There is a current NCAA moratorium that prevents schools from realigning leagues or divisions in football that doesn’t expire until August of 2011. But there is already plenty of speculation about what kind of shifts we may see after everything shakes out. And if you listen to some fans and prognosticators, the Grizzlies are right in the middle of the conversation.
While some of the current fodder that constantly lights up the message boards is merely crazed and bored college football fanatics’ off-season chatter, this time around there is some merit to the conversation.
University of Montana Athletic Director Jim O’Day has confirmed in-house discussions have taken place and the UM Athletic Department has requested proposals from firms who study the feasibilities involved with a change in sports classification.
All 14 UM sports, except football, currently compete at the highest Division-1 level. But such a study would include examining the ramifications of increased scholarships, the addition of other sports to meet the criteria of a league other than the Big Sky Conference and the possibility of an added financial benefit.
For example, members of the Western Athletic Conference and the Mountain West Conference – leagues some speculate make sense for Montana – participate in several sports, including women’s gymnastics, swimming and diving, and softball and men’s baseball, that the University of Montana do not. Although, UM would only be required to add two sports to get to the required number of 16.
Then there is the added expense of funding more than 20 additional football scholarships during a current economic downturn, when prospective individual donors have already pared back their level of donations and foundations have decreased their participation.
But a move up to the Football Bowl Subdivision would bring television revenue, additional conference funding and bowl receipts.
And don’t think the Grizzlies are alone in examining the possibilities of increased revenue sources. Some traditional powerhouse in the Football Championship Subdivision are also conducting similar studies.
I believe what it comes down to – in balancing emotion and economic feasibility, which in itself is probably impossible – is what you want to be: a big fish in a little pond or a little fish in a big pond.
I do not doubt that the Montana program could grow to compete at the FBS level and feel quite comfortable that UM is positioned far ahead of where the University of Idaho was when it made the move out of the Big Sky Conference with Boise State in 1994.
But I feel less certain about the ability of a substantially increased fan base having the patience for success to occur and then not expect equaled success year in and year out. To put it simply: Montana will not be as dominant as it has been since 1995 and especially not since 2000.
Fans are spoiled with the success of Lady Griz basketball and Grizzly football and surely have not really become enamored with the emergence of Grizzly basketball, since fewer people showed up for those games that featured one of the best players in the program’s history in Anthony Johnson, a highly successful home record and a decent schedule that resulted in some exciting games.
Examining a myriad possibilities is a prudent thing for O’Day to do and the results of his due diligence should certainly be carefully examined. But a close friend who was in a similar situation recently offered what I believe is wise counsel: Sometimes just not doing anything is better than making a decision based on the influence of outside sources who may or may not have your best interest at heart.