7 DI wins

[MplsBison]

I hear all the time about how teams don't have 7 DI wins.

Where is the rule explicitly stated that you can not go to the playoffs if you do not have 7 DI wins?

[Syntax Error]

It's a guideline

[Big Al]

I hear all the time about how teams don't have 7 DI wins.

Where is the rule explicitly stated that you can not go to the playoffs if you do not have 7 DI wins?

http://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/champ_handbooks/football/2008/1_football_handbook.pdf

Page 11

FTR, less than 7 D1 wins doesn't disqualify you but does jeopardize your chances. This year I don't think 8 will be enough for some teams.

[Poly Pigskin]

There hasn't ever been an at-large without 7 DI wins, has there?

[tingly]

The championship handbook says, "less than seven Division I wins may place a team in jeopardy of not being selected." There's one thread that has been saying it's a requirement for eligibility, but not quite.

[WrenFGun]

This was beat to the ground last year. The head of the selection committee explicitly mentioned in an interview, after UNH was selected, that teams like GSU and YSU were eliminated from the board because they did not have the quality of wins that would allow for a team with less than 7 DI wins to merit inclusion. It would take an EXTREMELY special case.

[Retro]

This was beat to the ground last year. The head of the selection committee explicitly mentioned in an interview, after UNH was selected, that teams like GSU and YSU were eliminated from the board because they did not have the quality of wins that would allow for a team with less than 7 DI wins to merit inclusion. It would take an EXTREMELY special case.

Like a Hurricane, or two!

[leatherneck177]

This was beat to the ground last year. The head of the selection committee explicitly mentioned in an interview, after UNH was selected, that teams like GSU and YSU were eliminated from the board because they did not have the quality of wins that would allow for a team with less than 7 DI wins to merit inclusion. It would take an EXTREMELY special case.

Like Western Illinois?

Sorry, I had to.

xthumbsupx

[MplsBison]

Championship Selection
[Reference: Bylaws 31.01.2, 31.01.3 and 31.3 in the NCAA Manual.]
At-large teams shall be selected by the Division I football committee, assisted by four
regional advisory committees that serve in an advisory capacity only.
The following principles shall apply when selecting at-large teams:
1. The committee shall select the best teams available on a national at-large basis to
complete the bracket;
2. There is no limit to the number of teams the committee may select from one
conference;
3. The won-lost record of a team will be scrutinized to determine a team’s strength of
schedule; however, less than seven Division I wins may place a team in jeopardy of
not being selected;
4. The committee may give more consideration to those teams that have played all
Division I opponents; and
5. If the team of a committee member is under consideration, the member may not vote
for the team being considered and will not be in the room when a vote is taken.
6. For those conferences that qualify for automatic qualification but do not receive it,
a guaranteed at-large position shall be awarded in any year in which its conference
champion team meets all of the following conditions:
a. Team wins a minimum of eight Division I games during the season;
b. Team wins a minimum of two nonconference games against Division I teams
representing a conference that has earned an automatic qualification in that year;
and
c. Team finishes the season ranked 16 or higher in an average of the last regularseason
media, coaches and/or computer polls (which will be determined by the
committee on an annual basis). For 2008, the media poll will be the Sports
Network Poll, the coaches poll will be the FCS Coaches poll and the computer
poll will be a variation of the Gridiron Power Index – using only the following computer rankings: The Massey Ratings, Wolfe Rankings, Ashburn Rankings, Self Rankings and the Laz Index.



As I thought, there is no rule stating that you can not go to the playoffs without 7 DI wins.

[andy7171]

There hasn't ever been an at-large without 7 DI wins, has there?

UNH was 7-4 last year.


I think that if my Tigers do the unthinkable, they deserve consideration for an at-large. :p

[UNHFootballAlum]

UNH also had an FBS win last year as well

[UMass922]

As I thought, there is no rule stating that you can not go to the playoffs without 7 DI wins.

True, it's not a hard-and-fast rule, but probably only because they have to leave the door open for the freak possibility of a year in which there aren't enough eligible seven-win teams to fill out the field. I've always interpreted the "guideline" to mean that no six-win team, regardless of its resume otherwise, will get in unless/until all available seven-win teams have been exhausted. That's the "jeopardy" you're put in if you don't win seven.

I may be wrong, but that seems to me to be the spirit of the guideline.

[JayJ79]

The NCAA has just released an update to their guidelines:

At-large teams shall be selected by the Division I football committee, assisted by four
regional advisory committees that serve in an advisory capacity only.
The following principles shall apply when selecting at-large teams:
1. The committee shall select the best teams available on a national at-large basis to
complete the bracket;
2. There is no limit to the number of teams the committee may select from one
conference;
3. The won-lost record of a team will be scrutinized to determine a team’s strength of
schedule; however, less than seven Division I wins may place a team in jeopardy of
not being selected;
4. The committee may give more consideration to those teams that have played all
Division I opponents; and
5. If the team of a committee member is under consideration, the member may not vote
for the team being considered and will not be in the room when a vote is taken.
...
7. No, MplsBison. NDSU isn't making it this year. Better luck next season.

[clenz]

The NCAA has just released an update to their guidelines:

xoutofrepx

[GOKATS]

True, it's not a hard-and-fast rule, but probably only because they have to leave the door open for the freak possibility of a year in which there aren't enough eligible seven-win teams to fill out the field. I've always interpreted the "guideline" to mean that no six-win team, regardless of its resume otherwise, will get in unless/until all available seven-win teams have been exhausted. That's the "jeopardy" you're put in if you don't win seven.

I may be wrong, but that seems to me to be the spirit of the guideline.

Not necessarily so, but probably close. The committees task is to put the 16 best teams in the playoffs which boils down to them choosing the best eight teams after the auto-bids. It is conceivable that the committee could choose a team with 6 DI wins with a tough schedule from a strong conference over a team with 7 DI wins with a weak schedule from a weak conference, though I'd say it's a slim chance.

And no, I'm not campaigning for the Bobcats to get in this year. I think even if the Cats beat the griz in Missoula on Sat. there is little to no chance of them being selected.

[UMass922]

Not necessarily so, but probably close. The committees task is to put the 16 best teams in the playoffs which boils down to them choosing the best eight teams after the auto-bids. It is conceivable that the committee could choose a team with 6 DI wins with a tough schedule from a strong conference over a team with 7 DI wins with a weak schedule from a weak conference, though I'd say it's a slim chance.

I agree. If it came down to, say, a six-win auto-bid-conference team with a very tough schedule vs., say, a seven-win PFL or (non-conflicting) SWAC team with a very weak schedule, then the six-win team would probably get the nod. So yeah, there would have to be a pretty big discrepancy between the resumes of the teams in question. It seems very unlikely to me that any six-win auto-bid-conference team would get in over any seven-win auto-bid-conference team.

[darell1976]

The NCAA has just released an update to their guidelines:


xlolx I was thinking the same thing.

[skinny_uncle]

There hasn't ever been an at-large without 7 DI wins, has there?

I am pretty sure not. There have only been very few at large 7-4 teams. I forget the exact number, but I think it is around 4 or 5.

[eaglewraith]

The NCAA has just released an update to their guidelines:


At-large teams shall be selected by the Division I football committee, assisted by four
regional advisory committees that serve in an advisory capacity only.
The following principles shall apply when selecting at-large teams:
1. The committee shall select the best teams available on a national at-large basis to
complete the bracket;
2. There is no limit to the number of teams the committee may select from one
conference;
3. The won-lost record of a team will be scrutinized to determine a team’s strength of
schedule; however, less than seven Division I wins may place a team in jeopardy of
not being selected;
4. The committee may give more consideration to those teams that have played all
Division I opponents; and
5. If the team of a committee member is under consideration, the member may not vote
for the team being considered and will not be in the room when a vote is taken.
...
7. No, MplsBison. NDSU isn't making it this year. Better luck next season.
8. Natural grass is better than artificial turf.

New update ^^

[eaglewraith]

As I thought, there is no rule stating that you can not go to the playoffs without 7 DI wins.

I honestly wish it was that easy...cause then Jayson Foster would have been able to run wild in the playoffs last year if that was the case. UNH didn't deserve to be in there....if anyone (other than GSU) deserved to be in it was Villanova. However, we got bit by the 7 win rule. You can sit here and say it isn't a rule....well whatever. It's a guideline but it has proven true in every case since it was drafted, only exception being Montana State I think it was a few years ago when they won the autobid.

[charliej]

UNH also had an FBS win last year as well


UNH had Santos.

[nutterlyattled]

unh had one bad loss others were jmu, umass, richmond
ya unh had santos, but they proved they deserved to be in, they came seconds away from knocking off the top seed

[RationalGriz]

The 7 FCS/FBS rule is a concrete guideline. It gives the committee flexibility in an odd year if they can not fill the field with teams with 7 or more. This will not be that year, as there will be plenty of teams with 7 or more, and the committee will not set a precedent this year that can be used against them in the future.