The FCS in Pat Forde's ESPN.com Dash

[cowbellnation]

If This Were The Other Kind Of Football …
In England, they have a pretty cool soccer meritocracy where you have to earn the right to stay in the division you're in. The bottom team is sent down a division, while the top team from the division below is promoted.

Imagine if that were applied to college football heading into 2008, with demotions from I-A and promotions from I-AA. The Dash imagined just that, conference by conference, using the Sagarin Ratings as a guide and trying to keep promotions and demotions within geographically feasible boundaries:

ACC (25). Demoted: Duke (No. 113 Sagarin). Promoted: Richmond (No. 77) of the Colonial...

Mountain West (31). Demoted: UNLV (No. 121). Promoted: South Dakota State (No. 90) of the Great...

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=3129416&sportCat=ncf&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab1pos1

[Kymermosst]

I hope no other UMass football fans read this...

There are a lot of people who think we need to run off and join the Big East anyway and some of them would take this all too seriously...

I like the idea of having to earn you way into the division, but I wouldn't like being forced to leave my NC up to a computer when we can go out and play.

[bamamountaineer1013]

IMO, being in the midst of SEC country, I think that Appy would have our arse handed to us, were we to join the SEC.

[appstate38]

I hope no other UMass football fans read this...

There are a lot of people who think we need to run off and join the Big East anyway and some of them would take this all too seriously...

I like the idea of having to earn you way into the division, but I wouldn't like being forced to leave my NC up to a computer when we can go out and play.

Agreed!!!!

[terrierbob]

I think I'd rather be in the SoCon.

[ASUMountaineer]

Agreed, I don't want to hope for a postseason that is a meaningless, stupid exhibition game.

[Appaholic]

I'd rather earn the championship than be "annointed" a faux Champion....

[strike00]

good article

[dgreco]

its still an amusing article to read.

[DOME]

I wouldn't really want to be in the Big 10 anyways I like to see competition once in a while. Though I would give money to see UNI play Iowa. Especially this years squad!
Hey Iowa I got $40k in student loan debt you can have if you'll show up to the dome some time! xrulesx

[DSUHornet]

this is how it should be anyway. too many good teams in the FCS and too many lousy teams in the FBS, and they get judged, categorized, and chucked into stigmas just because of the division.

[CollegeSportsInfo]

I hope no other UMass football fans read this...

There are a lot of people who think we need to run off and join the Big East anyway and some of them would take this all too seriously...

I like the idea of having to earn you way into the division, but I wouldn't like being forced to leave my NC up to a computer when we can go out and play.

If Umass, Delaware or any other FCS program had the chance to upgrade and instantly join the Big East, it would be a perfect opportunity. For every former I-AA program that upgraded to what is now FBS with a Sunbelt or MAC home in mind, UConn had an advantage that any FCS program would love to have.

[appfan2008]

i think it would be cool if we had a similar system... sure would be interesting and would make a lot of hot seats a whole lot hotter

[thmst30]

SEC, lol. That wouldn't be pretty.

[NDSUFREAK]

Pacific-10 (32). Demoted: Stanford (No. 82). Promoted: North Dakota State (No. 65) of the Great West. Ancillary benefit: Fargo? You betcha!

Travel to ASU baby!!! haha