The transition period starts at the next level. If it’s two year it would start when they join the mountain west.

If they announce now, they would lose one year of FCS post season + 2 years of MW.

if that’s the case I’m just a bit confused on why every team switching conference wouldn’t announce non-football membership first?

Who else are you referring to and when does their entry start?

I THINK, there are two separate rules at play. Once you actually transfer divisions there is a two (?) year waiting period before you are eligible for FBS post season play. Not sure that rules apply to conference changes within the division. Obviously not much if you are remaining in the same division but only changing conferences. Look at Oregon and SMU. Also applies to FBS non-palyooff bowl games....see Cal, USC...

There is another rule, cited several times in threads on this board, which says that a team moving from FCS to FBS is ineligible for FCS post season playoffs at the moment the NCAA is notified of the intent to move.

In other words, if UCD football announces now that they are going to move to FBS, they are ineligible to compete in the FCS post season in 2025....AND then are ineligible to compete in the FBS post season in 2026 and 2027.

If they wait until after the 2025 season to announce a move they at least can compete in the 2025 FCS post-season, assuming they are selected.

^ this is what I was trying to say.

I don't think that qualifying for FBS post season would likely be an issue anyway

Thanks for the clarification, really helpful guys :) been out and been trying to look stuff up and figure out the rule stuff but my service has been so on and off haha

Do you folks see sac moving to big west now that Aggies left? Totally unrelated but was curious… I know they seem pretty solidified in the whole big sky conference but..

How is that any different from doing that now that their season is over? They would still have three years without playoffs, just either start now or next year.

If they move, they'd be making a lateral one and could jeopardize their football program. Davis (and by extension CP), only have football in the Sky so an FBS move would not impact their other teams.

yeah I’m still a little confused… Im just thinking no matter if we announced now or next year, we would still be FCS playoff ineligible and for the same amount of years?

I think Sac would LOVE to be in the Big West. They are there for Soccer, and it’s a much better fit for baseball/softball. And winter travel for basketball would be much easier.

As I understand it, and I am not guaranteeing that I do....if they announce now, they cannot partipate on the 2025 FCS playoffs, even if they would otherwise be selected, AND cannot participate in the 2026 and 2027 FBS post-seasons. Three seasons.

If they wait a year before announcing a move to FBS they could partcipate in the 2025 FCS playoffs but not the 2026 and 2027 FBS post season. Two seasons.

Once a team announces they are then ruled by the “legislation” of their new division. A transitioning team, like Delaware was this year, can have the higher scholarship limits, etc. so from that point they are necessarily ineligible to play in FCS playoffs, for ever unless they transition again in the other direction as Idaho did.. Last time to announce is in late Spring prior to a season where they begin playing in the new higher division. The FBS restriction on post season play is mostly irrelevant because transitioning teams are unlikely to be invited to an attractive bowl.

Hypothetically if we announce we’re moving to fbs tomorrow, presumably 2025 would represent 1 of 2 transitioning years (as an independent)? Granted it’s going to be a scheduling nightmare to get a bunch of fbs games so last minute without being in MW. And also we’d be ineligible for fcs playoffs. But then 2026 would be year 2 of the transition whether or not in MW. In 2027 we could be bowl eligible like Cal/SMU/etc switching conference,but in our case from “independent” to MW?

I don’t think we’ll announce any news about FBS until 2026. But like winning the lottery and staying anonymous, there will be signs.

what are signs we should watch for? Besides Sac State grads asking us for money?

I’m curious if this move to MW for everything except for football at first will backfire at all. I can totally imagine people I know seeing the headline “Davis joins MW” and then being really really confused when we’re playing the same schools past 2026. I guess it’s a big PR thing more than anything but everyone I’ve talked to who’s just a casual fan asked me when we’re gonna go to a bowl game or that they want to go see unlv at alligent when we announced we were going to the MW in the first place lol

I’m sure it will cause some confusion, but people are becoming accustomed to sports having different conference affiliations.. It isn’t all sports except football, it is all MW sports except football. Now sports are spread over more than 3 conferences with some not having a home.

Without football the move makes no sense. ( Not analyzing $ here, maybe monetarily it does.)
Increased travel, less local rivalries, leaving schools that students know like UCSD, UCSB, Poly, etc. in favor of playing Wyoming,UTEP, Grand Canyon, trading Southern California audience for New Mexico and Nevada.

I do not have any inside information, but I feel it will be clear the direction the program is heading with their actions, not words.

hindsight, the athletic performance center might have actually been the first clue. But I think some stadium upgrades if not expansion could still start churning with at least some plausible deniability that they are needed regardless of division.

Selfishly I want the Ags to delay the announcement of going FBS since the title game will relocate to Nashville for the next two years. :cheer: :rofl:

Time to reload!

So, now the recruiting spiel is not only about academics, but by your RJr. or RSr. year we're playing in the Mountain West. 3 or 4 more years of the Big Sky? 2 or 3? Hard to say --- WE NEED THE DONORS TO SHELL OUT FOR THIS TO BE VIABLE.

thanks for this. It would make sense that the MW wants 10 members and Davis seems to be a likely plug in for that 10th once NIU commits

So does this impact (maybe improve) our recruiting in the short term?

It's hard to take anything as fact on X just because it has quotes around it.
But Sam Herder is reputable.

Interesting to see the rumor come out.....

I would say that this news certainly will impact recruiting. Nothing concrete has been released to the public, but I'm sure Rocko and Plough have had extensive conversations about the future of Aggie football. I would not doubt that this is being used in the recruiting pitch to athletes.