FBS Schools Shying away from FCS opponents - Not a good idea

[VictoryViking]

I saw this on another message board today. The Big ten conference decided after 2016 they will no longer play FCS opponents. A gentlemen's agreement between AD's at the schools. What if all power 5 conferences decide not to play FCS schools. These are great opportunities for our FCS teams IMO. I think its a bad idea.


2015 USA Today article announcement and the NDSU article out a day ago.


NDSU
http://collegefootball.ap.org/article/bold-bison-fcs-kingpins-not-shying-away-fbs-challenge



USA Today
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/bigten/2015/07/31/big-ten-schedule-nine-league-games-no-fcs-teams-2016/30938987/

http://www.anygivensaturday.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=23389&stc=1

[ElonFirefighter]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHQfryfhNiQ

[DFW HOYA]

I saw this on another message board today. The Big ten conference decided after 2016 they will no longer play FCS opponents. A gentlemen's agreement between AD's at the schools. What if all power 5 conferences decide not to play FCS schools. These are great opportunities for our FCS teams IMO. I think its a bad idea.

So it's a bad idea for these schools not to schedule down, but most of the same conferences in this subdivision won't think of scheduling Division II schools.

It's all about strength of schedule. Eventually, the P5 will schedule entirely among themselves to keep the TV revenue in the club.

[lionsrking2]

So it's a bad idea for these schools not to schedule down, but most of the same conferences in this subdivision won't think of scheduling Division II schools.

It's all about strength of schedule. Eventually, the P5 will schedule entirely among themselves to keep the TV revenue in the club.

If it was a good idea not to schedule FCS schools, nobody would do it. There have been FBS vs FCS matchups for years and the college game is as good as it's ever been, at all levels. I have no issue with individual schools who choose not to schedule FCS but to make it a blanket rule, or gentlemen's agreement, is not good IMO.

[OSBF]

If it was a good idea not to schedule FCS schools, nobody would do it. There have been FBS vs FCS matchups for years and the college game is as good as it's ever been, at all levels. I have no issue with individual schools who choose not to schedule FCS but to make it a blanket rule, or gentlemen's agreement, is not good IMO.

Has nothing at all to do with how good the game is. All about the $$$, and the P5 wants all the $$$.

The day is on the horizon when the best an FCS program can hope for is a $250K payday from the MAC

Adjust athletic budgets accordingly.

[Catamount87]

What's interesting is how some FCS fans react when FCS programs schedule an upper level D2 school early in the season. A lot of the same comments and arguments are made that the P5 fans make.

[lionsrking2]

Has nothing at all to do with how good the game is. All about the $$$, and the P5 wants all the $$$.

The day is on the horizon when the best an FCS program can hope for is a $250K payday from the MAC

Adjust athletic budgets accordingly.

I know what it's all about, and it's always been that way. The SEC is the money king of college football, and just about every program schedules FCS opponents on a routine basis. They do it for a reason. I don't see them giving up the opportunity anytime soon under the current construct of Division I football.

[mvemjsunpx]

Has nothing at all to do with how good the game is. All about the $$$, and the P5 wants all the $$$.

The day is on the horizon when the best an FCS program can hope for is a $250K payday from the MAC

Adjust athletic budgets accordingly.

Yes, it is. Big schools make money with home games, and FCS teams are cheap home games. As much as everyone wants to talk about upping "strength of schedule," more home games=more money.

[lionsrking2]

Yes, it is. Big schools make money with home games, and FCS teams are cheap home games. As much as everyone wants to talk about upping "strength of schedule," more home games=more money.

This is the correct answer. Neither Alabama nor Clemson had issues getting to the NC game last year due to scheduling FCS games. The extra home game revenue far outweighs the risk to schedule strength.

[The Yo Show]

What's interesting is how some FCS fans react when FCS programs schedule an upper level D2 school early in the season. A lot of the same comments and arguments are made that the P5 fans make.

This is true. Both you and DFW Hoya are making the same point about this. There is alot of legitimacy in this argument. However, one technical point I'd like to mention is that FCS teams are also D1. So yes, it is a weaker SOS for a P5 team to schedule an FCS team much like an FCS scheduling a D2, however the FCS is still D1.

[Thumper 76]

What's interesting is how some FCS fans react when FCS programs schedule an upper level D2 school early in the season. A lot of the same comments and arguments are made that the P5 fans make.

Yes but a FCS school counts towards bowl status for a FBS team, so the game has some worth in that fashion, where a DII doesn't count for the playoffs for a FCS team, making it worthless.

[NY Crusader 2010]

Yes but a FCS school counts towards bowl status for a FBS team, so the game has some worth in that fashion, where a DII doesn't count for the playoffs for a FCS team, making it worthless.

Very good point, though is the "7 DI wins" still a requirement? We had a 6-5 team get in last year (a very deserving WIU team).

[Thumper 76]

Very good point, though is the "7 DI wins" still a requirement? We had a 6-5 team get in last year (a very deserving WIU team).

They did lower it from seven when they went to 24 didn't they? Even so, look at Chuck South. They have two DII games. They basically scheduled themselves out of the possibility of a at large chance by having two non counters and a really rough FBS match up. That's killer.

You are right though, teams could get away with it theoretically. In practice it won't help though. At least from the mindset of scheduling. No team in a big conference will want to do it because they feel they need every chance possible to get wins before they enter conference play like the MVFC. But teams from smaller conferences need a gaudy record to be considered for an at large generally, so they can't really afford to sacrifice a possible win that counts either.

[Ronin]

The Big Ten not only shys away from FCS schools, but does so against ranked competition as well.