I do agree about the issue of having an FBS team in the area and people not caring as much about our team since we are in fcs.... except that I think Sac needs to WIN and win regularly to actually be able to do that. If Sac is mediocre in the MAC, I don't think that many people will care about playing Western Michigan or Toledo compared to Montana State. If Davis is still making deep runs in the FCS playoffs and Sac is winning 4 games in the MAC, I dont see a visibility problem. This is coming from a guy (me) who agrees that we should move to the MW for football sooner rather than later but I'll have to see it to believe it that Sac is going to triumph over us right away..

great post. Two things can be true at once. It really will be an interesting experiment to see how the 2 strategies for the schools (Davis and Sac) look in 5 years time.

thank you for this! Really wanted to chat it up with some MW folks so this is super helpful :)

I agree with this x1000 Mike. I think if we move for football in the next few years like I hope, that move to the MW for all other sports is going to look like the smartest move ever. I do think outside of our Aggie Sports Talk bubble most people assume (even with this sac news) that the MW wanted to add Davis for football in the next few years but understood we needed/need time to build up our stadium before joining and that is why they added Davis and not Sac. Again, I am still in the boat that moving to the MW for all sports but football basically confirms we want to join for football eventually (otherwise I don’t really understand the move totally). I am still going to stand by my believe that the admin plans to move to the FBS in the next few years after joining the FBS, but I’m a hell of a lot happier with that plan than joining the MAC for $20 million dollars and moving other sports to the Big West like Sac is.

I have some annoyances like anyone dealing with big entities and the speed of moving things along, but I already think our other sports moving to the MW is huge for our national profile and football joining in a bit will only increase that, but I’m perfectly fine with what we have been doing compared to the Sac craziness.

The MAC move gets you into the FBS but leaves sac still playing directional regional universities that struggle with attendance in large. Sure, if sac can win their way to the top of the conference or get an invite to another conference eventually that’s great, but that sounds like a tough, long road in the far north of Michigan and Ohio.

Crazy times.

insert old man yelling at the air gif :rofl: that’s you.

I just wish we had more options to be honest. That’s good to hear though, I remember being really thirsty and it taking a while last time haha

I have teaching classes at night most days right now and won’t be able to make a game for a bit. Hoping to make it the 26th vs Hawaii as a late B-day gift.

have a great time! It’s worth checking out the new arboretum work.

haha! I’m heading up tomorrow to visit some friends and trying to convince them to go. I will say one of my favorite things about Davis is getting good Chinese food too, it feels like the town has 5 good restaurants. Hunan style for authentic spicy food, wok of flame for the Americanized combo plates and tasty kitchen for a mix of both.

My girlfriend is taking me to San Francisco and has kept plans under wraps.

(and I’m going to @LeFan) I think the pr for basketball has been really bad compared to football. I do think that if we can compete in the MW attendance will improve, most people I know like playing the UC schools but don’t really seem interested in watching a Thursday game against Northridge or Bakersfield. The fact that football only has a few home games and recently has been basically expected to provide a really exciting game compared to the basketball team that for almost 10 years now hasn’t done much doesn’t surprise me. I also from personal experience know a lot of people who find the team really stale right now. whether it’s actually stale or not, to me it seems like the lack of star players, stagnant records in recent years and the success of football has people not focused on basketball. When I got to Davis as a freshman and in sophomore year when pepper was on the team I knew a lot of people from a variety of classes that were interested in games and went to quite a few. I also know quite a few people who are former and current students who find Les insufferable for how he acts during games, complains nonstop and just seems “old”. Heck, most people I know find Plough young, energetic (especially since he went here) and innovative, don’t feel the same about Les.

Now out of my personal opinion, I like the promos they have had, but other than that the gameday experience kinda sucks. The concessions stink, the concourse and hallways are depressing and lifeless and parking sucks. I am excited for the renovations in Aggie ascent (which would make it one of the better arenas in our new conference) but for now just improving concessions would be a really good start. Also with football I feel like I am aware whether I am looking for it or not when a game is happening, basketball I have to go and look to see…

Now for my extended families opinion that wanted to join in: “parking isn’t my biggest complaint… concession are lame…. Bakersfield has a basketball team?…. I want to travel to New Mexico for a game…. I’ll miss playing Poly… it feels like my voice could echo when in the arena… why are there big gaps…” (paraphrasing)

Wowza! I'm a jealous man! Have a great time :)

Yeah I was gonna say I remember them saying total seating was less than 3000 ...

Rough one. Started off well but ended up with some serious struggles in pitching. 12-2

I do think some of that has to do with it being the first year of that new arena and them having some flashy names, but also impressive considering the record they have. I think the new sac arena fits well in the Big West.

I also think our (mens) basketball team is a bit stale and has been for a bit. Most people I know who are still in Davis think the team has been "mid" for the last few years. I think some of the new student section stuff has been cool, but I do worry moving into the mountain west that we are gonna really struggle at first (expected with any step up in competitive though). I am okay moving on from Les.

you know that’s not what I’m saying lol, I’m saying that budget wise, student body wise and yes, research is way more in line with Davis when you look at MW schools than most of the FCS. Obviously the big west academically or the Ivy League lines up with us, but we’re already moving to the mountain west for other sports so I’m just saying the mountain west compared to the big sky.

OH AND I WANT TO SPECIFICALLY SAY SOMETHING: I would not want to do what sac is doing. Forcing FBS by any means necessary as fast as possible not caring about money, facilities, fans or much more is not a good idea. Maybe it will work out for them, but I think it’s a very very risky thing to be doing, especially with all the budget issues the CSU is facing.

I appreciate your take. Well informed and logical. I agree with much of it too. I am happy staying in the FCS and trying to win a championship in the next few years, growing the national profile of the school and also building momentum. I also just think we realistically will probably need to move to the Mountain West in between moving to play a Cal or Stanford. I know they are not “elite” but whether I personally think they are ridiculous for thinking they are or not, they spend a heck of a lot more money on sports than the mountain west, and a ton more than big sky schools. I don’t want to just spend a billion dollars on football or sports in general, but I think that by 2030 by ramping up fan support, donations, budget, etc and trying to reach the mountain west for football after hopefully some success in the FCS playoffs (past the cursed quarterfinals) is a good move for the future of the program.

It’s also really hard to mess with the tv numbers when almost all your games are on espn+ and the national outlets don’t say a peep about your level of football most of the year. Heck, last year they were STILL screwing up the names and logos of FCS teams on graphics and posts. I 100% agree with you that we could become way more relevant if we can compete year in and year out in the FCS championships, but I also think looking forward needs to (and the timeframe I am more flexible) include that step to the mountain west to prepare us to be in the strongest position when realignment comes again.

I agree with much of what you say about the illogical reality of modern college football, it’s absolutely ridiculous, but I also still see being in the mountain west for ALL sports as aligning our athletics department.

Thank you for being so awesome to talk football about btw Gabe :)

in what world though do Stanford and cal invite Davis? Athletics wise we are much more similar to the mountain west members than p5 programs like cal and Stanford. I would love to be in a conference but don’t see that happening with them realistically (especially if we stay an FCS program). Getting on a national stage with the MW seems important.

To be honest, if we did want that to happen eventually moving up to an FBS level program in the MW before this implosion of conference stuff seems like a no brainer. Close that gap between the programs while we can. I appreciate your perspective but don’t see how staying in the FCS makes us more marketable to a potential conference with Stanford and Cal in it.

Speaking of academics, the MW aligns more with Davis academics wise too than the Big Sky. Flagship universities in the states they are in vs directional, regional schools. That’s not a knock on those schools, but just the reality size, endowment and student-body wise.

The MAC would not/isn’t the same draw as the MW. Also, I’m sure people said the same stuff when sac went to d1 first before Davis but it ended up okay. I think sac has the space for 2 markets. + Davis has a large alumni base.

As long as we join the MW soon, I wouldn’t be worried. 5-10 more years of FCS and we might have more of an issue if sac is successful.

we will be in the MW by 2028-2030 once we start or finish stadium expansion. If coaches on the team are retweeting things about Davis being in the MW for football, the team is talking about that as the goal, and plans to expand the stadium are already mapped out, I’d imagine sac moving is a bit of a motivator but not majorly. We will be there, just taking a smarter approach than throwing 15 million to join ANY conference. We are in a good spot. I think the sooner the better honestly.