Missouri State football will face challenges many have gone through before it transitions from FBS to FCS when it joins Conference USA next year.
Every situation is different with some coming from having great FCS backgrounds to having immediate success in the FBS. Some had limited FCS success before finding more at the next levels. Some haven’t had as good of fortunes.
Here’s a look at other programs that made the move and what their successes looked like.
James Madison
James Madison was constantly ranked among the top FCS programs in the nation, including championships in 2004 and 2016, before jumping from the Colonial Athletic Association to the Sun Belt. In the Dukes’ first two years playing FBS, they’re a combined 19-5 and qualified for a bowl game in 2023.
More: Ranking how all of Missouri State’s athletics teams will fare with move to Conference USA
Western Kentucky
The Hilltoppers have played an FBS program since 2008 after departing the Gateway Football Conference in 2006, spending a year as an FCS independent in 2007 and then playing as an FBS independent in 2007. After one year as an FBS independent, they joined the Sun Belt, where they played from 2009-14 before joining Conference USA.
WKU had a great stretch in FCS play under Jack Harbaugh which saw it win an FCS National Championship in 2002. Once he left, it wasn’t the most dominant program before joining FBS.
As an FBS program, the Hilltoppers have qualified for 10 bowl games, including nine of the last 10 years. It took WKU six years before making the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl in Willie Taggart’s final season as head coach. The Hilltoppers qualified for a bowl game in 2013, its lone year under Bobby Petrino, but were not selected to play in one.
Texas State
The Bobcats have been bowl-eligible twice since moving up to FBS but have only been selected to play in…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/missouri-state-conference-usa-other-080055527.html
Author : Springfield News-Leader
Publish date : 2024-06-10 08:00:55
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