I think most can agree that the epicenter for FBS football is in the Southeast. There are a few exceptions of course, but for the most part it’s SEC teams plus Clemson, OU, FSU, Tx, that have dominated the sport this century. Obviously this is mostly due to the majority of HS talent located in this part of the country.
But drop down to the FCS level and it’s just the opposite, with most of the powerhouses in the Northwest. E. Washington, Montana, Montana St., N. Dakota, S. Dakota, S. Dakota St., Weber St. are all frequent top 5-10 programs. N. Dakota St. is a dynasty the likes of which the sport has never seen.
Is there a good explanation for this? I know it left a bit of a power vacuum when teams like Ga Southern and App. St. moved up to FCS, but there should have been other SE schools move up from D2 to replace them by now. Where are those NW schools getting their players from? Are they mostly homegrown or CA imports? Is it just a matter of all the best coaches being up there?
I just thought that was weird.