Tiers of FCS Football by Performance Level

[bonarae]

With the announcement of Richmond, a perennial playoff contender from the CAA, to the PL next season, and also the defection of several southern teams as well as Delaware to the G5 FBS since the 2020-2021 season, it's time to update our tiers of FCS conferences by performance level.

Tier 1 - multiple playoff bids annually (3+)
Tier 2 - one or two playoff bids annually (usual level)
Tier 3 - one-bid leagues but play in the Road to Frisco / Celebration Bowl

The Ivy League is in a special tier because they do not play in the postseason. They belong to a sub-tier of Tier 2 if they play at all.

Tier 1:
Big Sky
CAA (after 2024, we might drop them off to Tier 2)
MVFC
SoCon

Tier 2:
BS-OVC
PL
SLC (borderline between Tiers 1 and 2; their field level is inconsistent when compared across years and due to realignment issues)
UAC (not sure what to think of this currently directionless conference ATM...)

Tier 3:
MEAC
NEC
PFL
SWAC

Discuss if my classifications seem accurate or not... fire away.

[Go...gate]

Looks pretty good....

[Outsider1]

For now it looks good.

[crusader11]

With the announcement of Richmond, a perennial playoff contender from the CAA, to the PL next season, and also the defection of several southern teams as well as Delaware to the G5 FBS since the 2020-2021 season, it's time to update our tiers of FCS conferences by performance level.

Tier 1 - multiple playoff bids annually (3+)
Tier 2 - one or two playoff bids annually (usual level)
Tier 3 - one-bid leagues but play in the Road to Frisco / Celebration Bowl

The Ivy League is in a special tier because they do not play in the postseason. They belong to a sub-tier of Tier 2 if they play at all.

Tier 1:
Big Sky
CAA (after 2024, we might drop them off to Tier 2)
MVFC
SoCon

Tier 2:
BS-OVC
PL
SLC (borderline between Tiers 1 and 2; their field level is inconsistent when compared across years and due to realignment issues)
UAC (not sure what to think of this currently directionless conference ATM...)

Tier 3:
MEAC
NEC
PFL
SWAC

Discuss if my classifications seem accurate or not... fire away.

Big Sky and Valley need to be in their own tier. They're head and shoulders above the rest of the FCS.

[Sitting Bull]

It’s a shame that the Ivys don’t participate in the playoffs. It would be a big positive for FCS. Hopefully that changes.

I also think the tiers are ok. Not concerned about CAA dropping - think it’s more likely the PL could start inching toward Tier1, on par with So Con.

Also agree that MVFC could be a high tier of their own. No evidence however that Big Sky is notably higher than CAA or So Con. Last years playoffs, UAlbany won @ Idaho and Montana needed OT to dispatch Furman. Seemed pretty comparable to me.

[crusader11]

It’s a shame that the Ivys don’t participate in the playoffs. It would be a big positive for FCS. Hopefully that changes.

I also think the tiers are ok. Not concerned about CAA dropping - think it’s more likely the PL could start inching toward Tier1, on par with So Con.

Also agree that MVFC could be a high tier of their own. No evidence however that Big Sky is notably higher than CAA or So Con. Last years playoffs, UAlbany won @ Idaho and Montana needed OT to dispatch Furman. Seemed pretty comparable to me.

Top to bottom, Big Sky is much stronger than the CAA and SoCon, IMO. They had seven team ranked in the top 150 (Sagarin). CAA had four. SoCon had one.

[wapiti]

Where does the Ivy fit in this Tier system.

I would have them Tier 2. The bottom of the Ivy is a 3.

[SteelSD]

So the SoCon is annually getting 3+ playoff bids? Other than last year, when was the last time that happened? And when was the last time they had a team play for the Natty? It feels like there should be a half tier difference between the MVFC and the next tier of the BSC and CAA. I think it’s fair to question if the CAA is overhyped and gets too many teams in, but thats another topic. But putting the SoCon in the same tier as the BSC and MVFC based off one’s years performance just can’t be right.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

The SoCon and PL seem to have about the same ceiling right now. The only difference is the SoCon has remained a bit deeper. Even so, the gap between these two conferences has dwindled in recent years. I could easily see the PL elevating itself past SoCon in the very near future.

[caribbeanhen]

Big Sky and Valley need to be in their own tier. They're head and shoulders above the rest of the FCS.

That theme went up in a Puff of smoke when Albany went out to Idaho….

[MR. CHICKEN]

https://www.anygivensaturday.com/images/misc/quote_icon.png Originally Posted by crusader11 https://www.anygivensaturday.com/images/buttons/viewpost-right.png (https://www.anygivensaturday.com/showthread.php?p=3188737#post3188737)
Big Sky and Valley need to be in their own tier. They're head and shoulders above the rest of the FCS.



That theme went up in a Puff of smoke when Albany went out to Idaho….



.....AN'.....'NOVA HUNG WHIFF RABBITT STATE......WHICH WAS WAY CLOSER...THAN GRIZZWOLD'S PERFORMANCE.......IN DUH FINALE............AWKQ!

[FUBeAR]

The SoCon and PL seem to have about the same ceiling right now. The only difference is the SoCon has remained a bit deeper. Even so, the gap between these two conferences has dwindled in recent years. I could easily see the PL elevating itself past SoCon in the very near future.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPQgfaB3S1c

[MR. CHICKEN]

.....PL........HAD ONE TEAM......WHIFF WINNIN' RECORD..2019........HC (7-5).......PRIOR....TA...HC/FORDY.....SUCKCESS.......BAWK!

......AN' LEHIGH.....WENT 7-8 GAMES.....B/4 GETTIN' UH TOUCHDOWN......COUPLE YEARS AGO.......AWK!

[UpstateBison]

With the announcement of Richmond, a perennial playoff contender from the CAA, to the PL next season, and also the defection of several southern teams as well as Delaware to the G5 FBS since the 2020-2021 season, it's time to update our tiers of FCS conferences by performance level.

Tier 1 - multiple playoff bids annually (3+)
Tier 2 - one or two playoff bids annually (usual level)
Tier 3 - one-bid leagues but play in the Road to Frisco / Celebration Bowl

The Ivy League is in a special tier because they do not play in the postseason. They belong to a sub-tier of Tier 2 if they play at all.

Tier 1:
Big Sky
CAA (after 2024, we might drop them off to Tier 2)
MVFC
SoCon

Tier 2:
BS-OVC
PL
SLC (borderline between Tiers 1 and 2; their field level is inconsistent when compared across years and due to realignment issues)
UAC (not sure what to think of this currently directionless conference ATM...)

Tier 3:
MEAC
NEC
PFL
SWAC

Discuss if my classifications seem accurate or not... fire away.

The SoCon Tier 1? They need to get past the quarterfinals 1 year before they can be remotely considered beyond Tier 2.


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[Tribe4SF]

Top to bottom, Big Sky is much stronger than the CAA and SoCon, IMO. They had seven team ranked in the top 150 (Sagarin). CAA had four. SoCon had one.

Sagarin has become a dud for me. Too many anomalies. Albany finished last year ranked 23 spots lower than Villanova despite beating them 31-10 and having a slightly better SOS. Missouri State went 4-7 and ranked above a bunch of better teams including UT Martin who beat them.

[atthewbon]

This is how I’d separate the playoff participating conferences into tiers right now and how many playoff teams each conference has been getting and I’d expect from each conference in the immediate future. Patriot League could be moving up and CAA could continue to fall. Will be interesting to see what happens with the UAC and Southland realignment which could also change this.

Tier 1A: 4-6 teams regularly winning championships
MVFC

Tier 1B: 4-6 teams
Big Sky

Tier 2: 2-4 teams
CAA
SOCON

Tier 3: 1-2 teams
UAC
Southland
Patriot League
Big South/OVC

Tier 4: 1 team
NEC
Pioneer


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[The Cats]

I hope this thread has boasted someone's ego... or several people.

[JacksFan40]

That theme went up in a Puff of smoke when Albany went out to Idaho….
It reappeared a week later in Brookings.

[OhioHen]

It reappeared a week later in Brookings.
What does South Dakota have to do with the theme of Big Sky over CAA going up in smoke?

[JacksFan40]

What does South Dakota have to do with the theme of Big Sky over CAA going up in smoke?
Original comment referred to both the Valley and Big Sky being in their own tier, the one I replied too referred to Albany beating Idaho as disproving that point. It’s a pretty frequent debate here as to how good the Valley and Big Sky actually are.

The title game was MVFC vs Big Sky. Kind of proved which conferences were at the top.

[caribbeanhen]

Original comment referred to both the Valley and Big Sky being in their own tier, the one I replied too referred to Albany beating Idaho as disproving that point. It’s a pretty frequent debate here as to how good the Valley and Big Sky actually are.

The title game was MVFC vs Big Sky. Kind of proved which conferences were at the top.

Nobody’s really arguing that the Valley and the Big Sky don’t have the best teams at the top. The Big Sky hype doesn’t necessarily carry over to like the third and fourth best teams and I was pretty excited to see Albany get a chance to play overrated Idaho, even though they had to play in that tough noisy hanger, Albany won. These are the type of games that make FCS fun and they’re just not enough of them.

The year before, only a few gave Richmond any chance on the road across country vs hyped Sacramento State, if you watched that game, you would say that those teams were pretty evenly matched… Sac St ranked so much higher throughout the year though.

There’s about three or four dominant teams in the FCS and yeah they’re in the Valley and the Big Sky. The other teams in those conferences get a boost because of that

Flo sports has kept eyes off the CAA so it’s understandable

[ElCid]

Nobody’s really arguing that the Valley and the Big Sky don’t have the best teams at the top. The Big Sky hype doesn’t necessarily carry over to like the third and fourth best teams and I was pretty excited to see Albany get a chance to play overrated Idaho, even though they had to play in that tough noisy hanger, Albany won. These are the type of games that make FCS fun and they’re just not enough of them.

The year before, only a few gave Richmond any chance on the road across country vs hyped Sacramento State, if you watched that game, you would say that those teams were pretty evenly matched… Sac St ranked so much higher throughout the year though.

There’s about three or four dominant teams in the FCS and yeah they’re in the Valley and the Big Sky. The other teams in those conferences get a boost because of that

Flo sports has kept eyes off the CAA so it’s understandable

^^^^^^
This

After the one or two, or three at best, top teams in year, and they've usually been the same teams prominently, the rest of those conferences are not very good. There is definite separation. Having teams at the top of FCS in a bunch of title games does not translate into the entire conf being good. But some people can't grasp this.

[FUBeAR]

^^^^^^
This

After the one or two, or three at best, top teams in year, and they've usually been the same teams prominently, the rest of those conferences are not very good. There is definite separation. Having teams at the top of FCS in a bunch of title games does not translate into the entire conf being good. But some people can't grasp this.
They CAN grasp it. They just don’t want to, and loudly, publicly, and vocally refuse to, because admitting the truth conflicts with their agenda(s).

[caribbeanhen]

They CAN grasp it. They just don’t want to, and loudly, publicly, and vocally refuse to, because admitting the truth conflicts with their agenda(s).

would it be fair to say the “FCS media” is mostly based out of the mid-west and west?

these “pundits” are totally onboard with this narrative about the top to bottom strength of the Sky and Valley

[TribeNomad1]

I think perhaps we could retitle this as “Tears of FCS Football”.

[caribbeanhen]

I think perhaps we could retitle this as “Tears of FCS Football”.

haha

you stop