Please answer this questions for me

[Franks Tanks]

Has it been announced that the playoffs will be moved up a week once the expansion occurs? I have heard varying stoires but didnt see an official announcment by the NCAA. I would hate to see this happen as it would move the Lafayette-Lehigh game away from the traditional "rivalry week".

[stevdock]

The Gateway has been told not to schedule any OOC games after 2009 until they can get the schedule worked out to accomadate for the playoffs starting a week earlier. So from what we have been told out of the Gateway, yes the playoffs are moving earlier starting in 2010.

[Syntax Error]

Yes, the current rivalry week is history, the playoffs begin a week earlier starting in 2010.

[Franks Tanks]

Yes, the current rivalry week is history, the playoffs begin a week earlier starting in 2010.

That sucks! Why must we mess up the entire FCS schedule for the benefit of the two teams in the FCS Championship game.

[Syntax Error]

That sucks! Why must we mess up the entire FCS schedule for the benefit of the two teams in the FCS Championship game.Welcome to the new NCAA. If someone asks for it, they get it no matter how it affects the others. Really, the champ game couldn't be moved further into December and it was unrealistic to have all schools start the season before there were people on campus (a week earlier than when it starts now). So bye-bye to byes and the normal rivalry weekend. The opening round of the playoffs now goes up against all the non-FCS rivalries.

[Franks Tanks]

Welcome to the new NCAA. If someone asks for it, they get it no matter how it affects the others. Really, the champ game couldn't be moved further into December and it was unrealistic to have all schools start the season before there were people on campus (a week earlier than when it starts now). So bye-bye to byes and the normal rivalry weekend. The opening round of the playoffs now goes up against all the non-FCS rivalries.



xthumbsdownx Even though the expanded field will get more Patriot League teams in the field (theoretically) I dont like this at all.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I know I'm in the minority here, but I'm not flat-out opposed to moving up "Rivalry Week" for the FCS. Why?

* I like the fact that there is some room between the FBS "rivalry games" and the FCS "rivalry games", which sometimes get starved of oxygen with Michigan/OSU and the FBS rivalry games.

* First round of playoffs will be BEFORE thanksgiving, which may mean better student attendance for those games.

I don't think the rivalry games are really going to be affected attendance-wise. Certainly not "The Rivalry" of Lehigh/Lafayette; Harvard/Yale (if they move it at all); Delaware/Villanova, and the like. It's not like Grambling/Southern where fans fly in on Thanksgiving weekend and make it a destination vacation: all these rivalries are, IMO, different.

So, to recap: same attendance; better playoff attendance; more oxygen for the media to cover these great rivalries. The negative is that it's a compressed schedule with no bye weeks. IMO, that's not a bad tradeoff. xthumbsupx

[Franks Tanks]

I know I'm in the minority here, but I'm not flat-out opposed to moving up "Rivalry Week" for the FCS. Why?

* I like the fact that there is some room between the FBS "rivalry games" and the FCS "rivalry games", which sometimes get starved of oxygen with Michigan/OSU and the FBS rivalry games.* First round of playoffs will be BEFORE thanksgiving, which may mean better student attendance for those games.

I don't think the rivalry games are really going to be affected attendance-wise. Certainly not "The Rivalry" of Lehigh/Lafayette; Harvard/Yale (if they move it at all); Delaware/Villanova, and the like. It's not like Grambling/Southern where fans fly in on Thanksgiving weekend and make it a destination vacation: all these rivalries are, IMO, different.

So, to recap: same attendance; better playoff attendance; more oxygen for the media to cover these great rivalries. The negative is that it's a compressed schedule with no bye weeks. IMO, that's not a bad tradeoff. xthumbsupx

I understand what you are saying here, but playing the games on Rivalry week is special. Playing the games on the same day as all these other games makes it D-I rivalry weekend, and we are a part of that. Otherwise it will be oh, just another small college Rivalry like Amherst and Williams in the minds of casual fans.

[danefan]

I understand what you are saying here, but playing the games on Rivalry week is special. Playing the games on the same day as all these other games makes it D-I rivalry weekend, and we are a part of that. Otherwise it will be oh, just another small college Rivalry like Amherst and Williams in the minds of casual fans.

Hey, Amherst-Williams got college gameday last year......xcoffeex

[Franks Tanks]

Hey, Amherst-Williams got college gameday last year......xcoffeex

It sure did, but they spend the whole show talking about cliche "small college" football stuff. Oh these kids may not be very good but they love the game stuff. FCS rivalry games will have a better chance of getting on Gameday being a week earlier. Montana-Montana State, Lafayette-Lehigh, and a few others would be a great canidate, but I wouldnt want it if they would treat it like the did Williams-Amherst.

[danefan]

It sure did, but they spend the whole show talking about cliche "small college" football stuff. Oh these kids may not be very good but they love the game stuff. FCS rivalry games will have a better chance of getting on Gameday being a week earlier. Montana-Montana State, Lafayette-Lehigh, and a few others would be a great canidate, but I wouldnt want it if they would treat it like the did Williams-Amherst.

I agree with you there, but unfortunately anything outside of FBS will always be treated as small college football by the E$PN. Whether its the week before or the week after FBS rivalry week won't matter.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I agree with you there, but unfortunately anything outside of FBS will always be treated as small college football by the E$PN. Whether its the week before or the week after FBS rivalry week won't matter.

What I do know for sure is that "Rivalry Week" now talks about Michigan/OSU, USC/UCLA to the exclusion of pretty much everything else. Now, these schools will be playing placeholder games the same week FCS games are playing their "special rivalry" games.

And I agree that the "Gameday" crowd might be more apt to look at Lehigh/Lafayette, Montana/Montana State as a destination that week, too. Also, keep in mind that App State/WCU would be that weekend too, thus unifying some of those rivalry games that weren't all on the same week. IMO, that adds value.

I'm not concerned about them treating it as small-college football - that's their choice. But I do think that most schools the "week before Rivalry week" don't schedule great games. This is a hole where FCS rivalries can really fit in quite nicely. All IMO, of course.

[Go...gate]

Do the 2010 playoffs begin November 20, or 27, 2010? It will make a difference scheduling-wise for the PL as of now, because 11/20 is the last week of conference play.

[andy7171]

Move it up! Maybe Towson might have a chance of beating JMU if we throw them off schedule!

[ngineer]

On balance, it may help the FCS rivalries with more exposure. Obviously, changing has two years to plan so it doesn't take people by surprise and planning can occur. Doing away with the bye week, though, can hurt. Many look forward to that week for healing and rejuvenation...I agree that my first reaction was similar to Frank's, but after thinking over the various 'impacts' there may be more positives than negatives on this.