I’m sure it will cause some confusion, but people are becoming accustomed to sports having different conference affiliations.. It isn’t all sports except football, it is all MW sports except football. Now sports are spread over more than 3 conferences with some not having a home.

Without football the move makes no sense. ( Not analyzing $ here, maybe monetarily it does.)
Increased travel, less local rivalries, leaving schools that students know like UCSD, UCSB, Poly, etc. in favor of playing Wyoming,UTEP, Grand Canyon, trading Southern California audience for New Mexico and Nevada.

Here is Mateo Perez’s career. 2021 was clearly a redshirt year.
2023 was a year mostly lost to injury, I’ve seen the NCAA grant another year in that case. So Perex may have two years more eligibility.
Season GP ATT YDS TD Long AVG/A AVG/G
2021 3 1 2 0 2 2.0 0.7
2022 9 34 175 1 16 5.1 19.4
2023 4 23 98 1 37 4.3 24.5
2024 13 58 240 0 21 4.1 18.5
Total 29 116 515 2 37 4

It was getting pretty complicated for a bit so they waved their hands in frustration and gave up.
What bugs me is listing 5 games for players like Souriolle and Fisher when I’m pretty sure they didn’t appear in five games. (They fixed this for Fisher in the stats but not in the roster bio.)

Once a team announces they are then ruled by the “legislation” of their new division. A transitioning team, like Delaware was this year, can have the higher scholarship limits, etc. so from that point they are necessarily ineligible to play in FCS playoffs, for ever unless they transition again in the other direction as Idaho did.. Last time to announce is in late Spring prior to a season where they begin playing in the new higher division. The FBS restriction on post season play is mostly irrelevant because transitioning teams are unlikely to be invited to an attractive bowl.

The roster doesn’t even try to account for eligibility of the last few years recruits. If you are a class of 23 recruit you are listed as a sophomore,

Miscellaneous observations

Meyer has no more eligibility. He has played in 10 or more games in 4 seasons.
Mateo Perez has more eligibility if he wants. He has 2 seasons out of his 4 where he played in four or fewer games.
Nava is a weird case where they used him in five games his first year hear according to stats, but our stats are pretty unreliable.
Antzoulatis could probably get a year. He played in 2020 that doesn’t count, missed all of 21 with a training camp injury, so has just used 3 years 22,23,24.

Nava’s Last year, likely last game.

One would think that finals and travel cut into game preparation, lots of confusion both sides of the ball for Davis.
One element not unexpected is their defense line winning against of offensive line.

Not much of a move up. Like Bohl going to Wyoming, never to be heard from again.

He was gambling on his way out the door

Basketball benefits marginally. They didn't have to change conferences to be given more resources. They haven't shown any indication of having outgrown the Big West.

What is a reason to move to the mountain west besides the possibility of moving football?

Exposure to more people? It trades California for widely distributed but less populated regions. But Californians are the ones who by and large attend and fund UC, and they’re trading that audience for one where half your opponents are New Mexico (and its adjacent El Paso) and Nevada. Grand Canyon in Phoenix has a devoted but niche following.

Similar institutions? Can’t get more aligned similar institutions than the UCs, which have similar academics, student enrollment, and endowments to Davis.

It is just a lateral move at best without football, which is why I believe football is motivating this move.

Neglecting to mention Mens Soccer while mentioning everything else in too important to just chalk up to an oversight. They have to clarify this.

What is the level of competition difference for sports other than football and basketball? I suspect not much.

This seems only worth it if football moves down the road.

Maybe the receivers will get some love too. Hastings throws to so many receivers that none rack up eye popping stats. None made even honorable mention besides tight end Williams.

I was looking at the participants page because so many players are alleged to have played 62. Only 64 players can dress in the playoffs, so i thought the list would provide a playoff roster. Unfortunately I have no faith it is correct.

The NCAA final book for the game shows the same list.

According to the box score these are the players who started the game, which has little relationship with reality.
UCD
# Player Pos.
6 Alexander,Markeece DB
25 Fowler,William DB
32 Antzoulatos,Blake LB
47 Madruga,Macray LB
52 Collier,Zaire OL
62 Mirabella,Thomas OL
64 Rodriguez,Jace OL
70 Simonson,Eli OL
78 Staycer,Matthew OL
7 Hastings,Miles QB
3 Larison,Lan RB
19 Perez,Matteo RB
0 Simpson,Ian TE
23 Williams,Winston TE
1 Hutton,C.J. WR
4 Davis,Chaz WR
18 Tompkins,Trent WR

Brock’s observation about how many guys got into the game is reflected in the stats which list 62 players as participants. If that is correct only 2 players dressed but didn’t play.

This is the 4th year that David Meyer has played in 10 or more games. He has no more eligibility. 21,22,23,24. He was at Poly in 20 (21 spring) but Poly only played a couple of games.