Montana Grizzlies are staying in the Big Sky — for now, and AD Kent Haslam explains why

The rumor mill began to swirl, with FCS fans wondering if this meant that UM has the option to move up and was considering its choices.

So, to set the record straight, Haslam made two things known.

“No, there are no current plans for us to go FBS,” he said. “For us to go FBS right now, we would need to add 22 football scholarships to get us to 85 … and we would have to add another women’s sport to balance that 22 out on the Title IX side.”

The other note? Montana doesn’t even have an offer to make the jump.

“Back when the Western Athletic Conference … was looking to expand when they were losing schools to the Mountain West,” Haslam said of the last time the Griz had such an opportunity. “That was the last time that it was the most serious.”

And that was back around 2008-09. So what did Haslam mean by his viral quote above?

Well, his point was that in the ever-changing landscape of Division I sports, there’s uncertainty of what things will look like in the future. How many football subdivisions will there be, will the FCS be relevant and could teams even start dropping to Division II status?

Haslam meant that Montana wants to stay ahead of the curve, be ready for whatever change may come its way and have a choice in the matter.

“The way you do that is controlling what you can control, and that’s improving your facilities and investing in your student-athletes and doing those things that make you attractive to a conference,” Haslam said. “We want to be in a spot where we’re in a position of strength and we make decisions.”

Challenges of transition

From an outsider’s perspective, they simply see the decision to move up or down from a competition viewpoint. But what cannot be forgotten is all the other aspects at play.

The Griz are not in this alone. They’ve long been tied to Montana State University, which is operated under the same Board of Regents. Though there’s nothing in stone that says the two schools must make these types of decisions together, it’d be in their best interest.

“We as an institution have to make sure that we preserve those things we cherish, which are rivalries, especially with Montana State,” Haslam said. “That rivalry is way too valuable. Could you imagine Ohio State and Michigan not playing each other? I imagine that’s why UCLA and USC stayed together (in moving to the Big Ten).”

Additionally, though it’s like a record on replay at this point, the geographical location of Missoula makes it difficult to access. Not only for visiting teams, but for the Griz having to play half of their games on the road.

Moving to a bigger conference would mean longer travel, and that’s not sustainable for all their sports that don’t bring in the same level of interest or revenue as the football team.

“It doesn’t make sense for us to send our soccer team halfway across the country, if not further, to compete in a conference match,” Haslam said. “That just doesn’t seem to fit with where we are geographically in Missoula, Montana. There isn’t a lot around us.”

Perhaps it’d make more sense for Montana to make a football-only jump, while the rest of its athletics remain in the Big Sky. While that’d be a realistic option on paper, it’s currently not a reality for the Griz.

“There’s no conference that wants us in that structure,” Haslam said. “One important thing to remember is that you can do anything you want to do, but if no one will take you in that conference, you’re dead in the water. The only other option you have is to be independent.”

That’s what Brigham Young University does, but the Cougars have a student body of nearly 35,000 students. They can afford to go that route, whereas being a member of a strong conference is the best fit for Montana.

“Being affiliated with a strong conference is critical because it allows you access to NCAA championships, it allows you to pool resources when it comes to media rights, it builds you a competitive schedule,” Haslam said. “Being in a conference is critical to the success of an athletic department.”

Is it worth it?

Aside from these difficulties, looking at the full picture begs the question, “Is it worth it?”

Montana’s athletic budget of $23 million, reported by the Kaimin, is $17 million short of the average Mountain West Conference budget. While an upgraded TV deal would likely land UM more money, it’d still be a far cry away from the rest of the conference’s schools.

And how would that financial gap be filled in order to keep pace with its new counterparts?

“Does that get passed along as a student fee? I don’t think that’d be very popular,” Haslam said. “I don’t think the university is going to want to suddenly kick in $10-12 million more.”

So, there’s always the option of the Big Sky sticking together and just deciding to move to the FBS ranks, much like it was reported on Friday morning that the ASUN and WAC hope to do.

But what does that change?

“All that would increase would be expenses because of scholarships and sports and those types of things, so I don’t think there would be much of an impact on enrollment or visibility,” Haslam said. “What does it provide you? A bowl game? Higher TV revenue potentially, but if there’s all FBS schools then that gets saturated, there’s too many of them. It’s hard to quantify.”

That’s why he’d like the return of a strong FCS. One that is properly structured and offers competitive schools a good alternative to the FBS. Because simply put, not everyone belongs there.

“We need a healthy FCS …. What I really hope happens here soon is the NCAA transformation committee completes their work, recommendations are made, a president is hired at the NCAA and we bring structure back to what it means to be in these subdivisions,” Haslam said. “Because right now, I feel like people are chasing a phantom and they're not quite sure what it looks like. It seems to be a mirage.

“This subdivision is a great subdivision. It’s an answer for many schools … it’s a place for healthy Division I football that is appealing and can be done in a more cost-efficient way.”