University of Idaho will be the first...

[GGGG]

FBS school to ever drop back down to FCS. In 2018.

[GooooMarquette]

UConn, come on down!

[MerrittsMustache]

Gonzaga finally has a partner out west to join the Big East with them!

[GGGG]

Gonzaga finally has a partner out west to join the Big East with them!

Brilliant. 

[Benny B]

And so it begins...

What's the over/under on how many more drop by 2020?  Five?

[GGGG]

And so it begins...

What's the over/under on how many more drop by 2020?  Five?

Oh I'll take the under on that.  No doubt.

Idaho is in a unique position.  They were all sports members of the WAC, but the WAC dropped football when a bunch of its members left.  So to keep football, Idaho went to the Big Sky for all sports but football.  They hooked on with the Sun Belt as a "football only" member. 

The Sun Belt exercised an option to drop them (and New Mexico State) leaving them with no home for football.  So they either had to drop football and stay in the WAC, keep football independent, or drop down to FCS.  They chose the last option.

Rumors are that New Mexico State might join them.  Neither one of them could get an FBS home game.

So I'm going with two.  (And since Coastal Carolina is joining FBS next year, that's a net of one.)

[GGGG]

OK, now that I think of it, maybe three.  UMass is in a similar situation having been booted out of the MAC, but they seem to want to make a go of it as an independent for awhile. 

[Mr. Nielsen]

FBS school to ever drop back down to FCS. In 2018.

You could kinda say Villanova in the early 80's.

[Mr. Nielsen]

UConn, come on down!

Not happening. They draw not too bad and just went to a bowl game last year.

[ChicosBailBonds]

And so it begins...

What's the over/under on how many more drop by 2020?  Five?

I got the under

[GooooMarquette]

Not happening. They draw not too bad and just went to a bowl game last year.

Not happening YET.

As time goes by and it gets harder and harder for non-P5 programs to compete - and it will - more schools will follow Idaho.  The only way to stop that progression would be for a non-P5 school to win it all.  Boise State and TCU got close but failed.  The non-P5 schools need someone to do it soon....

[MerrittsMustache]

Not happening YET.

As time goes by and it gets harder and harder for non-P5 programs to compete - and it will - more schools will follow Idaho.  The only way to stop that progression would be for a non-P5 school to win it all.  Boise State and TCU got close but failed.  The non-P5 schools need someone to do it soon....

Let's face it though, it would be REALLY hard for a non-P5 team to even get into the playoff. TCU got bumped for a less-deserving bigger name even as a P5.

[Eldon]

You could kinda say Villanova in the early 80's.

Did Northeastern drop to FCS before dropping football altogether?

[GGGG]

Since Division 1 was divided into what is now FBS and FCS, Idaho is the first school to drop from FBS to FCS.

[tower912]

Eastern Michigan is debating dropping d1 football and taking the rest of the athletic program to the horizon league.  Student body and faculty are tired of subsidizing football.  Board of regents doesn't want to admit failure.

[GGGG]

EMU has been in the MAC since 1972. Interesting how they struggle while both Western and Central do fairly well.

[tower912]

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2016/04/26/eastern-michigan-were-keeping-football/83563300/

Board of Regents want to keep football.   Two good links in there explaining why students and faculty don't.    The team has the worst attendance in D1.   Approximately $1000 of tuition per student subsidizes football.

[bradley center bat]

Ya, there are games EMU gets paid crowds of 5,000 for a football game.

[Herman Cain]

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2016/04/26/eastern-michigan-were-keeping-football/83563300/

Board of Regents want to keep football.   Two good links in there explaining why students and faculty don't.    The team has the worst attendance in D1.   Approximately $1000 of tuition per student subsidizes football.

The school is doing the right thing but adamantly stating they are keeping their progam. They just need to make it more competitive.