Only for the players/coaches/support staff on the field, and it would potentially cool things by 10-20 degrees down there depending on the conditions. I've often sat in the tanning bed, I mean stadium bleachers, wondering why the premier ag school in the state can't maintain a Rose Bowl-esque hybrid Bermuda natural playing surface that holds up beautifully for football and women's LAX usage. I've sipped beer on the Biggs practice field in December wondering why it can be maintained there and not in the stadium. Check the research, ACL and foot injuries are MUCH higher on these FieldTurf/synthetic surfaces than on natural grass. And don't give me the "water savings" line... Make Natural Grass the Norm Again

Air Force hosting Army, Boise, and Wyo surely helped boost their numbers. Personally, I don't see Davis ever being much more than a 15k attendance program at best unless some things change drastically. I agree with playing as many night games as possible, but TV will dictate that in the FBS, which probably works in favor of the Ags playing more night games. Not a whole lot that can be done for shade aside from the kickoff time, that place is like sitting in frying pan at times.

Scanned the article, Sac is dilusional.

I would love to see 4-5 more years in FCS, build-up the facilities and raise the money to make the leap. If I were betting, I would put it on Plough & Co. to be able to bring home the national championship in that window.

Then, fully armed, make the jump and see what you can do.

I agree with and , NDSU is going to be an instant headache. Hard to play against.

Like it

Rutgers went 7-6 in 2023 and 2024. That is about all they can aspire to at best. Personally, I would hate to work/play in a world where the best you can expect is just above .500 every year.

I was looking at the other thread right after I asked Jdur the question, the thread with the stadium pics and would guess that it would end-up similar to Utah State or SIU. Those stadium pics are a good reference. The Alabama State stadium essentially combines Jdur's mock-up with a press box/suite area on our current visitor side. If I know how to slap pictures onto this thread I'd do it :grin:

Good comps

Me too and no other social media accounts. This forum is the closest I get and heaven knows I waste enough time on here. Stand strong brother!

Like it, where's the press box/suites with that picture?

I think there's a lot of truth to your post and hypothesis, interesting times and the winds of change are blowing.

I didn't see CSU Sacramento of the Mid America Conference (MAC) on the list. If this is the split, they would need a playoff. 75+/- teams to choose from, 32 team playoff field, or cut it down to 16? The American and Mountain West leftovers would run that deal, with occasional infiltrations by teams like Coastal, App St., and maybe a couple of those Conference USA scrubs.

Way-too-early-2026-because-I'm-sick-of-the-off season predictions for Aggie fans dreaming of Mountain West glory TBD:

1. New Mexico (toss up between them and UNLV. Should be 3-1 at worst heading into MWC play)
2. UNLV (could be 1-3 heading into conference but capable of running the table from there)

(it REALLY drops off from here)
3. Air Force (I think this is too high but they'll find a way)
4. Hawaii (congrats on your pre-season Hawaii Bowl invitation!)
5. SJSU (should be the #3 football program in the MWC)
6. Wyoming (who cares. NDSU could end up here anyway)
7. Nevada (*&%#! UC Davis is claiming Lake Tahoe!)
8. NDSU (would not be surprised if they finish as high as 6th)
9. N. Illinois (late coaching change, ouch)
10. UTEP

Mountain West bowl tie-ins and predicted bowl games:
LA Bowl: UNLV
Arizona Bowl (Presented by Gin & Juice): New Mexico
Hawaii Bowl: duh, Hawaii
New Mexico Bowl: "hey, Snoop, can we trade you for the Lobos?"
Snoop: "Nah, that's not it. Look for something else, ya dig?"
New Mexico Bowl: SJSU
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Wyoming (if bowl eligible)
Armed Forces Bowl / First Responder Bowl: Air Force

Nevada, NDSU, NIU, UTEP: See you for Spring Ball

Good work on this. I can't agree more with this line, at least for the next couple years: "I'm not sure I want to be Cal to be honest. I'd rather stay FCS and win championships."

Good points. Not sure I see a world where Northwestern or the Gophers are kicked out of the Big10, for example, but you raise some very interesting questions. What Tim said is true about Stanford and Cal being highly competitive recently, and Rutgers has had some admirable seasons as well. Rice would finish middle of the pack in the Big Sky and I forgot UConn had a football team (kidding). It will be very interesting to see what college football does with those programs that traditionally struggle but are affiliated with power conferences for the dough

Thanks for the history lesson on the Aggie-Pack rivalry, I love that stuff! 12k+ in the Toom must have been magical.

I appreciate rivalries so I vote 'no' on the Sac rivalry going away. When it comes back, the landscape of college football will be different and the playing field should be comparable unless they find a way to continue to print money to fund their program.

The Sac market component is overstated in my opinion. A team's success, the opponent, and the promotion of the game will continue to drive attendance, and there are alums from both schools in the market. So will geographic proximity for an opponent, and that is what is going to suck for Sac playing in the MAC. MAC attendance is mostly awful, and MAC @ Sac games will draw poorly unless they're able to promote the heck out of it and maybe schedule Lil' Yachty 2 some Saturday night against Kent State. They jumped to the MAC to save face and as a place holder. Probably won't be there in 2028.

Moving to the Mountain West might bump UC Davis attendance some (with stadium expansion, "better competition", new/renewed regional opponents, etc.), but the average MWC attendance minus the new Pac 12 programs was 19,969. The Ags averaged 12,991 (questionable accounting) in 2025, while Sparta and Hawaii averaged just south of 14k per game. Sac lists an average of 15k and some change. I think the weekly 13-15,000 average attendance is about where we'll land once we move to FBS and make the stadium upgrades.

There is still room for Causeway, even with the Hornets in FBS. UCD should be going there next anyway since we hosted in '25, and Sac should pay the same guarantee they pay the other FCS opponents they're hosting when it happens. The next game in Davis will take some negotiating as FBS teams typically don't travel to an FCS host, but there can always be an exception, especially when playing for a chunk of concrete with Tim Plough's lips smeared on it after grinding out another dub. I would much rather see the Ags playing Sac than Stetson or USD.

Not crazy, I was actually serious about it being the hypothetical framework for a California conference minus the Big 4 (USC, UCLA, Cal, Stanford). I don't think those programs will be turning back in our lifetimes.

1987 Pacific Coast Athletic Association:
San Jose State
Fresno State
Cal State Fullerton (RIP)
Long Beach State (RIP)
Pacific (RIP)
Utah State
New Mexico State
San Diego State

@SailorGabe, maybe this is your ticket to the "California-esque Conference":
SJSU
Fresno St. (not happenin' unless new/old Pac12 resurrects)
UC Davis
Sac State
Cal Poly (not happenin')
Utah State
NMSU
San Diego State (not happenin' unless new/old Pac12 resurrects)

Other suspects:
Nevada
Idaho
New Mexico

I guess this is counterproductive to the thread, "The Rivalry with Sac State Needs to End"

Shows how much I think about those programs, forgot about them! Nevada has UNLV for the Cannon, but man they got upset about the Tahoe deal so let's get it on!!!

San Jose State-Fresno has been sort of a thing in past years. I remember as a kid back in the old 1980's PCAA days those Mike Perez-led Spartan teams vs. Kevin Sweeney's Bulldogs were must see TV.

I'm fine with that.