Missouri State -- Gotta Ask ???

[Westbadenboy]

I keep seeing that Missouri State is thinking strongly of jumping to FBS and maybe I'm missing something here ......and yes I know alot may have to do with money, prestige, etc. etc.
But I don't understand ???
NDSU going to FBS would make tons of sense -- lets face it, basically no FCS school is obviously capable of matching up with them. They have the talent, fan base etc to make the jump and likely have some success (not Alabama sucess of course, but they'd do fine). I don't want them to leave, gives ISU a second shot most seasons besides our money games -- IU Purdue etc. -- at playing a big time program.
But Missouri State ?????
Are they selling out their football stadium each week ? Is there team winning 8 -- 10 games a year ? Are they beating the Power 5 school they usually play each year ?
If they plan to go big time in other sports, has their basketball team been winning big, they have a nice basketball arena, its not packed no matter who they play, not ranked in Top 25, no bragging about 3 trips to March Madness in last few years ....hasn't happened.
Glad they're gone or wish we still had them, for Wichita State and Creighton, their moves were understandable and based upon some obvious success.
Missouri State ---- got none.

 

[Jason Svoboda]

Most of these decisions do not have to do with performance.

It's their size. Haven't looked in awhile, but they were double the size of pretty much every other Valley school in enrollment terms.

 

[IndyTreeFan]

With our leadership, they'll be more like 4X our size in short order...

 

[Hooper]

With our leadership, they'll be more like 4X our size in short order...

Sadly you're not that far off. I'm guessing after the usual freshman retention issues as classes start this week ISU will be at or below 9000 total students this spring including grad students. MSU hovers around 24k so they're 3x our size or close to it.

 

[bluestreak]

I haven't read any comments or articles regarding MSU jumping to FBS other than fan forum speculation. If you believe half the stuff on forums you'd think Murray was out of consideration for MVC expansion and UTA was "in".

 

[4Q_iu]

I keep seeing that Missouri State is thinking strongly of jumping to FBS and maybe I'm missing something here ......and yes I know alot may have to do with money, prestige, etc. etc.
But I don't understand ???
NDSU going to FBS would make tons of sense -- lets face it, basically no FCS school is obviously capable of matching up with them. They have the talent, fan base etc to make the jump and likely have some success (not Alabama sucess of course, but they'd do fine). I don't want them to leave, gives ISU a second shot most seasons besides our money games -- IU Purdue etc. -- at playing a big time program.
But Missouri State ?????
Are they selling out their football stadium each week ? Is there team winning 8 -- 10 games a year ? Are they beating the Power 5 school they usually play each year ?
If they plan to go big time in other sports, has their basketball team been winning big, they have a nice basketball arena, its not packed no matter who they play, not ranked in Top 25, no bragging about 3 trips to March Madness in last few years ....hasn't happened.
Glad they're gone or wish we still had them, for Wichita State and Creighton, their moves were understandable and based upon some obvious success.
Missouri State ---- got none.

Most of what drives it is MSU fans yapping about it... since they dropped their "direction," they definitely view themselves in a different light as compared to their 6 'directional MO schools." Guarantee most view themselves as a near peer with Mizzu in Columbia.

 

[sycamore tuff]

I keep seeing that Missouri State is thinking strongly of jumping to FBS and maybe I'm missing something here ......and yes I know alot may have to do with money, prestige, etc. etc.
But I don't understand ???
NDSU going to FBS would make tons of sense -- lets face it, basically no FCS school is obviously capable of matching up with them. They have the talent, fan base etc to make the jump and likely have some success (not Alabama sucess of course, but they'd do fine). I don't want them to leave, gives ISU a second shot most seasons besides our money games -- IU Purdue etc. -- at playing a big time program.
But Missouri State ?????
Are they selling out their football stadium each week ? Is there team winning 8 -- 10 games a year ? Are they beating the Power 5 school they usually play each year ?
If they plan to go big time in other sports, has their basketball team been winning big, they have a nice basketball arena, its not packed no matter who they play, not ranked in Top 25, no bragging about 3 trips to March Madness in last few years ....hasn't happened.
Glad they're gone or wish we still had them, for Wichita State and Creighton, their moves were understandable and based upon some obvious success.
Missouri State ---- got none.

Most of these decisions do not have to do with performance.

It's their size. Haven't looked in awhile, but they were double the size of pretty much every other Valley school in enrollment terms.

What does size have to with it? Fbs vs fcs has nothing to do with size

 

[Jason Svoboda]

What does size have to with it? Fbs vs fcs has nothing to do with size

The scale of funding/expense.

 

[sycamore tuff]

You could be right if they subsidize athletics with student fees like we do.

 

[Jason Svoboda]

You could be right if they subsidize athletics with student fees like we do.

Damn near every school subsidizes athletics, even many of the P5.

 

[4Q_iu]

What does size have to with it? Fbs vs fcs has nothing to do with size

Size of endowment can play a BIG role...

FBS requires a higher "minimum" seat ## in the stadium or a plan to achieve that minimum ##...

Size of egos required to drag a school INTO the FBS may play a role

 

[niklz62]

isnt there a lot of big money in that area too? Including not being that far away from Walmart headquarters

 

[Sycamorefan96]

I have questions about their goofy Yogi Bear looking mascot.

 

[4Q_iu]

Damn near every school subsidizes athletics, even many of the P5.

leaks from ISUE's "study" of a div i leap has ~40%+ of the students saying NO to the move... they've no interest in getting hit with more/higher student fees

 

[niklz62]

leaks from ISUE's "study" of a div i leap has ~40%+ of the students saying NO to the move... they've no interest in getting hit with more/higher student fees

ive never understood why any university decisions are up for a vote with only current students. either go to the school and how it is being run or find a new school. 4 years of students are making decisions for future students that may not even be alive yet, and for alumni who may only be gone for 1 year.

 

[4Q_iu]

ive never understood why any university decisions are up for a vote with only current students. either go to the school and how it is being run or find a new school. 4 years of students are making decisions for future students that may not even be alive yet, and for alumni who may only be gone for 1 year.

the full report

https://usishield.com/35258/news/division-i-exploratory-committee-release-di-survey-results/

alumni bear zero cost of funding a move to Div I -- they can be approached, solicited, asked, begged even plead with BUT they cannot be billed.

Only the current (and future students) can be forced to pay for this move.

Hell, even the ISUE athletes were 50/50 on the move.

ISUE is spitting into the wind with a move to Div I - let em spit away

hell, I still know Sycamore alumni who feel the Trees should have remained in Div II and THAT's a 50+ year decision

 

[Sycamorefan96]

More talk of MSU going FBS.

Missouri State President believes athletics program will move to FBS 'at some point'

Missouri State President Clif Smart teased that he believes the university's athletics department is capable of making the jump to FBS in the future.

www.news-leader.com

The article, in part:

For Missouri State athletics, it's starting to look more like a "when" and not an "if" the school will move up a subdivision in Division I football, based on recent comments by the university's president.

Clif Smart, in a sit-down interview with the News-Leader, was more optimistic than the MSU administration has been in the past regarding the school's hope of moving from an FCS athletics program to the FBS.

"There's not a question in my mind that, at some point, Missouri State will be playing FBS football," Smart said. "But it's gotta be the right move at the right time and that's just what we're trying to figure out."

A few factors, according to Smart, have to be taken into account before making the leap and leaving the Missouri Valley Conference — which he still believes is a strong men's basketball league especially following the additions of Murray State and Belmont. MSU has been a part of the Valley since 1990.

Those factors would include the regional aspect and the impact travel would have on student-athletes and their academics. The school would also have to look at the different on-field rivalries they can have in addition to having travel partners to ease the financial requirements.

"What are the financial requirements and what are the revenue changes that would offset some of that?" Smart said. "(MSU Athletics Director Kyle Moats) is always evaluating and engaging in those conversations. It just hasn't been the right fit yet or the right time."

Smart said the biggest thing Missouri State needs to do if it wants to make the move in the near future, is improve its football facilities.

"I think we need to figure out a way to fund that endzone project," Smart said. "I think that's a piece of it."

"We're still plugging away at it," Moats said. "We've just got to find the money to do it. We desperately need it for football and it would free up some other things that would help other schools too with the weight room, training room and that kind of stuff. We've just got to find some heavy hitters and people who want to help out.

Outside of football, Smart believes MSU's facilities, with Great Southern Bank Arena, Hammons Field and others, are as good as anyone's and could easily jump to another league. He already believes the Bears could compete on the field in most sports.

"If you picked any of the other five conferences, other than football where we'd have to ramp up in terms of facilities and staffing and a variety of other things, we'd be competitive in soccer, baseball, traditionally in volleyball and women's basketball," Smart said. "Our facilities are as good as anybody's, our coaches are as good as anybody's and we could certainly compete at that level.

As far as a timeline to make it happen, Smart didn't share one. The university's president since 2011 kept referring to making the move at the right time but also knows that his days in charge of the Springfield campus are limited.

"I don't know if it'll happen while I'm here or not," Smart said. "I don't want to make a move just to make a move. It needs to be the right move and needs to make sense for our teams, for our student-athletes, for our fanbase, for travel and for all of that."

 

[4Q_iu]

isnt there a lot of big money in that area too? Including not being that far away from Walmart headquarters

Big Money? Just the piles that Marty Byrde launders... course the Snells have money but it pales in comparison to Omar Navarro's portfolio