Expanding playoffs = regionalization?

[AmsterBison]

Apparently, NDSU's AD has a real problem with how they are talking about handling the expanded playoffs because they did a sample 24-team bracket for the 2012 championships at the recent national coaches convention and the first round was almost all conference rematches: GSU v Wofford, NDSU v SDSU, Sam Houston v Central Arkansas, and, it was mentioned, but I'm sure that two Big Sky teams were paired up.

If they are going to pull that crap, at least make it conference rematches across the board, not just for western conferences (like they did in D2) and have the CAA teams play each other in the first round too.

I hate regional playoffs for football. Honestly, I'm not much of a fan of going to the FBS, but if the FCS concentrates, like D2, on cutting costs instead of growing the brand, then they deserve to lose all the top programs.

[danefan]

Apparently, NDSU's AD has a real problem with how they are talking about handling the expanded playoffs because they did a sample 24-team bracket for the 2012 championships at the recent national coaches convention and the first round was almost all conference rematches: GSU v Wofford, NDSU v SDSU, Sam Houston v Central Arkansas, and, it was mentioned, but I'm sure that two Big Sky teams were paired up.

If they are going to pull that crap, at least make it conference rematches across the board, not just for western conferences (like they did in D2) and have the CAA teams play each other in the first round too.

I hate regional playoffs for football. Honestly, I'm not much of a fan of going to the FBS, but if the FCS concentrates, like D2, on cutting costs instead of growing the brand, then they deserve to lose all the top programs.


I'm pretty sure the announced somewhere that regionalization was considered and rejected.

I'll see if I can find the article.

It was 16 teams in the first round.
8 seeds all getting byes and home games.

[SpeedkingATL]

I would be against conference teams ever playing against each other in the first round....second round is bad enough but I realize with some power conferences putting 3-4 (or more next year) teams in that those early match-ups are often unavoidable.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

At some point, you have to think about the most compelling second-round matchups and which ones will get the most attention/buzz. NDSU is going to sell out whether they are playing Georgetown or Georgia Southern in the first round, but what about Southern Illinois? They'll get a lot more attendance at a game with South Dakota State than, say, William & Mary.

Without some level of regionalization, you have the situation that arose this season, where no playoff games were played in the Northeast after Round 1. We had Colgate/Wagner and Nova/SBU, and they won and were shipped out West. The seeded CAA team was ODU, and New Hampshire was never going to host a playoff game under any circumstances.

[darell1976]

Why doesn't the NCAA do what they do in the hockey selection. Avoid conference teams playing each other in the first round. Unless it is truly unavoidable they don't face each other.

[danefan]

Why doesn't the NCAA do what they do in the hockey selection. Avoid conference teams playing each other in the first round. Unless it is truly unavoidable they don't face each other.

That has always been the rule. Conference foes cannot match up in the game that is the first for both teams.

[danefan]

Here ya go:

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7916865/football-championship-subdivision-set-expand-playoffs-24-teams-2013


But the FCS has been holding a playoff since 1978. It expanded to 20 teams with five seeds in 2010 and, according to Kallander, started considering further expansion even then as a way to more fairly accommodate a growing membership that will include 124 teams in 2012.

There was also a desire to provide an automatic bid to the Pioneer League. The Ivy League and the Southwestern Athletic Conference don't send their champions to the FCS playoffs.

With those tenets as a starting point, FCS officials brainstormed a number of possibilities that included:

• A bracket model that seeded all 24 teams.
• A regionalization model with six teams seeded in four regions based on geography.
• A Final Four model where national semifinals and the title game would be played on sequential weekends on one site.

For reasons ranging from attendance to money to competitive fairness, none of those ideas made the final cut.

Cobb said the main problem with the bracket model was a lack of reliable data to seed more than eight teams fairly. FCS schools rarely play outside their region, making it difficult to accurately gauge strength of schedule.

The regional model, based on Division II's playoffs, was scrapped because the FCS didn't want teams from the same league to meet in the first round of the playoffs. Some regions would also inevitably be stronger, too, and the Final Four idea was rejected because semifinal games on a neutral site wouldn't draw nearly as many fans as a campus game.

The FCS instead decided on a system that may spur more juicy non-conference matchups in the regular season because there would be more at-large bids and an incentive to boost strength of schedule.

[Tubakat2014]

Without some level of regionalization, you have the situation that arose this season, where no playoff games were played in the Northeast after Round 1. We had Colgate/Wagner and Nova/SBU, and they won and were shipped out West. The seeded CAA team was ODU, and New Hampshire was never going to host a playoff game under any circumstances.

Take care of business and you won't get shipped anywhere until Frisco. Regionalization or not.

[danefan]

Take care of business and you won't get shipped anywhere until Frisco. Regionalization or not.

Even more true now that there will be 8 teams that get guaranteed home games.

[BisonAccountant44]

At some point, you have to think about the most compelling second-round matchups and which ones will get the most attention/buzz. NDSU is going to sell out whether they are playing Georgetown or Georgia Southern in the first round, but what about Southern Illinois? They'll get a lot more attendance at a game with South Dakota State than, say, William & Mary.

Without some level of regionalization, you have the situation that arose this season, where no playoff games were played in the Northeast after Round 1. We had Colgate/Wagner and Nova/SBU, and they won and were shipped out West. The seeded CAA team was ODU, and New Hampshire was never going to host a playoff game under any circumstances.

What about the year when SIU and SDSU play eachother in Carbondale near the end of the regular season and then SDSU has to come right back 2-3 weeks later for round 1 of the playoffs? How many of their fans are going to stay home because they just watched that game?

If it's the playoffs, the fans should be coming out regardless of who the opponent is, but I would think (depending on the outcome of the first game) more could stay away from a rematch than from a game with a new opponent.

[Professor Chaos]

I think they should change the rule to no team can face a conference foe or a team they faced in the regular season (unless unavoidable) in either team's first playoff game. You could have rematches in the quarterfinals then which should give plenty of flexibility for conferences with 4-5 teams in. If it's necessary, I would have no problem with conference foes who didn't play each other in the regular season get matched up with each other for one of the team's first playoff game. For instance, Cal Poly and Montana St this year could be matched up prior to the quarters but EWU and Montana St could not (yes, I'm aware with the seeding neither of those could've happened this year but it's the concept I'm trying to illustrate).

[fc97]

Apparently, NDSU's AD has a real problem with how they are talking about handling the expanded playoffs because they did a sample 24-team bracket for the 2012 championships at the recent national coaches convention and the first round was almost all conference rematches: GSU v Wofford, NDSU v SDSU, Sam Houston v Central Arkansas, and, it was mentioned, but I'm sure that two Big Sky teams were paired up.

If they are going to pull that crap, at least make it conference rematches across the board, not just for western conferences (like they did in D2) and have the CAA teams play each other in the first round too.

I hate regional playoffs for football. Honestly, I'm not much of a fan of going to the FBS, but if the FCS concentrates, like D2, on cutting costs instead of growing the brand, then they deserve to lose all the top programs.

i didnt like how they did it in dii before where they had 4 regions and chose the top 4 from each region. meant that you're number 3/4 form one region would be worse than 5/6 in another.

[bluehenbillk]

Regional playoffs would suck.

[Professor Chaos]

Maybe a team east of the Mississippi would have a chance to make it to Frisco then xsmiley_wix

[AmsterBison]

At some point, you have to think about the most compelling second-round matchups and which ones will get the most attention/buzz. NDSU is going to sell out whether they are playing Georgetown or Georgia Southern in the first round, but what about Southern Illinois? They'll get a lot more attendance at a game with South Dakota State than, say, William & Mary.


I can only go from past experience but in D2, NDSU had less than 5k show up for a conference rematch in the first round of the playoffs and NDSU@UND only had about that many show up for a playoff game. Much better attendance if you move those games back a round.

Of course, this year, NDSU was going to sell out no matter who they played.

Regionalization: Just say NO! :)

[Hammerhead]

The top 8 teams will be seeded which will minimize regionalization in later rounds, but still won't be perfect. For example, lets say Montana State is everyone's top seed and Wofford and Montana are the last two teams to be seeded. I can see the selection committee giving the #8 seed to Montana to minimize travel distance in the quarterfinals so Wofford can play a team from out east if all the favorites win in the earlier rounds.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8276494/fcs-playoffs-expanding-24-teams-2013

[lionsrking2]

Honestly, I'm not much of a fan of going to the FBS, but if the FCS concentrates, like D2, on cutting costs instead of growing the brand, then they deserve to lose all the top programs.

I agree with your overall sentiment, but FCS football is cost-containment by nature. No surprise some higher ups would prefer "regionalization." Hopefully better heads prevail.

[WileECoyote06]

I agree with your overall sentiment, but FCS football is cost-containment by nature. No surprise some higher ups would prefer "regionalization." Hopefully better heads prevail.

I didn't mind regionalization when we were in D2, once it went to six teams, instead of four. TThey don't have autobids, so you don't have the issue of weaker conferences taking slots. A hybrid of the two philosophies, along with avoiding first round rematches could work out fine.