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https://www.espn.com/college-football/s ... ources-say

I’m not sure what sources are saying or who the sources are, but I don’t think an FBS move is going to happen for us or many of the league members. I would think attendance and stadium limitations would be the first and biggest red flag.

Pete Thamel, ESPN
Dec 9, 2022, 09:00 AM ET

Old article

Yep. I think the best the UAC Football can do is become one of the better FCS conferences. Don't see any of our current teams moving up to FBS.

We could play with alot of FBS teams but there is something that would keep us in FCS. There is a minimum stadium size We would have to add at least 8,000 to Estes

Not only add, we would need to fill. If you build it they will come I really do believe. Also if anyone from this conference were to make this jump I think it would be Tarleton.

My two cents:
I believe minimum stadium size or attendance levels are no longer a requirement. In fact, many present FBS teams have been lying about attendance numbers for years.

Market size (TV and streaming potential) and budgets seem to be a much bigger requirement, but it’s mostly about the television potential. Also, today you have to be invited by a conference and presently small conferences (CUSA, Sun Belt, etc) don’t want new members because they don’t want to split their media payments among more teams.
Thus the perception that one must start a new conference in hopes there are additional games required by the media when the new contracts are negotiated in 2025.

So, unless tv/streaming needs more inventory, or if the smaller FBS conferences lose teams to realignment, or the United Athletic Conference is accepted as an FBS conference (and gets media money) additional FCS move ups to FBS look like a long shot. Hope I’m wrong because I truly believe the Bears need to move up for the future health of the program.

I see that now. When I pulled up the Bears profile and saw the article on the page I saw “10M ago” as 10 minutes, not 10 Months. Apologies all!

You are correct about stadium size and attendance requirements. Thats old news. Great post and you nailed it exactly.

I agree that stadium size and attendance has historically been barriers to FCS teams to move up to FBS but the trend now is MORE MONEY to the conference and that means media coverage and TV (mostly) revenues....UCA is plagued by a small TV market in Arkansas that is already diminished with a SEC school....

NCAA has a proposal on the table to remove attendance requirements for FBS status to go away upon adoption to set minimum scholarships awarded criteria. See link below:

https://www.ncaa.org/news/2023/6/28/media-center-di-council-proposes-changes-to-membership-requirements-for-fbs-schools.aspx

Still seeing if anything new actually adopted yet for FBS membership.

I really hope we don't move to FBS. playing for the right to play in the mobile, AL who gives a sh*t bowl doesn't sound appealing

According to Sam Herder and Hero Sports the entry fee to go from FCS to FBS is approved going from $5000 to $5 million plus a minimum number of sports and scholarships provided. Think Bears would be able to fund the scholarships but not the $5 million entry fee unless they could use additional conference media rights payments over time. Obviously, the recent FCS to FBS teams (Sam Houston, Jacksonville State and Kennesaw State are excluded from the $5 million payment requirement).
It’s obvious that FBS wants to limit its membership to control its media payments and conference membership.
Will be interesting to see if any FCS teams file a lawsuit.


https://herosports.com/fee-to-transitio ... ease-bzbz/

I think it is a good move and it should be hard for an FCS to move up, same as it is for a G5 to become a P5.

Access to the playoff's to determine the best team any year should include all Division 1 programs, and the 13-member selection committee should included FCS programs when ranking the teams to determine who gets in.

So what should the financial fee be for a G5 to become a P5? Is it even regulated? I’m not talking about grant of rights payments or delayed media payouts to join a P5 conference. And why the FCS increase from $5000 to $5 million in a year? Inflation?

Access to the playoffs? Do you really believe any FCS team, with only 63 scholarships, maybe a $20 million dollar budget, little to no NIL monies and small media payouts would ever be considered for the CFP playoffs? Thanks for throwing FCS a bone, especially since it will never happen.

Hard to say how much it cost to become a P5 with the NIL, sports sponsorship, infrastructure investments, salaries, etc. varying from P5 Conference to P5 Conference, and the cost to leave a conference varying, but it takes a lot more than 5 Million dollars to be an attractive candidate to get a P5 invite.

The key is the word is "invite" , and hopefully going forward the only FCS moving up will be those that are invited to join an FBS Conference, just like it is for G5's joining P5's.

As far as the scholarships, NIL, budgets, differences, and less playoff opportunities, the G5's face that now compared to P5's so don't see much difference, and FCS produce a top 25 caliber teams every year with 65 scholarships.

Don't think the P5's feel there is much difference between G5's and FCS , and will certainly make sure it does not cost them any money to include everyone , so I do think it is a possibility down the road.

Levels of college football at the division I level: Simplified view.

FCS
G5
P5

Reality of those levels:

FCS and FBS G5 are basically the same. They will never get a shot at the national championship at the FBS level. FCS level at least has a playoff and a national champion trophy...albeit it has bison hair all over it.

P5- the division I semi-pro level. Involves tons of money and huge contracts. Most P5 schools make more in beverage sales in one game than FCS schools entire year budget in football.