People don’t care what conference you are in! When YSU was D2 during the Narduzzi and Dempsey playoff runs Fitch stadium was full. When we were an independent the stadium was full. All programs need fare weather fans that is what fills the stands. Winning creates excitement. Yes we will probably get some lineman etc. but are we going to go 9-2 or even 8-3 and win a couple of league championships in 8 years. I doubt it.
IMO D2 today isn’t the D2 when we were in it. To go D2 now, or even OVC IMO, would be an irreversible retreat and an inch away from dissolving the program.
As I’ve commented before, there is lots of reason to believe that someday (soon) mathematics will matter and the MAC will cease to exist in its current form. At that time, opportunities may arise where a regional FCS conference is formed.
As a side note, our prior MCC and OVC partner, Akron, still lists YSU as a rival on Wikipedia.
The problem, of course, is our wildly incompetent “ticketgate”, Slocum & Heacock contract renewing AD will certainly blow such opportunity when it arises.
Until the AD is under new leadership, which won’t happen for at least 10 years...the FB program will continue to languish. There is so much that is broken that there isn’t even one solution (like conference affiliation) that will make the program competitive again.
My goals for the program have been lowered to “please just don’t have more scandals.”