THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE: Eck on college football realignment — and playing Boise State

Wondering what’s next with the 6-Pac, and its eventual impact on other FBS conferences, and even FCS schools? 

Schools like Montana, Montana State, North Dakota State and South Dakota State, who may or may not be interested — and/or financially equipped — to make the jump from FCS.

“I think everybody’s seeing what’s going to happen with the Mountain West first,” Idaho football coach Jason Eck said earlier this week, at his weekly meeting with area media. “I read Air Force might leave and go to the AAC ... the vultures are out on those remaining Mountain West teams. I know they put that $5 million fee now to move up from FCS to FBS to try to discourage teams from going. 

“But you look at Montana, Montana State, South Dakota State and North Dakota State, every year they are among the top attendance teams in FCS football, and have great fan bases,” Eck added. “They’re not big media markets, though, so I don’t know if they bring enough eyes for TV to get the revenues there, but there’s a lot of uncertainty going on, man. Crazy. Stay tuned ...  

“I do love competing against the Montana schools, and the Dakota schools, and would love to continue to play those guys," said Eck, who was an assistant at South Dakota State for six seasons before Idaho hired him as head coach. “The Big Sky now is the perfect conference the way it’s currently situated, but we’ll see if there’s going to be movement in the next few years.” 

ECK WAS also asked about the possibility of playing Boise State. 

The Vandals and Broncos haven’t met in football since 2010, the last year both schools were members of the Western Athletic Conference. Boise State moved to the Mountain West the following year. 

“We would love to play them,” Eck said. “I think we had it worked out where we could have moved some things around and played them this year, but they didn’t want to play us, for whatever reason.” 

Boise State played host to Portland State, another Big Sky Conference school, on Saturday. 

“I do think, if they’re playing a Big Sky school, and we’re playing a Mountain West school like we have the past two years (Nevada in 2023, and Wyoming two weeks ago), it would be great to play each other.” 

Of course, Eck is realistic. He also likes playing Washington State — just not every season. 

“I’m not selfish to play them every year,” Eck said of Boise State. “Boise State should play Idaho State one year and Idaho (one year), and rotate it like that. If they’re going to play an FCS school ... But I’m just a football coach; I’m not involved in those discussions, but I would love to play them, I would be open to it if they would want to play us.” 

IDAHO TRIED the FBS thing for 22 seasons (1996-2017), and we all know how that went before the Vandals returned to the FCS and the Big Sky in 2018. 

Whether Idaho’s recent success on the gridiron has school leaders thinking, “Hmm, maybe this time ... “ 

Who knows.  

Eck was asked if he could see a scenario where Idaho could fit in with Mountain West schools down the road ...  

“I love the rivalries with Montana and Montana State, those have become really big games,” Eck said. “I’d love to continue to be with them, more so than playing New Mexico and Wyoming. I think if they would decide to leave that would make that maybe more attractive.” 

But ... 

“If we can keep the Big Sky as it is ... I think the Big Sky is a tremendous conference,” Eck said. 

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 208-664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @CdAPressSports.