Championship date?

[nevadagriz]

I'm sure this has been hashed over on here before, however I did not see it so I apologize in advance.
Do you guys like the long layoff before the championship game? Should it be a week earlier?
Does it hurt fan interest from FCS fans who's team is not playing? ( I think this is going to be a great matchup I can't wait to watch but I even seem to forget it is coming up)
I realize it is great for travel arrangements and teams getting healthier. What other advantages do you see?

[Bisonator]

I like it. Avoids the holidays, gives people plenty of time to make arrangements. Allows the teams to get a little break, recover from minor injuries. I watched last years game even though NDSU wasn't in it, don't think the layoff matters a whole lot for other fan interest, your either going to be interested or not, 1,2 3 weeks isn't going to effect that IMO.

[PaladinFan]

The long layoff certainly hurts my interest in the game, and I say that as an FCS fan.

Give everyone a break, but play this game before the new year.

[Bisonator]

The long layoff certainly hurts my interest in the game, and I say that as an FCS fan.

Give everyone a break, but play this game before the new year.
So you won't be tuning in at all? Yet you are interested in this thread??:)

[Gil Dobie]

I like the break. Gives people time to make plans, buy tickets, etc.

[Professor Chaos]

I wouldn't mind the break always being 2 weeks from the semis even if it falls around New Year's Eve/Day. But I also don't mind always have it after all the bowl games except the CFP Championship game either. In the end I think it's much better for the fans of the teams involved to have the break over the holidays than it is to play the championship the week after the semis like it used to be.

[ST_Lawson]

I wouldn't mind the break always being 2 weeks from the semis even if it falls around New Year's Eve/Day. But I also don't mind always have it after all the bowl games except the CFP Championship game either. In the end I think it's much better for the fans of the teams involved to have the break over the holidays than it is to play the championship the week after the semis like it used to be.

Agreed....a gap is good...3 weeks of a gap?...eh...
I'd actually kinda forgotten about football until a couple of days ago because it'd been so long since I'd watched a college football game and I'm finding it hard to write my usual preview article because I'm having trouble remembering stuff like who's out with injuries, who's NDSU's #6 RB, etc.

[LUHawker]

I suspect its great for the fans of the two teams in the Championship for the logistical reasons others have stated, but as a general fan, it's terrible. All the excitement and momentum of the season and playoffs wanes and there is no "carry-over" effect from prior games.

[PaladinFan]

So you won't be tuning in at all? Yet you are interested in this thread??:)

I just don't get the rationale behind putting the marquee FCS game slap up against the biggest FBS football game of the year. Any momentum the FCS has or interest it could have generated is greatly curtailed by butting the game up against the FBS national title and the NFL playoffs. Why even try to compete for eyeballs? It's literally leaves zero room for the FCS to be relevant.

I'm still one that thinks the playoffs are far too large and should go back to 16 teams with a national title game played by mid-December.

The FCS title game should be treated like many of the bowl games. Don't compete with the big boys for attention. Settle on a date when not much else is going on and put on a watchable product.

[Gil Dobie]

I just don't get the rationale behind putting the marquee FCS game slap up against the biggest FBS football game of the year. Any momentum the FCS has or interest it could have generated is greatly curtailed by butting the game up against the FBS national title and the NFL playoffs. Why even try to compete for eyeballs? It's literally leaves zero room for the FCS to be relevant.

I'm still one that thinks the playoffs are far too large and should go back to 16 teams with a national title game played by mid-December.

The FCS title game should be treated like many of the bowl games. Don't compete with the big boys for attention. Settle on a date when not much else is going on and put on a watchable product.

When you live in the frozen North country, it's better to travel after the Holiday's. At least from my perspective. It's nice to have Thanksgiving off prior to 3 weeks in a row driving to Fargo 3.5 Hours. Then it's time for family and holiday's, then one more football event. That's what I like about the 3 week break.

[PaladinFan]

When you live in the frozen North country, it's better to travel after the Holiday's. At least from my perspective. It's nice to have Thanksgiving off prior to 3 weeks in a row driving to Fargo 3.5 Hours. Then it's time for family and holiday's, then one more football event. That's what I like about the 3 week break.

My argument is to leave the holidays alone. Pick 16 teams, play football, be done in a couple of weeks.

[Gil Dobie]

My argument is to leave the holidays alone. Pick 16 teams, play football, be done in a couple of weeks.

That is still 4 weekends of football between Thanksgiving and Christmas if you keep winning.

[KPSUL]

No way would you want to move it back a week when most of the major bowl games were played on Saturday and Monday and some of the most critical NFL games were played on Sunday. With a 20 or 24 team field, Playing the first weekend after New Years is really the only way to guarantee ESPN or major network coverage.

[Bisonator]

I just don't get the rationale behind putting the marquee FCS game slap up against the biggest FBS football game of the year. Any momentum the FCS has or interest it could have generated is greatly curtailed by butting the game up against the FBS national title and the NFL playoffs. Why even try to compete for eyeballs? It's literally leaves zero room for the FCS to be relevant.

I'm still one that thinks the playoffs are far too large and should go back to 16 teams with a national title game played by mid-December.

The FCS title game should be treated like many of the bowl games. Don't compete with the big boys for attention. Settle on a date when not much else is going on and put on a watchable product.
It's always going to be going up against something. It's actually going up against less now then it would have 2 weeks ago. I think the timing is actually perfect, right before NFL playoffs might attract a few more viewers as a primer. More FB, what's not to like? I think fans that aren't interested enough to watch 3 weeks later have probably moved on to other things by the first off week anyway. That's just the way it is for most fans, it's about their team and they lose interest when their team isn't involved.

[Derby City Duke]

I don't think the NCAA will shrink the field below 20. When they made the NEC and Big South AQ conferences they had to add 2 at-large slots; field composition rules / guidelines dictated the #of at-large teams had to equal the # of AQ teams. To go back to 16 they would have to rescind the AQ slots of 2 conferences and that's a tough political fight (though I know some AGSers would have strong opinions about who to axe...some who would even vote for the MVFC and CAA:)).

That still requires 4 weekends of football including Thanksgiving weekend. Putting the game between Christmas and New Years gives the 2 teams competing about 10 days or so to prep and travel, but also ensures none of them get home for Christmas and shortens the logistics timeline for all fans. The NCAA could also box itself in to a mid-week night game more often than it wants; the D3 and D2 championships were played on Friday night and Saturday afternoon, respectively, this year.

Not sure there's a great solution for this that doesn't get messy for some or all of the stakeholders.

[caribbeanhen]

I like the break. Gives people time to make plans, buy tickets, etc.

I thought all Bison fans planned these Frisco trip out a year in advance, haha

yes for fans going to the game it works, but for an FCS fan that want's to get the game on three weeks is to much time

[Bisonoline]

I like the break. Gives people time to make plans, buy tickets, etc.

This. Especially fo those that didnt make plans ahead of time.

[POD Knows]

I thought all Bison fans planned these Frisco trip out a year in advance, haha

yes for fans going to the game it works, but for an FCS fan that want's to get the game on three weeks is to much timeYea, we do and sometimes that still isn't good enough.

[caribbeanhen]

Yea, we do and sometimes that still isn't good enough.

Why is it that you will not be in Frisco? You should be driving south, stopping at a roadside diner watching a Kansas waitress pouring you a cup of cafe right about now

[POD Knows]

Why is it that you will not be in Frisco? You should be driving south, stopping at a roadside diner watching a Kansas waitress pouring you a cup of cafe right about nowYou are killing me. I am clinically depressed over this whole deal, we had a couple of things that held this up, I have a dog that we have to board and I needed lead time for that, my wife needed lead time for the vacation request and the ticket deal was a hold up. I needed to be locked and loaded by about Christmas and the ticket deal stopped us. I had rooms booked about a year in advance, as I do every year, but the timing didn't work so it is what it is.

[Bisonoline]

I thought all Bison fans planned these Frisco trip out a year in advance, haha

yes for fans going to the game it works, but for an FCS fan that want's to get the game on three weeks is to much time

Not all. But I did make reservations for next year when I checked in.

[caribbeanhen]

You are killing me. I am clinically depressed over this whole deal, we had a couple of things that held this up, I have a dog that we have to board and I needed lead time for that, my wife needed lead time for the vacation request and the ticket deal was a hold up. I needed to be locked and loaded by about Christmas and the ticket deal stopped us. I had rooms booked about a year in advance, as I do every year, but the timing didn't work so it is what it is.

It was that waitress comment at the roadside diner that put you on edge I bet, But serioulsy, I feel your pain....

[caribbeanhen]

Not all. But I did make reservations for next year when I checked in.

that's a good one, Don't blame you one bit

[Gil Dobie]

I thought all Bison fans planned these Frisco trip out a year in advance, haha

yes for fans going to the game it works, but for an FCS fan that want's to get the game on three weeks is to much time

Didn't you hear, there's not enough tickets to go around, need to play at AT&T to get all the Bison fans in the game that want to go. ;)

[caribbeanhen]

Didn't you hear, there's not enough tickets to go around, need to play at AT&T to get all the Bison fans in the game that want to go. ;)

how many standing room only tickets did the NCAA put on sale?

[Gil Dobie]

how many standing room only tickets did the NCAA put on sale?

#notenough

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

The date now in January is perfect. 3 week break? Gives people time for plans.

IMO, keep it right where it is at.

[Southern Bison]

The date now in January is perfect. 3 week break? Gives people time for plans.

IMO, keep it right where it is at.I agree.

I'm glad the NC isnt trying to compete with the early bowls where two 6-6 G5 schools are playing. This is a great "under card" bout on NCAA D1 Championship weekend.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[Derby City Duke]

I agree.

I'm glad the NC isnt trying to compete with the early bowls where two 6-6 G5 schools are playing. This is a great "under card" bout on NCAA D1 Championship weekend.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

I think it a great lead-in as well...if you actually know the game is happening. I keep ESPN on a lot as background noise at home and can't remember seeing any promos for the game. Can't find it on the 4-letter's website under NCAAF w/o going to the 'Scores' page and selecting 'FCS (I-AA)' then scrolling down past the semis and CB line scores.

We all know it's going on, but it might as well be invisible to the general CFB fan as there ain't squat coverage / promo going on except thru the schools' normal media channels / podcasts / blogs / etc., HeroSports, and STATS.

As titanic as this match-up is at the FCS level, they might as well be playing on the moon. Actually they might get MORE coverage that way given the novelty of playing in 1/6 of the earth's normal gravitational pull...:(

[POD Knows]

I think it a great lead-in as well...if you actually know the game is happening. I keep ESPN on a lot as background noise at home and can't remember seeing any promos for the game. Can't find it on the 4-letter's website under NCAAF w/o going to the 'Scores' page and selecting 'FCS (I-AA)' then scrolling down past the semis and CB line scores.

We all know it's going on, but it might as well be invisible to the general CFB fan as there ain't squat coverage / promo going on except thru the schools' normal media channels / podcasts / blogs / etc., HeroSports, and STATS.

As titanic as this match-up is at the FCS level, they might as well be playing on the moon. Actually they might get MORE coverage that way given the novelty of playing in 1/6 of the earth's normal gravitational pull...:(You would think a company like ESPN would try and promote something as a means to increase viewership as a means to maybe increase the cost of an ad buy. Maybe, their current non-action here, is a symptom of a greater problem at ESPN, maybe they are just ****ty business people.

[AmsterBison]

Almost anything is better than the old "Win a semi on Saturday, play the championship the next Friday night" deal that the FCS used to do.

The big break for Christmas and New Years is WAY better than that. Anticipation builds the whole time.

The date doesn't have anything to do with ESPN's scheduling the game for ESPN2.

[Derby City Duke]

You would think a company like ESPN would try and promote something as a means to increase viewership as a means to maybe increase the cost of an ad buy. Maybe, their current non-action here, is a symptom of a greater problem at ESPN, maybe they are just ****ty business people.

That's what we get for 'thinkin' I guess.

[JayJ79]

I often find myself not really caring about the championship game. But I'd have the same level of not caring whether the game happened a week after the semifinals or during its current schedule.

Obviously I'd care more if my team was involved (regardless of when it was scheduled), but that isn't likely to happen.
I also find myself not caring at all about the FBS playoffs (or bowls for that matter, though I'll sometimes tune in for part of a game if I have nothing better to do, especially if Iowa or Iowa State are playing, but even then I don't go out of my way).
And I rarely care about the Super Bowl either, unless I happen to be following a team that season (which is usually only the case if a UNI alum is playing an active role for the team, and even then I have to admit that I don't actively follow linemen. Even though they are crucial to a team's success, and UNI has some very talented alums in that role, they never get any attention during the broadcast and thus the games don't hold my attention in that regard)

[AshevilleApp2]

Almost anything is better than the old "Win a semi on Saturday, play the championship the next Friday night" deal that the FCS used to do.

The big break for Christmas and New Years is WAY better than that. Anticipation builds the whole time.

The date doesn't have anything to do with ESPN's scheduling the game for ESPN2.

Always worked fine for me. xnodx Of course, a four hour drive to the championship helped some. I'd say one week, but I understand the logistics issues that some bring up. (Even though that didn't seem to hinder the Montana contingent.) As a fan from a non-participating school though, the three week layoff diminishes my interest. Particularly after the semifinals were such yawners. Maybe two weeks is right?

I also think the NCAA screwed up expanding the playoff field beyond 16 teams. But that's an entirely different issue.

[gumby013]

Yes, I would take a date to the championship game.