New FCS Fan

[Vandal03]

I am a new FCS Fan. My Idaho Vandals are rejoining the Big Sky next season. The Spokesman Review has a good article about Idaho's return.

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/dec/09/after-22-season-and-ups-and-downs-idaho-football-i/

As a new FCS fan I have several questions. I have been watching some of the playoff games and I am impressed with the quality of play. How are the playoff teams determined? How much does strength of schedule factor in? For example how does a loss to a good FBS team compare with a win over a division 2 team? What are the best FCS conferences? Which schools have the best game day atmosphere? How long will Frisco be the host of the championship game? Thanks for the information. I look forward to following FCS football with all of you.

Go Vandals!

[ursus arctos horribilis]

I am a new FCS Fan. My Idaho Vandals are rejoining the Big Sky next season. The Spokesman Review has a good article about Idaho's return.

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/dec/09/after-22-season-and-ups-and-downs-idaho-football-i/

As a new FCS fan I have several questions. I have been watching some of the playoff games and I am impressed with the quality of play. How are the playoff teams determined? How much does strength of schedule factor in? For example how does a loss to a good FBS team compare with a win over a division 2 team? What are the best FCS conferences? Which schools have the best game day atmosphere? How long will Frisco be the host of the championship game? Thanks for the information. I look forward to following FCS football with all of you.

Go Vandals!

Man, it is about time Vandal! I know a lot of Vandal fans are upset with the move but as a Grizzly fan I am so glad to have back a valued rival from our past. The Vandals and Griz have played in the playoffs and you guys got us. The Vandals were a great powerhouse in the FCS which formerly lAA as you may know.

I just want to say welcome to you first and let you know that a couple of your conference mates rank at the top of gameday experience to each and every year you will be able to enjoy some good, close road games.

The MVFC is as of now the top dog as far as conferences go. The CAA, SoCon, & BSC are fairly similar with a team or two jumping up to the top level. The SLC is top notch with two teams and then falling off a bit after that point. Recently the Big South conference which was a long time doormat has now done that same thing and normally has a team or two that can mix it up with anyone.

I will let some others chime in and answer a few questions as well. Your game day experiences with traveling fans is about to go up significantly at the Kibbie dome as well.

[ursus arctos horribilis]

btw, your first 10 posts are moderated and need approval so if they don't show up right away they will once they get looked at. If you stick to this one thread and get the 10 out of the way it will probably take less time...if you reply to everyone that is.

[Reign of Terrier]

Get out while you still can!


(just kidding, have fun, go vandals, etc)

[Sammy94]

New Big Sky blood....been waiting for a new team to beat. Just kidding...sorta. Welcome to this craziness.

[katss07]

Welcome! Excited to see a Vandal.

There are 10 conferences that participate in the FCS Playoffs. 10 of those conferences get auto-bids, meaning the top team from each conference is automatically in the field of 24 teams that participates in the playoffs. After that, a selection committee decides what teams get in. Some conferences get more than others. In the end, 24 teams make the playoffs. The best 8 teams (also ranked by committee) get first round byes and an automatic home game in the next round. Others play in the first round and bid for the home game. Typically, regional opponents are chosen for the first round. For example, and east coast team won’t play a west coast team in the first round. Single elimination tourney that leads to Frisco for the championship.

Strength of Schedule is important. Some teams can go undefeated, but won’t get an all important first round bye because of SoS. D2 games have less weight. FBS games are non factors, unless the FCS team wins.

Montana, North Dakota St, Montana St, Jacksonville St, James Maddison all have fun atmospheres to name a few. Those are the top notch ones. But most Big Sky, MVFC, CAA and SLC teams have fine atmospheres IMO.
I would say those four conferences I just named are the best four conferences as of now.

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

Vandals are where they should be.

Good luck to them in the Big Sky again.

[cx500d]

Welcome to the Huge Sky Conference. Lucky you are getting rid of the dead weight hawks.

[kalm]

I am a new FCS Fan. My Idaho Vandals are rejoining the Big Sky next season. The Spokesman Review has a good article about Idaho's return.

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/dec/09/after-22-season-and-ups-and-downs-idaho-football-i/

As a new FCS fan I have several questions. I have been watching some of the playoff games and I am impressed with the quality of play. How are the playoff teams determined? How much does strength of schedule factor in? For example how does a loss to a good FBS team compare with a win over a division 2 team? What are the best FCS conferences? Which schools have the best game day atmosphere? How long will Frisco be the host of the championship game? Thanks for the information. I look forward to following FCS football with all of you.

Go Vandals!

Welcome home!

As an Eastern fan, I love having the Vandals back as a rival. Believe it or not, our playoff win over you guys in 1985 was an important moment for Eagle athletics and provided a little springboard to later success. We've had some great battles since. Totally looking forward to both of our houses packed for games and the Southern Palouse is a short, beautiful trip to take in the fall. You guys are in great location with geographic rivalries and bus trips to 5 conference opponents.

The MVFC is definitely the top dog conference with NDSU's run, and ISUr (Illinois state), and Youngstown making the championship game in the past few years. South Dakota State and NDSU both have shots to make it again this year.

The CAA and Big Sky are next with the Southern close behind. The Ohio Valley and Southland produce conference champs and sometimes a 2nd team that have the talent to make deep runs or a title game as well but lack the depth behind that.

SoS matters on paper but regionalization often rears it's head when it comes to the selection process and awarding seeds. The best formula of scheduling out of conference for an Idaho is the FBS money game, a solid but winnable FCS opponent to boost SoS, and a weaker FCS opponent if you can afford to bring them to Moscow. If not, a win against a DII hurts you less than a loss to a quality FCS opponent. 8-3 is the magic number for Big Sky teams to get an at-large bid. 7-4 CAN get you in but you're on the bubble as three 7-4 Big Sky teams got left out this year. 9-2 is on the edge of getting a top 8 seed depending on SoS. 10-1 and you're a top 4 and likely top 2 seed hosting playoff games until the quarters in the former case and all the way through in the latter.

This message board has a truly amazing amount of knowledgeable posters on it and the AGS Poll is the most accurate in predicting playoff bids than any other. It is truly the best source of FCS information around.

Glad you guys are back. The conference is better for it and I wish you luck except that one game per season.

[Twentysix]

Welcome friend. I hope the bison can bathe in the blood of the vandals soon.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

[ElCid]

Welcome back! It has been a long time since you have left. I remember the Vandals making the playoffs regularly back in the day (80, 90s). Should shake up the Big Sky even more than it usually is lately. I know there are rivalries that are going to resume. Which is always fun.

Here are some good links to view the teams and conferences according to the most popular computer ratings. It can get familiar with the field.

https://www.masseyratings.com/rate.php?s=cf2017&sub=11605&c=1

https://www.masseyratings.com/rate.php?s=cf2017&sub=11605&c=1&c=0

https://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaaf/sagarin/2017/conference/

https://www.masseyratings.com/cf/compare1aa.htm

Everyone seems to be putting their spin on the conference strength, which is fun to watch.

So I will spin it as well. Looking at the overall conference strength from top to bottom, and not just the outliers at the top.

MVFC is top dog currently, by a good gap. Next is CAA, Big Sky and Southern, Southland, Ohio Valley, and Big South, probably in that order. The order of these conferences and the gap between them moves around year to year. Then a bigger gap and you have Patriot, NEC and then a big gap to the non-scholly Pioneer, although a Pioneer team did knock off the number three Big Sky team in the playoffs just a couple weeks ago. I ignore the Ivy, SWAC, and MEAC as they don't participate in the playoff, although the SWAC and MEAC could get an at large. I think the hardest thing you need to do is get some good OOC games outside of the BS to get the SOS you need and to remove any doubt come playoff time. I know it is harder for you guys out west due to travel. Hopefully you will avoid any Div II. Hurts the Div I win totals. I suppose you will have your token FBS game as well.

Again, welcome back.

[Iridebikes]

Welcome home to the Big Sky. Lots of folks around Cheney are happy to have you back. Understand that its ruffled some feathers down in Moscow but I hope that the regional and historic rivalries that are in place will take care of that. KALM gave you a really good overview of the FCS and how it operates. Get ready for true play off football. The excitement that it generates in stands is great. You guys have a good program and it probably won't be too many years before you get to enjoy it.

[TheKingpin28]

Welcome to AGS. You will see banter between some of us, but most of it is a good ribbing. Take everything in stride but there are some on here who live for the troll. If you stick with it and stay persistent, you will learn a lot about the FCS on here. If you ever have a question, don't be afraid to ask as someone on here probably has the answer.

The best thing I can say is this: Get invested into the "AGS Poll Results" threads. It will help you understand how we vote on teams and why we believe what we do. Have an opinion, but be willing to defend it with more than "I think" or "Cause my opinion" options. I cannot stress how important it can be to get into the poll threads, but it will help you understand why someone like Elon or Monmouth (just for exercise purposes) could be construted as paper tigers and teams like UNI and KSU could be perceived as undervalued.

[katss07]

I love ancient football rivalries that include current FBS teams and FCS teams. Idaho will develop fun rivalries again with Idaho State, Montana (lil brown jug?) and Eastern Washington.

[Elvis was a Bison]

Welcome back to the FCS! Is Martha still your lead singer??

[cx500d]

Welcome back to the FCS! Is Martha still your lead singer??


Good one. The Idaho Vandellas!

[NDSUtk]

Welcome to the FCS land!! I believe your team will complete right out of the gates in the Big Sky. Excited to learn more about your team and style of play!

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

[NDSUtk]

Welcome to AGS. You will see banter between some of us, but most of it is a good ribbing. Take everything in stride but there are some on here who live for the troll. If you stick with it and stay persistent, you will learn a lot about the FCS on here. If you ever have a question, don't be afraid to ask as someone on here probably has the answer.

The best thing I can say is this: Get invested into the "AGS Poll Results" threads. It will help you understand how we vote on teams and why we believe what we do. Have an opinion, but be willing to defend it with more than "I think" or "Cause my opinion" options. I cannot stress how important it can be to get into the poll threads, but it will help you understand why someone like Elon or Monmouth (just for exercise purposes) could be construted as paper tigers and teams like UNI and KSU could be perceived as undervalued.Aren't you going to tell him about slot voting?? LOL

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

[dewey]

Welcome to the AGS forum Vandal!

Dewey

[TheKingpin28]

Aren't you going to tell him about slot voting?? LOL

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

Give it time and then I will give my Cross of Gold, I mean Adam and Eve, I mean No Slot-Voting speech to all those who will listen. xlolx

[Schism55]

I am a new FCS Fan. My Idaho Vandals are rejoining the Big Sky next season. The Spokesman Review has a good article about Idaho's return.

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/dec/09/after-22-season-and-ups-and-downs-idaho-football-i/

As a new FCS fan I have several questions. I have been watching some of the playoff games and I am impressed with the quality of play. How are the playoff teams determined? How much does strength of schedule factor in? For example how does a loss to a good FBS team compare with a win over a division 2 team? What are the best FCS conferences? Which schools have the best game day atmosphere? How long will Frisco be the host of the championship game? Thanks for the information. I look forward to following FCS football with all of you.

Go Vandals!

Welcome to the pirate ship!

[katss07]

Is Idaho playoff eligible in yr 1?

[ursus arctos horribilis]

Is Idaho playoff eligible in yr 1?

I don't think they will be down to the number but all their athletes were recruited according to D1 standards etc. so after attrition I would think they would be once they get down to scholarship levels but honestly Idaho was barely offering above FCS level as it was. I think they were less that 75 scholarships. They were nowhere near the 85 number though.

[Vandal03]

Man, it is about time Vandal! I know a lot of Vandal fans are upset with the move but as a Grizzly fan I am so glad to have back a valued rival from our past. The Vandals and Griz have played in the playoffs and you guys got us. The Vandals were a great powerhouse in the FCS which formerly lAA as you may know.

I just want to say welcome to you first and let you know that a couple of your conference mates rank at the top of gameday experience to each and every year you will be able to enjoy some good, close road games.

The MVFC is as of now the top dog as far as conferences go. The CAA, SoCon, & BSC are fairly similar with a team or two jumping up to the top level. The SLC is top notch with two teams and then falling off a bit after that point. Recently the Big South conference which was a long time doormat has now done that same thing and normally has a team or two that can mix it up with anyone.

I will let some others chime in and answer a few questions as well. Your game day experiences with traveling fans is about to go up significantly at the Kibbie dome as well.

Thanks for the welcome. I am very excited for the renewal of the Montana/Idaho rivalry. I work with a Montana alum and plan on betting him lunch every year. My first Vandal home football game was in Pullman against the Griz. You guys kicked our butts and your fans were louder than ours. Jimmy Ferris had a huge game for Montana.

[Vandal03]

btw, your first 10 posts are moderated and need approval so if they don't show up right away they will once they get looked at. If you stick to this one thread and get the 10 out of the way it will probably take less time...if you reply to everyone that is.

Thanks, I will give it a try to reply to everyone. There were so many helpful replies that it will take awhile.

[Vandal03]

Get out while you still can!


(just kidding, have fun, go vandals, etc)

Thanks, but it is too late to get out. We have either been kicked out or left behind from three FBS conferences and a fourth FBS conference hasn't invited us to join.

[Vandal03]

New Big Sky blood....been waiting for a new team to beat. Just kidding...sorta. Welcome to this craziness.

Thanks, good luck against NDSU.

[Vandal03]

Welcome! Excited to see a Vandal.

There are 10 conferences that participate in the FCS Playoffs. 10 of those conferences get auto-bids, meaning the top team from each conference is automatically in the field of 24 teams that participates in the playoffs. After that, a selection committee decides what teams get in. Some conferences get more than others. In the end, 24 teams make the playoffs. The best 8 teams (also ranked by committee) get first round byes and an automatic home game in the next round. Others play in the first round and bid for the home game. Typically, regional opponents are chosen for the first round. For example, and east coast team won’t play a west coast team in the first round. Single elimination tourney that leads to Frisco for the championship.

Strength of Schedule is important. Some teams can go undefeated, but won’t get an all important first round bye because of SoS. D2 games have less weight. FBS games are non factors, unless the FCS team wins.

Montana, North Dakota St, Montana St, Jacksonville St, James Maddison all have fun atmospheres to name a few. Those are the top notch ones. But most Big Sky, MVFC, CAA and SLC teams have fine atmospheres IMO.
I would say those four conferences I just named are the best four conferences as of now.

Thanks for the good information. I will have to learn more about which schools are in the MVFV, CAA, and SLC.

[Green1]

Thanks, good luck against NDSU.


Ummm, never go against the Herd on a playoff week!



Other than that, Welcome! :)

[Vandal03]

Vandals are where they should be.

Good luck to them in the Big Sky again.

Thanks, as a fan I have wanted to return ever since about ten years ago when Arizona beat Idaho 70-0. As a fan I want my school to be competitive.

[Vandal03]

Welcome to the Huge Sky Conference. Lucky you are getting rid of the dead weight hawks.

It is a huge conference. I believe the conference added teams in the event the WAC raided the Big Sky, but that never happen and now it is a huge conference.

[Vandal03]

Welcome home!

As an Eastern fan, I love having the Vandals back as a rival. Believe it or not, our playoff win over you guys in 1985 was an important moment for Eagle athletics and provided a little springboard to later success. We've had some great battles since. Totally looking forward to both of our houses packed for games and the Southern Palouse is a short, beautiful trip to take in the fall. You guys are in great location with geographic rivalries and bus trips to 5 conference opponents.

The MVFC is definitely the top dog conference with NDSU's run, and ISUr (Illinois state), and Youngstown making the championship game in the past few years. South Dakota State and NDSU both have shots to make it again this year.

The CAA and Big Sky are next with the Southern close behind. The Ohio Valley and Southland produce conference champs and sometimes a 2nd team that have the talent to make deep runs or a title game as well but lack the depth behind that.

SoS matters on paper but regionalization often rears it's head when it comes to the selection process and awarding seeds. The best formula of scheduling out of conference for an Idaho is the FBS money game, a solid but winnable FCS opponent to boost SoS, and a weaker FCS opponent if you can afford to bring them to Moscow. If not, a win against a DII hurts you less than a loss to a quality FCS opponent. 8-3 is the magic number for Big Sky teams to get an at-large bid. 7-4 CAN get you in but you're on the bubble as three 7-4 Big Sky teams got left out this year. 9-2 is on the edge of getting a top 8 seed depending on SoS. 10-1 and you're a top 4 and likely top 2 seed hosting playoff games until the quarters in the former case and all the way through in the latter.

This message board has a truly amazing amount of knowledgeable posters on it and the AGS Poll is the most accurate in predicting playoff bids than any other. It is truly the best source of FCS information around.

Glad you guys are back. The conference is better for it and I wish you luck except that one game per season.

Thanks, I followed Eastern in 2010 when you won the national title. The Idaho vs Eastern game will be good for the inland northwest. I went to the 2003 Idaho vs Eastern game when Eastern won 8-5.

[Vandal03]

Welcome friend. I hope the bison can bathe in the blood of the vandals soon.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

I would love to play NDSU. I was sorry to hear about NDSU alum Carson Wentz's injury. I hope it won't be as bad as feared. He made some amazing plays against the Seahawks last week.

[Vandal03]

Welcome back! It has been a long time since you have left. I remember the Vandals making the playoffs regularly back in the day (80, 90s). Should shake up the Big Sky even more than it usually is lately. I know there are rivalries that are going to resume. Which is always fun.

Here are some good links to view the teams and conferences according to the most popular computer ratings. It can get familiar with the field.

https://www.masseyratings.com/rate.php?s=cf2017&sub=11605&c=1

https://www.masseyratings.com/rate.php?s=cf2017&sub=11605&c=1&c=0

https://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaaf/sagarin/2017/conference/

https://www.masseyratings.com/cf/compare1aa.htm

Everyone seems to be putting their spin on the conference strength, which is fun to watch.

So I will spin it as well. Looking at the overall conference strength from top to bottom, and not just the outliers at the top.

MVFC is top dog currently, by a good gap. Next is CAA, Big Sky and Southern, Southland, Ohio Valley, and Big South, probably in that order. The order of these conferences and the gap between them moves around year to year. Then a bigger gap and you have Patriot, NEC and then a big gap to the non-scholly Pioneer, although a Pioneer team did knock off the number three Big Sky team in the playoffs just a couple weeks ago. I ignore the Ivy, SWAC, and MEAC as they don't participate in the playoff, although the SWAC and MEAC could get an at large. I think the hardest thing you need to do is get some good OOC games outside of the BS to get the SOS you need and to remove any doubt come playoff time. I know it is harder for you guys out west due to travel. Hopefully you will avoid any Div II. Hurts the Div I win totals. I suppose you will have your token FBS game as well.

Again, welcome back.

Thanks for the good information. I hope Idaho won't be playing division 2 schools. In 2018 and 2019 we have two FBS games (2 MWC teams, Florida, and Penn State). I would like to keep it to one FBS game per season and never play a FBS national title contender.

[Vandal03]

Welcome home to the Big Sky. Lots of folks around Cheney are happy to have you back. Understand that its ruffled some feathers down in Moscow but I hope that the regional and historic rivalries that are in place will take care of that. KALM gave you a really good overview of the FCS and how it operates. Get ready for true play off football. The excitement that it generates in stands is great. You guys have a good program and it probably won't be too many years before you get to enjoy it.

Thanks, I have lots of respect for Eastern. I also know several Eastern alums that I will banter with before the two teams play. Most Vandal that I see on message boards are against the move and 9 out of 10 Vandal fans that I know in real life are in favor of the move. I think the FBS supporters are delusional because Idaho is a small rural school and does not have the resources to compete at the FBS level.

[Vandal03]

Welcome to AGS. You will see banter between some of us, but most of it is a good ribbing. Take everything in stride but there are some on here who live for the troll. If you stick with it and stay persistent, you will learn a lot about the FCS on here. If you ever have a question, don't be afraid to ask as someone on here probably has the answer.

The best thing I can say is this: Get invested into the "AGS Poll Results" threads. It will help you understand how we vote on teams and why we believe what we do. Have an opinion, but be willing to defend it with more than "I think" or "Cause my opinion" options. I cannot stress how important it can be to get into the poll threads, but it will help you understand why someone like Elon or Monmouth (just for exercise purposes) could be construted as paper tigers and teams like UNI and KSU could be perceived as undervalued.

Thanks and I will check out the polls. I visited AGS several times over the years before signing up. It is a great place to follow FCS football.

[Vandal03]

I love ancient football rivalries that include current FBS teams and FCS teams. Idaho will develop fun rivalries again with Idaho State, Montana (lil brown jug?) and Eastern Washington.

That is why I am so excited for the Big Sky. I know many Big Sky alums and I know one Sun Belt alum (excluding Idaho). One of the best parts about college football is bantering with your friends and family when your teams play each other.

[Vandal03]

Welcome back to the FCS! Is Martha still your lead singer??

I had to look that one up because I did not get the reference at first. One can only hope she is.

[Vandal03]

Good one. The Idaho Vandellas!

Had I read your reply first I could have skipped a Bing search to find out who Martha is.

[Vandal03]

Welcome to the FCS land!! I believe your team will complete right out of the gates in the Big Sky. Excited to learn more about your team and style of play!

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

Thanks, good luck in the semi finals.

[Vandal03]

Welcome to the AGS forum Vandal!

Dewey

Thanks

[PantherRob82]

Excited to have the Vandals back.

[SactoHornetFan]

Welcome home Idaho, welcome home!

[SochorField]

Looking forward to a trip to the Kibbie Dome. I was up there many years ago when trying to pick a place to go to school, but never got into the Dome.

[100%GRIZ]

Welcome back Vandal. Definitely should be fun! Go Griz!

[Grizalltheway]

I love ancient football rivalries that include current FBS teams and FCS teams. Idaho will develop fun rivalries again with Idaho State, Montana (lil brown jug?) and Eastern Washington.

Close. Little brown stein.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DLF_-9vXUAAgFgX.jpg

[ursus arctos horribilis]

Thanks for the welcome. I am very excited for the renewal of the Montana/Idaho rivalry. I work with a Montana alum and plan on betting him lunch every year. My first Vandal home football game was in Pullman against the Griz. You guys kicked our butts and your fans were louder than ours. Jimmy Ferris had a huge game for Montana.

I was at that game as well and remember if very fondly.

[ST_Lawson]

Welcome back to the FCS. Once you're all set up with your conference mates, I believe you are legally required to schedule H&H series with all us MVFC teams ;)
https://www.si.com/college-football/2017/09/07/ap-fbc-fcs-big-sky-mvfc-challenge

Western Illinois has future H&H's with Montana, Montana State, Eastern Washington, and Southern Utah over the next 6 seasons. It'd be fun to see the Vandals added to that list.

[Go...gate]

Welcome back, Idaho!

[BisonBacker]

Welcome (back) to the FCS!

[Wildcat1997]

Welcome back to the FCS! Hope the Vandals are successful!

[malibudude]

Welcome to the Conference and the board.