{"id":436110,"date":"2026-01-29T03:54:15","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T03:54:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/436110\/"},"modified":"2026-01-29T03:54:15","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T03:54:15","slug":"mcfeelys-tip-sheet-if-mountain-west-tv-deal-is-light-is-fbs-still-attractive-to-bison-inforum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/436110\/","title":{"rendered":"McFeely\u2019s Tip Sheet: If Mountain West TV deal is light, is FBS still attractive to Bison? – InForum"},"content":{"rendered":"

FARGO \u2014 North Dakota State\u2019s dream of getting an invitation to a Football Bowl Subdivision conference got some more online buzz recently. This was thanks to a Mountain West Conference-centric podcast that claimed the Bison were in discussions to join the league and to a local interview NDSU athletic director Matt Larsen had with Dom Izzo of WDAY-TV.<\/p>\n

First things first. A reliable MWC source continues to tell the Tip Sheet that the league isn\u2019t talking with any schools at the present time or over the last few months. That would contradict what the Big Mountain Podcast said in a recent post: \u201cConversations are continuing with North Dakota State and the Mountain West.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

While the Tip Sheet continues to dearly wish that was the case, there continues to be no evidence.<\/p>\n

The other (apparently) buzzworthy item was generated off Izzo\u2019s program \u201cHot Mic.\u201d In an interview with Larsen covering a number of topics, Izzo asked the AD whether there was anything new on an NDSU move from its current place in the Football Championship Subdivision to the higher-level FBS.<\/p>\n

TIP SHEET<\/p>\n

McFeely’s Tip Sheet is a compilation of notes, quotes, rumors, gossip and commentary by Forum columnist Mike McFeely. If you have a tip, a note or a hot rumor feel free to send it along to mmcfeely@forumcomm.com. Not all will be printed because of, you know, legal reasons. But they might lead to something. All tip sources will remain anonymous.<\/p>\n

After first telling Izzo that the Mountain West has \u201cnot called (NDSU President) Dr. (David) Cook or me,\u201d Larsen gave what was his strongest public endorsement of an FBS move to date.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would say in terms of our position, I think both myself and President Cook, we want to play at the highest level. And right now, the highest level is FBS football,\u201d Larsen said, possibly the first time he has said out loud what he\u2019s only hinted very strongly at publicly in the past.<\/p>\n

As he has done numerous times, Larsen said NDSU has taken steps over the last 10 years or so to be ready if a call ever comes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the things we\u2019ve done over the past decade have positioned us to be able to do that. And if there\u2019s an opportunity, I think it\u2019s something we\u2019d absolutely explore. If there\u2019s not an opportunity, we\u2019re poised to continue competing at FCS at a really, really high level and compete for championships,\u201d Larsen said. \u201cSo, I would say in terms of our position, it hasn\u2019t changed at all. And our interest of at least exploring that is as strong as it\u2019s ever been.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Larsen\u2019s comments were picked up and aggregated into articles by writers from the popular Football Scoop website and Nevada Sports Net, which closely covers the Mountain West, even if the only newsy item seemed to be the definitive comment about wanting to play in FBS.<\/p>\n

Since the Tip Sheet has been reporting on (and advocating for) an NDSU move to FBS for six years, Larsen\u2019s comments didn\u2019t seem earth-shattering. Instead, the Sheet has been focused on another angle to a potential move.<\/p>\n

If the moonshot did happen and the Mountain West did call NDSU with an invite, how many media dollars would the Bison need to make the move financially viable?<\/p>\n

Part of the attraction of an FBS move would be money NDSU would receive from a conference\u2019s media rights contract. Mountain West members in 2025-26, for example, receive about $3.5 million each from the league\u2019s contract with FOX and CBS. NDSU receives substantially less from its local TV contract with Forum Communications Co. (owner of The Forum and WDAY-TV).<\/p>\n

The MWC\u2019s TV deal expires at the end of June and the league has yet to announce a new deal, despite rumors it was going to happen soon. With five schools bolting the MWC for the rebuilt Pac-12 Conference and being replaced by other, lesser brands like Northern Illinois and Texas-El Paso, there is much anticipation about what the new TV contract is going to look like and how much cash each school will receive.<\/p>\n

While the MWC has promised contractually to make a real-faith effort to get as close to $3.5 million per school as possible by any means necessary, it is unlikely that a new TV deal will be as large as the old one.<\/p>\n

Wyoming, for example, in its annual budget request to the state legislature has asked for $1 million to cover a projected shortfall in its media rights deal \u201cas a result of changes in conference membership.\u201d That would put annual media money at $2.5 million, a hefty cut for already-stressed MWC schools.<\/p>\n

\"MW<\/p>\n

A map of the Mountain West Conference’s current football programs, which will change later this year. MWC graphic<\/p>\n

MWC graphic<\/p>\n

A Tip Sheet source in the Mountain West said there\u2019s a possibility the media money will be substantially less than $3.5 million per school, raising the specter of each school receiving $1 million or less.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s unlikely the conference will include dollar figures in any announcement of a new media deal unless the numbers are larger than the last contract. It\u2019ll be a \u201ctell\u201d if the league doesn\u2019t give a dollar figure.<\/p>\n

The question for NDSU is what\u2019s an acceptable amount from a TV contract? How much would they need to make a move to FBS work, even if it was football-only? Costs would increase substantially for coaching salaries, scholarships, recruiting and other things.<\/p>\n

Could NDSU make a move if media money was $2 million? Or $1 million? Or $500,000?<\/p>\n

While any jump to an FBS league is seemingly a long way off, it\u2019s worth keeping an eye on the Mountain West\u2019s new TV deal whenever it is announced. Some good reporter will obtain the dollar figures and then we\u2019ll know more about the league and NDSU\u2019s potential membership in it.<\/p>\n

\"022324.S.FF.bisonwomen\"<\/p>\n

North Dakota State womens basketball head coach Jory Collins reacts to a basket during play against North Dakota on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, at the Scheels Center.<\/p>\n

David Samson\/The Forum<\/p>\n

Why aren\u2019t Bison women ranked?<\/p>\n

The Tip Sheet has a well-known disdain for polls, especially the Football Championship Subdivision Top 25. Too many voters live in a silo, don\u2019t watch games other than those of the team they cover (or cheer for), aren\u2019t informed. Too many blatant homers. So the mantra has always been: Polls don\u2019t matter. \u2018Tis the truth.<\/p>\n

But the latest Associated Press college women\u2019s basketball poll cannot stand without comment.<\/p>\n

Princeton of the Ivy League is No. 19 in the latest rankings. The Tigers have an impressive resume. As of Wednesday, Jan. 28, they are 17-1 and have won 15 straight games; their NET computer ranking is 40th; they have a 1-1 record against Quad 1 (high quality) teams; and are ranked No. 1 in the mid-major poll of teams outside of power conferences.<\/p>\n

North Dakota State of the Summit League is unranked and did not receive any votes in the latest poll after receiving one vote two weeks ago. The Bison are 18-2 and have won 16 straight games; their NET ranking is 43rd; they have a 1-1 record against Quad 1 teams; and are ranked No. 2 in the mid-major poll.<\/p>\n

Almost exactly the same resumes, not nearly the same ranking.<\/p>\n

Yes, the Ivy League is stronger than the Summit League (which has Omaha and North Dakota ranked in the bottom 31 in all of 363 Division I women\u2019s basketball teams) but is it that much stronger that Princeton can be 19th and NDSU doesn\u2019t even receive a vote?<\/p>\n

Three words: EAST COAST BIAS!<\/p>\n

Four more words: Polls still don\u2019t matter.<\/p>\n

\"012524.S.FF.ndsubb4.jpg\"<\/p>\n

North Dakota State’s Avery Koenen heads to the basket to make a shot against South Dakota’s Elise Turrubiates on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, at Scheels Center at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex in Fargo.<\/p>\n

Anna Paige \/ The Forum<\/p>\n

Something that probably won’t happen, but if it does I’ll look like a genius:<\/p>\n

\u2014 NDSU\u2019s women\u2019s basketball team will run the table in the Summit League and finish 16-0. (Remember the Sheet correctly predicted the Bison would beat South Dakota State this season for the first time since 2015).<\/p>\n

\"Grant<\/p>\n

Former North Dakota State and Alabama basketball player Grant Nelson, who is originally from Devils Lake, North Dakota, is currently playing for the Long Island Nets of the NBA’s G-League. Long Island is the G-League affiliate of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets.<\/p>\n

Contributed \/ Long Island Nets<\/p>\n

North Dakota native and former Bison star Grant Nelson is tearing up the NBA\u2019s development G-League in limited minutes for the Long Island Nets (Brooklyn\u2019s affiliate) and there is some talk of him being promoted to a two-way contract that would allow Nelson to play some games with the big club, but the Nets might be happy with Nelson continuing to play increasing minutes and developing with the minor-league team the whole season. \u2026 Tim Polasek\u2019s new contract still isn\u2019t finished and signed as the NDSU head football coach\u2019s agent and the school are dickering over some \u201cminor\u201d items. \u2026 Switching the NDSU-South Dakota State and North Dakota-South Dakota women\u2019s basketball games from Thursday, Feb. 26, to Wednesday, Feb. 25, had been talked about since before the season but not all coaches involved were on board until recently so the announcement didn\u2019t come until this week. \u2026 There is some angst in the Summit League over the USD men\u2019s basketball team adding two players in early January. \u2026 Vanderbilt is paying former NDSU left tackle Beau Johnson more than $750,000 in NIL.<\/p>\n

\"Elle<\/p>\n

North Dakota State’s Elle Evans battles inside with Minnesota’s Sophie Hart in the WNIT basketball tournament at Williams Arena in Minneapolis on March 29, 2024.<\/p>\n

Craig Lassig \/ Special to The Forum<\/p>\n

Former NDSU women\u2019s basketball player Elle Evans, now at Kansas, leads Division I women\u2019s basketball in 3-point percentage at 51%. \u2026 Bison junior Avery Koenen is tied for first in D1 in double-doubles (double figures in two statistical categories in one game) with 15. She is averaging 18.9 points and 11.2 rebounds. \u2026 Koenen is also fourth in field goal percentage nationally at 64% and eighth in rebounds per game at 11.2. \u2026 Former South Dakota State quarterback Mark Gronowski, who played his final collegiate season at Iowa, was one of the standouts in the East-West Shrine Game practices this week. Ex-Bison quarterback Cam Miller used a great performance at the Shrine Game to catapult himself into a sixth-round NFL Draft choice. \u2026 Former Bison men\u2019s basketball star Jacari White, who transferred to Virginia, broke his left wrist on a dunk in early January and had to have surgery. He still doesn\u2019t have full movement and is working his way back for the 17th-ranked Cavaliers. White played 6 minutes and didn\u2019t score Tuesday in Virginia\u2019s overtime win against Notre Dame. He\u2019s shooting 47% from 3-point range in 15 games off the bench. \u2026 Former Bison and Summit League Sixth Man of the Year Tajavis Miller is averaging 17 minutes per game and 6.3 points for New Mexico.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"FARGO \u2014 North Dakota State\u2019s dream of getting an invitation to a Football Bowl Subdivision conference got some…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":436111,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[67],"tags":[399,206221,398,396,397,99,196973,206222],"class_list":{"0":"post-436110","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ncaa-football","8":"tag-football","9":"tag-mike-mcfeely","10":"tag-ncaa","11":"tag-ncaa-football","12":"tag-ncaafootball","13":"tag-sports","14":"tag-the-forum","15":"tag-the-mcfeely-mess"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/436110","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=436110"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/436110\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/436111"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=436110"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=436110"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=436110"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}