FCS Team to Bowl Game in 2008?

[TexasTerror]

With more bowl games coming onboard, could it happen? An article in the Missoulian today talked about a lower-tier ball calling the Big Sky Conference with an interest in extending an invite to one of their teams. Wouldn't that have been something?


The Montana Grizzlies, bowl-bound. If you think it's impossible, chew on this: Last fall a lower-tier bowl called the Big Sky Conference to inquire about inviting one of its teams.

We are not making this up.

“It kind of caught us by surprise,” said Montana athletic director Jim O'Day. “But I think it's something that might have to happen.”

Last year there were 32 postseason games for the Football Bowl Subdivision. That means 64 of the 119 teams in the FBS played in bowls. With the main qualification for the postseason being six victories against Division I opponents, only 68 FBS teams were actually eligible.

http://www.championshipsubdivisionnews.com/?title=bowl-eligible-though-unlikely-griz-could&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

[JohnStOnge]

I wonder if a FCS team that could go to the playoffs would, if invited, opt to go to a lower tier bowl instead. I certainly hope not. I know if it happened with McNeese I'd be really, really hacked off if they were presented with such a decision and chose to go to the low level bowl instead of participating in the FCS tournament. But it'd create an interesting situation.

[TexasTerror]

I wonder if a FCS team that could go to the playoffs would, if invited, opt to go to a lower tier bowl instead. I certainly hope not. I know if it happened with McNeese I'd be really, really hacked off if they were presented with such a decision and chose to go to the low level bowl instead of participating in the FCS tournament. But it'd create an interesting situation.

Well, the issue is that the bowl would have to extend the invitation before the playoff invites were done. Not sure all bowls have an idea of how things are going to fall when it come to team's records early enough -- to see if they really need an FCS school.

I agree with you. Would rather SHSU in the playoffs than a bowl, but you'd think that a school from FCS getting into a bowl game would generate quite a bit of discussion and publicity for the school...

[JBB]

NDSU tried for an invite last year. Might have gotten it if we had been 11-0.

It would be a good opportunity for an FCS school, especially from a money standpoint.

With the expanded playoff field its unlikely any deserving FCS teams would still be available for a bowl. If the idea does get traction it could take a good FCS team out of the playoffs if the money were good enough.

[Appinator]

I wonder if a FCS team that could go to the playoffs would, if invited, opt to go to a lower tier bowl instead. I certainly hope not. I know if it happened with McNeese I'd be really, really hacked off if they were presented with such a decision and chose to go to the low level bowl instead of participating in the FCS tournament. But it'd create an interesting situation.

Isn't this what some HBCU's do with their "Classic" games?

[TexasTerror]

Isn't this what some HBCU's do with their "Classic" games?

The SWAC has three teams participating in 'Classics' (Grambling-Southern in the Bayou Classic and Alabama St-Tuskegee in the Turkey Day Classic) that bump them out of a chance of participating in the playoffs. The other schools could play in the playoffs, if they did not make the SWAC championship game, but only one school has ever realistically came close to that.

As noted, the SWAC as a whole has the SWAC championship game, which with the nine-game mandate, ended up being a "rematch" from during the regular season.

[Appinator]

The SWAC has three teams participating in 'Classics' (Grambling-Southern in the Bayou Classic and Alabama St-Tuskegee in the Turkey Day Classic) that bump them out of a chance of participating in the playoffs. The other schools could play in the playoffs, if they did not make the SWAC championship game, but only one school has ever realistically came close to that.

As noted, the SWAC as a whole has the SWAC championship game, which with the nine-game mandate, ended up being a "rematch" from during the regular season.

Not saying I don't blame them, those games bring a ton of money and are a staple of their respective schools.

[TexasTerror]

Not saying I don't blame them, those games bring a ton of money and are a staple of their respective schools.

I agree. Now, if they bring back the Heritage Bowl, then that's a whole different subject...

xnonono2x