Delany Wants to Repeal FCS wins Counting for Bowl Elig.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Per Andy Staples Tweet.

Sure looks to me like the big boys want to crush FCS football - with that rule, plus the attempt at waiving the one-year transfer rule for "kids with good grades".

Thoughts?

[Tubakat2014]

As if scheduling FCS opponents makes you somehow less deserving of postseason glory. If this is a money decision (which most decisions in BCS conferences are all about), it's a pretty irrelevant one. Petty crap, if you ask me.

[Laker]

Will this also repeal Gopher losses to NDSU???????????xlolx

[Saint3333]

Forces BCS programs to play non BCS FBS teams to get 7 home games making more high profile programs bowl eligible and less "lower" FBS teams not. Simple math to solve an "issue".

[The Eagle's Cliff]

Forces BCS programs to play non BCS FBS teams to get 7 home games making more high profile programs bowl eligible and less "lower" FBS teams not. Simple math to solve an "issue".

That's all well and good for the Alabama's, Ohio State's, and USC's, but the Vanderbilt's, Pitt's, and Cal's might find they have more in common on the field with the Go5 than the Big 5.

[DFW HOYA]

Per Andy Staples Tweet.
Sure looks to me like the big boys want to crush FCS football - with that rule, plus the attempt at waiving the one-year transfer rule for "kids with good grades".Thoughts?

Crush? No. But Delany looks at I-AA the way this subdivision looks at games with D-II and D-III schools--they do not add to the discussion and they should not be considered when evaluating the top teams.

The 1978 split was a Trojan horse for those schools who went along in the hopes of a renewed identity with a playoff structure. When the title game moves off to ESPN3, the coverage will be even less valuable.

As for the big four conferences+ND, you can see where this will eventually go. Delany wants the conferences to schedule non-conf. games only amongst themselves to keep the money in house and increase the strength of schedule quotient. Why does Oklahoma need to play Savannah State if some sort of BCS scheduling bureau finds an open date with Washington State or Rutgers that week?

[MplsBison]

Seems like the right thing to do.

Won't have much of an effect on I-AA football. NDSU doesn't need the money from the Big Ten and Big XII teams they schedule. It's for the challenge. Any I-AA teams that *need* the payday and schedule 2 or 3 games against big time programs for that reason need to reevaluate if full scholarship division I football is where they need to be.


Perhaps if enough schools agreed to a low scholarship format in division I, they could start a Division I-AAA football sub-division in earnest with it's own championship and let I-AA to the big boys of this sub-division.

[FargoBison]

I wonder how many FCS schools would drop football if they can't get guarantee games anymore?

[Saint3333]

That's all well and good for the Alabama's, Ohio State's, and USC's, but the Vanderbilt's, Pitt's, and Cal's might find they have more in common on the field with the Go5 than the Big 5.

No less than they did with the FCS.

[Saint3333]

App actually makes less money vs. non-BCS opponents than they do for home games. They are used for recruiting and perks for Yosef Club/season ticket holders.

[DFW HOYA]

Perhaps if enough schools agreed to a low scholarship format in division I, they could start a Division I-AAA football sub-division in earnest with it's own championship and let I-AA to the big boys of this sub-division.

By 2016, only 15 or 16 of the 118 playoff eligible schools will be operating below 50 scholarships and that's no more a championship subdivision than saying the Sun Belt and the MAC can declare a national champion between them.

[Herder]

Maybe FCS conference should pay royalties to the B1G, just for the priviledge of being allowed to exist, being the B1G is so important. If I could talk to Delany face to face, I'd tell him to stick it.

[The Eagle's Cliff]

No less than they did with the FCS.

Lower tier schools in Big 5 have a good chance of losing to Go5 schools. Depth is an issue with FCS vs FBS.

What I'm saying is that while ESPN talks about Big Time football, they talk conferences, but only the Top of those conferences are generally Big Time.

That's about 25 schools whose attendance and revenue are way ahead of everyone else. After that bunch the numbers start coming back down to earth in the 40-50k range and it drops to the 30's quickly.

The Pundits and Powers don't want N Illinois but they would still want Notre Dame even if you told them how the game would go beforehand. America got the message that N Illinois didn't "deserve" to play FSU, but Purdue and ND's performances don't get the "undeserving" label.

Every school has to maximize it's market potential in football. That might mean SEC, MAC, or FCS, but most schools are just trying to gain market share in their own backyard against the 25 schools in the Big Time category.

[Hammerhead]

I'd rather see NDSU schedule more FCS teams from other conferences than FBS patsies like CSU.

[hlebichuk]

I'd rather see NDSU schedule more FCS teams from other conferences than FBS patsies like CSU.

The FCS schedule is lacking to say the least. Hard to get excited playing a team from Illinois, but I circle the calendar two years in advance when they play at TCF. Honestly I'm surprised more FBS teams don't schedule more games against FCS to pad their wins. I wish the Bison had 3-4 FBS opponents a year.

[Bisonwinagn]

The FCS schedule is lacking to say the least. Hard to get excited playing a team from Illinois, but I circle the calendar two years in advance when they play at TCF. Honestly I'm surprised more FBS teams don't schedule more games against FCS to pad their wins. I wish the Bison had 3-4 FBS opponents a year.

FBS teams are only allowed one FCS game to count toward the 6 wins of being bowl eligible so they don't schedule more than one.

[AmsterBison]

I'd rather see NDSU schedule more FCS teams from other conferences than FBS patsies like CSU.

The nice thing about FBS games is that there is usually plenty of seating for our fans though.

[PAllen]

The SEC will never let this happen. Who would they schedule OOC?

[Lehigh Football Nation]

As for the big four conferences+ND, you can see where this will eventually go. Delany wants the conferences to schedule non-conf. games only amongst themselves to keep the money in house and increase the strength of schedule quotient. Why does Oklahoma need to play Savannah State if some sort of BCS scheduling bureau finds an open date with Washington State or Rutgers that week?

Ah, but there's a flipside to that argument. Why schedule a scary game against Washington State on the road when you can get Savannah State at home? Ultimately the temptation for home games, increased chances of making the playoffs and more revenue for the schools will probably be too great. Plus, Washington State might ask for a 2-for-1 or 3-for-1 deal. Savannah State can't.

[aceinthehole]

Ah, but there's a flipside to that argument. Why schedule a scary game against Washington State on the road when you can get Savannah State at home? Ultimately the temptation for home games, increased chances of making the playoffs and more revenue for the schools will probably be too great. Plus, Washington State might ask for a 2-for-1 or 3-for-1 deal. Savannah State can't.

Agreed, not sure if this would work or pass a vote of all FBS schools.

I just don't think there are enough non-BCS teams to play 1 and done games to fill BCS home schedules. The "big boys" need HOME games and eliminating FCS schools would make it more difficult for most of them to find enough home games. 'Bama isn't looking to play a tougher non-conf schedule by going on the road against BCS team - so what is in it for them?

[DFW HOYA]

Ah, but there's a flipside to that argument. Why schedule a scary game against Washington State on the road when you can get Savannah State at home?

If the 60 or schools schedule amongst themselves, strength of schedule takes priority over sheer record, meaning that it is even less likely an NIU (or TCU or Boise before them) gets admittance into the big money games. Also, it gives hope to the one or two loss teams that they are not one (loss) and done for a playoff bid.


Agreed, not sure if this would work or pass a vote of all FBS schools.

Wouldn't need an NCAA vote, simply the conferences themselves mandating it. Many I-AA conferences already have a unwrtitten "no D-II games" rule.

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

I don't think he wants to crush FCS football. For a while now the Big 10 has taken embarrassing losses to FCS teams and many more scares that certainly don't make the league look good. The SEC and Pac 10 on the other hand usually take care of business against FCS schools and they get the wins more cheaply than they would get them from mid-major FBS schools.

If you're the Big Ten you might as well push for more big OOC games that will be televised instead of these repeated embarrassing losses and wins versus FCS teams.

[BisonBacker]

Per Andy Staples Tweet.

Sure looks to me like the big boys want to crush FCS football - with that rule, plus the attempt at waiving the one-year transfer rule for "kids with good grades".

Thoughts?
I have no problem if they don't want to play FCS schools. I think eventually the divisions will be back to a similar standing with the exception of an added level. I just hope that NDSU goes to what will eventually be the next level similar to App and Go. Southern are doing now. Just as long as there are playoffs at the level by that time. Let the top level keep the *****ty bowl games. As long as we stay with peer institutions as opposed to what NDSU did back during the last split. Yeah I'd miss beating Minnesota and the like but they honestly have no interest in playing us no different than us not really giving a rip about playing some of the non-scholly or lower scholly FCS schools. They are FCS in name only but until they start offering the max scholarships it's not a level playing field.

[WH49er]

Forces BCS programs to play non BCS FBS teams to get 7 home games making more high profile programs bowl eligible and less "lower" FBS teams not. Simple math to solve an "issue".




Sounds like you've been watching a little too much ESPN.





Please explain what non-BCS is. Everyone in FBS is eligible for the BCS. Do you mean non-AQ?

[Go...gate]

The SEC will never let this happen. Who would they schedule OOC?

BINGO!!!!

[MplsBison]

By 2016, only 15 or 16 of the 118 playoff eligible schools will be operating below 50 scholarships and that's no more a championship subdivision than saying the Sun Belt and the MAC can declare a national champion between them.

Hence why I said "Perhaps if enough schools agreed to a low scholarship format in division I,".

For example, say a school like UT Martin says to itself "without the payday games, I can't afford full scholarship I-AA football. But I could afford 35 scholarship football."

That's what I meant.

[MplsBison]

Agreed, not sure if this would work or pass a vote of all FBS schools.

I just don't think there are enough non-BCS teams to play 1 and done games to fill BCS home schedules. The "big boys" need HOME games and eliminating FCS schools would make it more difficult for most of them to find enough home games. 'Bama isn't looking to play a tougher non-conf schedule by going on the road against BCS team - so what is in it for them?

You're correct, but it looks bad to outright say it like that. It appears cowardly to the public.

Look at the example of Minnesota recently buying out of games with North Carolina. Got absolutely eviscerated in public for that move.


So that's why it's not that easy. That's why Delany is making a power move here. He knows Mike Slive can't just come out and say "But our ol' boys want to play a bunch of easy home games versus inferior, weak competition in their non-conference slate!"

And furthermore, strength of schedule will become more of a factor with the playoff selection committee. So there's that aspect to consider as well.

[MplsBison]

If the 60 or schools schedule amongst themselves, strength of schedule takes priority over sheer record, meaning that it is even less likely an NIU (or TCU or Boise before them) gets admittance into the big money games. Also, it gives hope to the one or two loss teams that they are not one (loss) and done for a playoff bid.



Wouldn't need an NCAA vote, simply the conferences themselves mandating it. Many I-AA conferences already have a unwrtitten "no D-II games" rule.

The highest ranked group of 5 conference champion will get access to the big money bowls every season.

Did you miss that?

[BucBisonAtLarge]

What was Delany's last failed gambit at making the BCS club its own NCAA division? I think he had the new NCAA president on-board at that time. I am betting the NCAA exec will stay clear of this topic.

[dgtw]

I think this year we had 35 bowl games. If FBS teams could only play each other, would there be 70 teams with at least six wins?

[Laker]

I think this year we had 35 bowl games. If FBS teams could only play each other, would there be 70 teams with at least six wins?

No- they could be cutting their own throats on that. The Gophers wouldn't have had a 6-6 season without a win over New Hampshire- and there are other schools that would be in the same boat.

[lionsrking2]

I doubt it passes. The reason they're allowing FCS games to count now is help fulfill bowl eligibility and the ability to schedule home games for reasonable prices. Eliminate FCS schools and you're probably looking at 1 million minimum guarantees in the not too distant future. As it stands now, BCS schools can find FCS games for as low as $350K. Plus the lower level FBS schools need the option to buy home games too.