[Adunk33]

https://fbschedules.com/illinois-state-releases-2020-football-schedule/

 

[Adunk33]

https://goredbirds.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=484

 

[StLRedbird]

Couple things...

Dixie St first season at D1 in 2020 - currently D2
UND first season in MVFC in 2020

 

[Adunk33]

Couple things...

Dixie St first season at D1 in 2020 - currently D2
UND first season in MVFC in 2020

Ah, good catch, My bad.

 

[fourthandshort]

I'm really not for conference expansion .. I just don't like how it messes up scheduling and leads to inequities. Example with Colonial who has 12 teams .. their conference champ last year was Maine .. they went 7-1, but also benefited considerably from scheduling by not having to play JMU, Stoney Brook, or Delaware. They get same schedule this season.

I'm hearing rumblings (not even rumors) that some think YSU should leave MVFC because of how much travel is required playing in MVFC, especially as more Dakota schools have been added to MVFC. The other option is to find a 12th team, and split into two 6 team divisions. But that would currently make the west division (NDSU, SDSU, UNI, etc) much tougher than the east division .. so still more inequity in scheduling every year, not just once in a while.

In 2014 and 2015, NDSU and ISUr were the MVFC co-champs because we didn't play each other and tied those years. The only official tie breaker is to determine who gets the auto-bid .. there was no official tie breaker for conf champion .. which is fair, but still sucks. I would rather we stayed with 9 teams, though now at 10 with USD added 5 years ago .. and soon 11 with UND added.

There are far worse things to worry about .. but I would prefer no more expansion. Curious what others think ???

 

[TIMMY]

So South Dakota State and Youngstown State are out next year. I'm looking forward to North Dakota. Got a friend on the staff.

 

[MadBird]

I'm really not for conference expansion .. I just don't like how it messes up scheduling and leads to inequities. Example with Colonial who has 12 teams .. their conference champ last year was Maine .. they went 7-1, but also benefited considerably from scheduling by not having to play JMU, Stoney Brook, or Delaware. They get same schedule this season.

I'm hearing rumblings (not even rumors) that some think YSU should leave MVFC because of how much travel is required playing in MVFC, especially as more Dakota schools have been added to MVFC. The other option is to find a 12th team, and split into two 6 team divisions. But that would currently make the west division (NDSU, SDSU, UNI, etc) much tougher than the east division .. so still more inequity in scheduling every year, not just once in a while.

In 2014 and 2015, NDSU and ISUr were the MVFC co-champs because we didn't play each other and tied those years. The only official tie breaker is to determine who gets the auto-bid .. there was no official tie breaker for conf champion .. which is fair, but still sucks. I would rather we stayed with 9 teams, though now at 10 with USD added 5 years ago .. and soon 11 with UND added.

There are far worse things to worry about .. but I would prefer no more expansion. Curious what others think ???

Agree, smaller and more compact is desirable, all things being equal. BUT, we've already branched out to the Dakotas, so that horse is out of the barn.

Augustana University, in Sioux Falls, SD, is planning on moving from DII to DI. They lived for years in the great DII North Central Conference with the Dakotas and UNI, and have been in the Northern Sun since the NCC broke up and those schools went DI. They seem to be talking about the Summit League, where those Dakota schools live for all sports but football. I've read nothing about if they'd want to join the MVFC, but you'd have to think from their standpoint it would be logical.

 

[Total Red]

I think we need to add someone to the east for two 6 teams divisions or we may lose Youngstown St. and I wouldn't want that to happen. Lots of possibilities but if Dayton wanted to upgrade their football program they would be high on my list. You can list lots of others but don't just list schools that we would like to have. List schools that might want to join.

 

[fourthandshort]

Murray St from OVC is mentioned the most on AGS as interested in MVFC. Surprisingly EIU is not mentioned at all that I am aware.

 

[ISUBU]

It is really difficult to find teams to the east of us that would help balance us toward YSU. The most obvious would be the return of EIU, but that doesn't seem likely. Eastern Kentucky would be closer to YSU than are the other MVFC teams, but they're a long time OVC power. There are programs between here and there that could be possibilities if they decided to move up or down into FCS scholarship football...but all are unlikely.

I like YSU in the conference. They play a different mix of out of conference competition, they have a great tradition, they have excellent facilities and a loyal fanbase. They'll bring some folks to Normal. I've done the trip there and enjoyed the experience. Do what we can with travel expenses to help keep them in the conference.

As for Augustana SD, I just don't see how they can do it and have no interest in them in the MVFC. Their goal is to grow to 3000 students! Even that would put them among the very smallest FCS programs. The only ones I can recall that are that small and playing scholarship FCS are either historically black colleges (Mississippi Valley State, Alcorn, etc.), the schools with odd missions like VMI or old privates with endowments 10X the size of Augustana's (Holy Cross, Richmond, Lehigh, etc.). I think the Pioneer League and non scholarship football would be a much better fit for them.

 

[StLRedbird]

I don't think this question has been asked in this way before. MVFC membership in 2020...

ISU
INSU
MOST
UND
NDST
UNI
USD
SDSU
SIU
WIU
YSU

Would you move all your sports to this conf if - and only if - it competed at the FBS level? No, neither would I.

But what if you presumed that INSU and WIU wouldn't/couldn't make the jump. And maybe WKU and Murray could be enticed. They would certainly consider it, I think. Is that enough? I personally don't think so, but we're definitely getting warmer, right? What if Ball St saw this conf as a better home for their mens bball, given the MAC division they're in?

But the question here is really this. Should the MVFC be striving for FBS? I think the MVC is making a strategic mistake with all of the private no-football schools it's adding. They are certainly moving the conf in a direction that doesn't align with ISUs stated goals regarding football. Is this a strategic option for ISU going down the road? Redbird Football fans are entitled to a voice that properly values FBS affiliation as critical to the branding of the school.

Bottom line is that MVFC footprint roughly coincides with B10 WEST, while MAC roughly coincides with B10 EAST. Our region can support FBS if theirs can. Practices start in a couple weeks - just fillin' time here...

 

[ISUBU]

Are the MAC programs top to bottom healthier than the MVFC programs? You assume they are. Are they for the long run?

Would an upgraded MVFC bring in enough new revenue to balance the increased costs?

NIU has only three Saturday home games this year in FB. Is that the future?

I'm all for exploring options and this is one, but I'm also interested in building the football program that we have. The stronger we get helps us to be in a position to jump at opportunities that we develop or we find. So right now work at building an indoor facility, increasing attendance, and winning even more games.

 

[Redbirdwarrior]

Are the MAC programs top to bottom healthier than the MVFC programs? You assume they are. Are they for the long run?

Would an upgraded MVFC bring in enough new revenue to balance the increased costs?

NIU has only three Saturday home games this year in FB. Is that the future?

I'm all for exploring options and this is one, but I'm also interested in building the football program that we have. The stronger we get helps us to be in a position to jump at opportunities that we develop or we find. So right now work at building an indoor facility, increasing attendance, and winning even more games.

The 3 Saturday games is telling. The MAC, CUSA and other "mid major" conferences are actively seeking out Thursday and Friday dates so they don't have to compete for TV space against 60 major brand teams in power conferences.

The financial and cultural gap between the P5 and the other 200+ FBS/FCS schools is hitting a breaking point. Without a full and equal profit sharing program between every D1 university in the county (which... cold day in hell), the gap will continue to grow at a huge pace and in the near future will drive the need for fundamental cultural and structural change within college football.

I expect the following to happen in the next 15 years:

-The SEC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac 12, Big East, ACC will create their own tier of college football above FBS as we know it. It may not be endorsed by the NCAA and will act more of a privately financed "club" option that will trade NCAA branding for the ability to essentially treat the players as employees and for teams to step outside all of the rules that the NCAA throws at them. Players in this division would all make the same amount, would sign contracts with universities and be unable to transfer. It would essentially become the NFL Minor League officially.

-Remaining FBS teams will undergo a HUGE shakeup, possibly combining into more macro conferences and sucking up top teams from current day FCS (possibly the entire MVFC). The #1 team at the end of the season in this division will technically become the NCAA National Champion, though ESPN and message boards won't market that. These athletes would likely not get paid and, as such, the overall talent level of players at this tier will go down 10-15% as all the 2.5 star+ players all reach for the coin in the top level.


You guys keep asking if the gap between MVFC and MAC is that difficult to jump. It really isn't, but that isn't the question. The question is WHY do you want to jump to the MAC? It is because you see an opportunity to have your school highlighted on ESPN, play against the big guys and be considered the "top level" of college football. I hate to tell you this, but the NCAA structure we are trying to gameplan to take advantage of is going to change. The "mid major" conferences are about a decade from not being highlighted on anything more than ESPN+ or regional NBC Sports platforms. Teams in the MAC are having this exact same conversation about how to somehow jump into the Big 10 and the Big 12. To set a scale, if the gap between MVFC and MAC is a few feet. The gap between the MAC and the Big 10 or SEC is 200 feet or more.

 

[StLRedbird]

You guys keep asking if the gap between MVFC and MAC is that difficult to jump. It really isn't, but that isn't the question. The question is WHY do you want to jump to the MAC? It is because you see an opportunity to have your school highlighted on ESPN, play against the big guys and be considered the "top level" of college football. I hate to tell you this, but the NCAA structure we are trying to gameplan to take advantage of is going to change. The "mid major" conferences are about a decade from not being highlighted on anything more than ESPN+ or regional NBC Sports platforms. Teams in the MAC are having this exact same conversation about how to somehow jump into the Big 10 and the Big 12. To set a scale, if the gap between MVFC and MAC is a few feet. The gap between the MAC and the Big 10 or SEC is 200 feet or more.

That's a fair question, warrior. I look at the MAC because it's our only practical option for FBS - not for any of the reasons you suggest. My question was: Is taking the MVFC to FBS a realistic second option?

So why is FBS important? I hope this is obvious, but I'll say it anyway. The only way to secure our future going forward is to do what it takes to get into one of the P5 or 6 conferences. Gotta have established FBS football to do that. But here's the more important point. MVC membership holds us back from that. And their recent practice (20 yrs or so) is not to take public schools with football, thereby making it all the harder. Our priorities and MVC priorities have diverged.

Meanwhile, we blow $6.2M on cushier seats at RBA??? Seriously, WTF. No brainer that money would have been better spent on the IPF. Just giving voice to an honest opinion that has ISUs long term best interests at heart. Hope that doesn't cause a pissing match

 

[ChiRedbirdfan]

I'm really not for conference expansion .. I just don't like how it messes up scheduling and leads to inequities. Example with Colonial who has 12 teams .. their conference champ last year was Maine .. they went 7-1, but also benefited considerably from scheduling by not having to play JMU, Stoney Brook, or Delaware. They get same schedule this season.

I'm hearing rumblings (not even rumors) that some think YSU should leave MVFC because of how much travel is required playing in MVFC, especially as more Dakota schools have been added to MVFC. The other option is to find a 12th team, and split into two 6 team divisions. But that would currently make the west division (NDSU, SDSU, UNI, etc) much tougher than the east division .. so still more inequity in scheduling every year, not just once in a while.

In 2014 and 2015, NDSU and ISUr were the MVFC co-champs because we didn't play each other and tied those years. The only official tie breaker is to determine who gets the auto-bid .. there was no official tie breaker for conf champion .. which is fair, but still sucks. I would rather we stayed with 9 teams, though now at 10 with USD added 5 years ago .. and soon 11 with UND added.

There are far worse things to worry about .. but I would prefer no more expansion. Curious what others think ???

Conference expansion along with two divisions and a title game would lead to a clear MVFC champ. The current alignment and scheduling can create co-champs. If winning the MVFC outright is a big deal for someone then there is your benefit.

 

[ChiRedbirdfan]

I think we need to add someone to the east for two 6 teams divisions or we may lose Youngstown St. and I wouldn't want that to happen. Lots of possibilities but if Dayton wanted to upgrade their football program they would be high on my list. You can list lots of others but don't just list schools that we would like to have. List schools that might want to join.

I have trouble seeing Dayton wanting to be associated with the MVFC schools.

 

[Total Red]

I think we need to add someone to the east for two 6 teams divisions or we may lose Youngstown St. and I wouldn't want that to happen. Lots of possibilities but if Dayton wanted to upgrade their football program they would be high on my list. You can list lots of others but don't just list schools that we would like to have. List schools that might want to join.

I have trouble seeing Dayton wanting to be associated with the MVFC schools.

Fired up 'bout that Pioneer Conference?

 

[ChiRedbirdfan]

I think we need to add someone to the east for two 6 teams divisions or we may lose Youngstown St. and I wouldn't want that to happen. Lots of possibilities but if Dayton wanted to upgrade their football program they would be high on my list. You can list lots of others but don't just list schools that we would like to have. List schools that might want to join.

I have trouble seeing Dayton wanting to be associated with the MVFC schools.

Fired up 'bout that Pioneer Conference?

Dayton must be since they were a founding member of the PFL and have been in the PFL for nearly 30 years. You said "don't just list schools that we would like to have. List school that might want to join." Seems like Dayton is a like to have vs might want to join.

 

[Total Red]

Dayton must be since they were a founding member of the PFL and have been in the PFL for nearly 30 years. You said "don't just list schools that we would like to have. List school that might want to join." Seems like Dayton is a like to have vs might want to join.

So if you're a founding member you have no other aspirations? Funny because we're a founding member of the MVFC (over 30 years ago) and I could have sworn that we had at least a few fans that want us to move beyond the MVFC to a FBS conference.

Does Dayton want to upgrade their football program? I'll be honest I don't know and I don't think you do either. I do know that it's located in a good sized city in a state that produces a lot of college football players and fans. The location would be a good fit for an East division of the MVFC. My guess is that they have some fans that would want it. Do they have enough to make it happen? That's the key question and it is worth asking.