I am just curious which would be the fastest way to DI?
1. Stay in DIII until DI job becomes available
2. Stay in DIII until B or greater DII job is open then get a DI job
3. Leave DIII as soon as possible then get a DI job

The DI application requirements are a bit of a mystery with the recent updates, but, almost certainly, option 3.  You need to take over a team that can immediately bring you to the NT.  It will take at least a couple consecutive DII NT appearances (and winning a game) before you'll be eligible for any DI jobs.  

I don't think prestige is the most important criteria for your purpose.  Prestige moves quickly from season to season at DII, just like DIII.  The far more important thing would be finding a DII team that will have returning players with some skillz & IQ.    Most likely, that would be a high prestige team vacated during the job application period.   However, if you look, you might find a sim-recruited superclass team (e.g. 9 returning juniors) that is only missing one transfer or JuCo player before being really good and bring you to the NT right away.  

The key to moving up quickly to DI would be avoiding taking over a DII rebuilding project (no matter the prestige).

There are always B prestige or higher D2 teams opening up. Grab one asap and build the program for 4-6 seasons, into a NC contender. You should qualify for low end D1 afterwards. 

Move up to D2 after one season. Find a D2 school that has a lot of scholarships and in an empty or non competitive conference. Start the freshman if reasonable. You'll lose big your first year. You'll be better yr 2, yr 3 you should be in the NT. Year 4 the big class you recruited will be seniors with high ratings and iq due to all the PT they got. You will be 2nd or s16 if you are lucky.

Move up to D1. Your loyalty will have recovered over the past four seasons. You resume over the past four seasons will show a possible PI bid, two nt bids, three conference championships and possibly two coach of the year awards. You may even qualify for a decent mid major job with a C- or D+ prestige but higher baseline.

End result, 5 seasons to get to D1. You want most of your exp to be in D2. So staying in D3 is a worse move. Also, you need the D2 seasons to get your loyalty up to get qualified.

Life is a journey.  Not a destination.

Please apply this to your WIS experience.

Posted by skinndogg on 1/8/2012 8:54:00 PM (view original):

Life is a journey.  Not a destination.

Please apply this to your WIS experience.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

This is true though. Enjoy the ride. I thought I was going to try to beeline it to D1, but now feel like staying in D2 for at least ten seasons. My Keuka team was supposed to be a one way ticket straight to D2, but again, I'm rethinking. Just have fun, learn, and meander your way up the levels. You'll probably be happier that way.

especially if your dream job is one of the big time BCS schools. They open up rarely anyway, and you won't be in position for one of those for quite a while either way probably...

I enjoy DI better than the rest so that is why I want to get there. I am enjoying DIII but defiantly want to get to DI. Also my dream job is UNLV (my favorite team), but the coach there has been there for 20+ seasons so I am thinking about starting in another world. Thanks everyone!!!!

Win.