Rob Spear: FBS is best for Idaho right now
Rob Spear is all too familiar with the differing opinions from donors and fans regarding the football team’s current conference situation.
The Idaho athletic director hears the concerns of those who would rather the Vandals play in a conference with less of a geographic disparity.
He also hears the approval of fans – mostly financial contributors – that threaten to cancel their suite if Idaho drops down to the FCS level or switches to a lesser conference.
After 1-10 debut season in the Sun Belt Conference, composed of team’s primarily down south, Idaho’s place at the FBS level has become a topic of discussion – and not just among those crossing paths with Spear on the weekends.
Some wonder whether Idaho – whose nearest conference opponent (New Mexico State) is 1,400 miles away – would be better off playing in an FCS conference, like the Big Sky, in which all of the Vandals’ other sports, minus swimming, currently compete in. This could potentially allow for a more competitive program (the football team has just five wins in the past four seasons) and an opportunity for more fan interest through geographically-friendly games with teams like Montana and Eastern Washington.
“Given what we’ve experienced in the last four, five or six years, you never say never to anything,” Spear said.
“Realistically we hope the long-term future of the University of Idaho is to be in a tier, not the top tier of the Power 5, but certainly in a second tier with like-institutions that have the geographic integrity.
“That’s the right fit for the University of Idaho. Eventually we’ll get there.”
So for the time being, the Vandals will remain at the FBS level and continue playing in the Sun Belt, and Spear provided four reasons why:
Spear feels we haven’t seen the end result of the recently passed autonomy measures, saying he anticipates them causing “turmoil.” It’s those measures, paired with lawsuits against the NCAA that have the A.D. hesitant about a conference move.
“Being in the Sun Belt Conference, we get some protection and representation as part of our tie-in to those lawsuits,” Spear said. “The multiple lawsuits and the autonomy measures are going to create, in my opinion, another change in the system and the NCAA model and how schools are affiliated in that model. I don’t know what it will look like but that’s the direction it’s going. For Idaho to be at the FBS level and see what’s going to happen during these uncertain times is a positive step.”
As far as revenue is concerned, the Sun Belt receives $10 million via the College Football Playoff. The Vandals also play one or two “money games” each season, and this year’s schedule has two of those – at USC, for which the payout will be $1.1 million and at Auburn, which will pay Idaho $1 million.
There are more money games scheduled in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Spear expects payouts to only increase in the years to come – and for them to be cut in half if Idaho was to move to the FCS level.
Spear used the example of “a Big Sky school” receiving just $450,000 for playing at Oregon this season. Eastern Washington is the only Big Sky team on the Ducks’ schedule, for what that’s worth.
A move to the FCS would mean eliminating multiple varsity sports to remain in compliance (Title IX requires the scholarship participation numbers have to be in direct proportion to undergraduate student body enrollment). Idaho currently has 16 varsity sports, the FBS minimum requirement.
The FCS minimum is 14 – seven for men, seven for women – but the overall department revenue would decrease at that level, meaning the number of sports the school could financially support would decrease.
“We would have to drastically change the number of sports we sponsor and the makeup of those sports,” Spear said. “At this point in time with the uncertainty, I think it would be a short-sided decision to make that decision right now.”
At the end of the day, Spear ultimately likes the ability to control Idaho’s next move, which he can do with Idaho as a university currently competing in both the Sun Belt and Big Sky.
“At this time, being in the Sun Belt and having all of our other sports –besides swimming and diving – in the Big Sky is the right decision while all this stuff works its way through the system,” Spear said. “Then we’ll be able to select what direction we need to go in.
“I will say this, when we start winning in football, it’s not going to matter a whole lot who we play.”