Fewer D-II games this year

[hebmskebm]

Taking a cursory look through UNHwildcats 2009 schedule website, I couldn't help but notice that so far it seems there are far fewer D2/NAIA games scheduled next year than in recent years. And yes, I know most schedules are not complete and D2 games are usually the last to be announced, but still I found it pretty encouraging so far to see most teams making an effort to schedule FCS and FBS teams as often as possible.

[UNHWildCats]

the NEC and Pioneer where a lot of non Div I opponents are likely to show up still have lots of schedules missing, so I think we can still see atleast another 30+ non Div I games show up before all schedules are announced.

[89Hen]

Taking a cursory look through UNHwildcats 2009 schedule website, I couldn't help but notice that so far it seems there are far fewer D2/NAIA games scheduled next year than in recent years. And yes, I know most schedules are not complete...
I guess the Big Sky hasn't posted their's yet. xcoffeex








:pxsmiley_wix

[danefan]

the NEC and Pioneer where a lot of non Div I opponents are likely to show up still have lots of schedules missing, so I think we can still see atleast another 30+ non Div I games show up before all schedules are announced.
xnonoxxnonoxxnonox

Not so fast sir.
The NEC had only 3 sub DI games last year (Wagner vs. Stonehill and Sacred Heart vs. Assumption and Bentley).

The PFL led FCS with 14 sub DI games and;
The SWAC wasn't far behind with 13 sub-DI games.

[UNHWildCats]

my appologies

[danefan]

my appologies

No worries....I know the NEC is a knee-jerk reaction. xthumbsupx

[UNHWildCats]

No worries....I know the NEC is a knee-jerk reaction. xthumbsupx
its getting better and better.... Albany really stepped it up last year and are certainly off to another impressive OOC slate this year with Georgia Southern and UMass so far. xthumbsupx

[danefan]

Other NEC teams are following suit as well that haven't in the past:

Duquesne at Nicholls State
St. Francis at UNI


I'm sure Sacred heart will schedule a bunch of cupcakes like usual though.

[Purple Pride]

Valdosta State and North Alabama claim it's because everyone is afraid to play them. xlolxxnodx

[WWII]

I would really like to see Albany join the CAA. There program is at a higher level than most NEC teams.

You and most Albany football fans!

[appfan2008]

xnonoxxnonoxxnonox

Not so fast sir.
The NEC had only 3 sub DI games last year (Wagner vs. Stonehill and Sacred Heart vs. Assumption and Bentley).

The PFL led FCS with 14 sub DI games and;
The SWAC wasn't far behind with 13 sub-DI games.

I think we know who to point the blame at for the number of sub D1 games

[89Hen]

The PFL led FCS with 14 sub DI games and;
The SWAC wasn't far behind with 13 sub-DI games.
I wasn't completely kidding about the Big Sky. They had 9 games and interestingly enough, the two worst teams in the BSC last year didn't face one. xeyebrowx

To be completely fair, there is a good reason the Big Sky has to play DII's as there simply aren't enough I-AA's out west. Delaware on the other hand has no excuse. xmadx

[DetroitFlyer]

Wow, just more outright hypocrisy here at AGS. We certainly cannot have our teams playing "down" against Division II, Division III or NAIA teams. Yet, virtually all here love to belly up to the FBS trough for a nice payday.... I suppose that those FBS fans view your teams whoring themselves out for a payday about the same as you view Division II, III and the NAIA. Sad really that you cannot see the forest through the trees....

[danefan]

Wow, just more outright hypocrisy here at AGS. We certainly cannot have our teams playing "down" against Division II, Division III or NAIA teams. Yet, virtually all here love to belly up to the FBS trough for a nice payday.... I suppose that those FBS fans view your teams whoring themselves out for a payday about the same as you view Division II, III and the NAIA. Sad really that you cannot see the forest through the trees....

One game against a scholarship DII team isn't a bad thing. You are correct - it is the same as asking an FBS team to play an FCS team.

However, its playing DIII teams or multiple DII games that is the issue here. An FCS playing a DIII team is the equivalent to an FBS playing a DII team. It doesn't and shouldn't happen.

And I don't think any FCS fans expect any FBS teams to play more than one FCS team a year.

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

Valdosta State and North Alabama claim it's because everyone is afraid to play them. xlolxxnodx

I don't know about you, but after seeing games like Chadron State versus Montana State and North Dakota versus Northern Iowa from 2006, I sure as heck don't want to play a top-tier DII team. There is just really not much to gain from it. You don't get the "warm-up" game you do with cupcakes and if you win it doesn't give you precious DI wins you need to get into the playoffs. It's not that I think we couldn't beat them, it's just that there is nothing to gain from it.

I especially don't want to play a DII if I have a BCS team on the schedule. One DII game and one BCS game is a pretty good recipe for not making the playoffs. That's why I think there are fewer DII games, because more teams are playing FBS games.

[danefan]

I don't know about you, but after seeing games like Chadron State versus Montana State and North Dakota versus Northern Iowa from 2006, I sure as heck don't want to play a top-tier DII team. There is just really not much to gain from it. You don't get the "warm-up" game you do with cupcakes and if you win it doesn't give you precious DI wins you need to get into the playoffs. It's not that I think we couldn't beat them, it's just that there is nothing to gain from it.

I especially don't want to play a DII if I have a BCS team on the schedule. One DII game and one BCS game is a pretty good recipe for not making the playoffs. That's why I think there are fewer DII games, because more teams are playing FBS games.

Exactly. Its also a great indicator of which FCS programs are really striving for the playoffs and which ones are content in just playing 11 games a year.

[gophoenix]

I don't know about you, but after seeing games like Chadron State versus Montana State and North Dakota versus Northern Iowa from 2006, I sure as heck don't want to play a top-tier DII team. There is just really not much to gain from it. You don't get the "warm-up" game you do with cupcakes and if you win it doesn't give you precious DI wins you need to get into the playoffs. It's not that I think we couldn't beat them, it's just that there is nothing to gain from it.

I especially don't want to play a DII if I have a BCS team on the schedule. One DII game and one BCS game is a pretty good recipe for not making the playoffs. That's why I think there are fewer DII games, because more teams are playing FBS games.

But the same could be said for FBS teams that plays close or lose to many FCS teams.

[89Hen]

Wow, just more outright hypocrisy here at AGS. We certainly cannot have our teams playing "down" against Division II, Division III or NAIA teams. Yet, virtually all here love to belly up to the FBS trough for a nice payday.... I suppose that those FBS fans view your teams whoring themselves out for a payday about the same as you view Division II, III and the NAIA. Sad really that you cannot see the forest through the trees....
I am sure that most I-A fans DO see it the way you describe. Most have nothing but contempt for I-AA games.

You might call it hypocrisy, but I say it's just us looking out for us. Pay games are important to a lot of I-AA budgets. There are only a few I-AA's that actually benefit from DII games... those that have a big home draw no matter the opponent and don't have to pay the DII a lot (see Delaware). Similarly, the DII's don't stand to gain much financially by playing most I-AA's. The attendance simply isn't there to make it so. xpeacex

[89Hen]

One DII game and one BCS game is a pretty good recipe for not making the playoffs.
FWIW, UD's last three trips to the playoffs (2003, 04, 07) all featured both. xpeacex

[UNH_Alum_In_CT]

Wow, just more outright hypocrisy here at AGS. We certainly cannot have our teams playing "down" against Division II, Division III or NAIA teams. Yet, virtually all here love to belly up to the FBS trough for a nice payday.... I suppose that those FBS fans view your teams whoring themselves out for a payday about the same as you view Division II, III and the NAIA. Sad really that you cannot see the forest through the trees....

BS! It's not hypocritical when D-II and D-III games aren't even counted toward FCS playoff eligibility! The only reason the FBS schools even play and pay FCS schools is because the games count toward their bowl eligibility when you meet the counter criteria.

[UNH_Alum_In_CT]

FWIW, UD's last three trips to the playoffs (2003, 04, 07) all featured both. xpeacex

Very true, but UD does run the risk of one day having that West Chester game bite them in the arse. Some year they might be 8-3 with that 8th win being over West Chester and running into sufficient teams with 8 D-I wins to knock them out of a playoff bid. It hasn't happened and you get a nice profit from that game so it continues. But the risk is there. xpeacex

[henfan]

Similarly, the DII's don't stand to gain much financially by playing most I-AA's. The attendance simply isn't there to make it so. xpeacex

That may be largely true, however... as you're aware, West Chester officials have stated the importance of the financial guarantee received each year from Delaware. That money has been critical to the successful operation of their AD, or so they've said.

[henfan]

BS! It's not hypocritical when D-II and D-III games aren't even counted toward FCS playoff eligibility! The only reason the FBS schools even play and pay FCS schools is because the games count toward their bowl eligibility when you meet the counter criteria.

Agreed, it's apples to oranges for at least one other reason. Note the difference in equivalancies between traditional FCS teams and FBS teams vs. traditional FCS teams & those in most D-II (and all D-III or NAIA) leagues.

[89Hen]

West Chester officials have stated the importance of the financial guarantee received each year from Delaware.
Does UD pay more to WCUPA or Albany/Monmouth?

[catamount man]

WCU doesn't play a d2 team this year, but Tusculum will visit Cullowhee in 2010.

GO CATAMOUNTS!!!

[danefan]

Does UD pay more to WCUPA or Albany/Monmouth?

I would imagine its WC.

I'm basing this on Albany's deals with other CAA teams, which may be different because of attendance, etc., but I understand that Albany gets very little from CAA teams - covering some, but not all, of the travel expenses.

[89Hen]

I would imagine its WC.

I'm basing this on Albany's deals with other CAA teams, which may be different because of attendance, etc., but I understand that Albany gets very little from CAA teams - covering some, but not all, of the travel expenses.
I would have to think that would enter into it...

@ Hofstra = 5,111
@ UNH = 7,215
@ Delaware = 22,196

[chrisattsu]

Much like the people in the Big Sky, I know that the Southland Conference schedules a 'tune up game' against the D2 Lonestar Conference because they are geographically closer than other conferences.

I would say that the draw tends to be pretty good because these games are early in the season, the proximity brings visiting fans (many of us had friends who went to these schools), and it renews old rivalries (bringing back alums).

Problem-

In the past few years, LSC schools have 'snuck up on' SLC teams and pulled the upset or come close. However, Win or Lose it doesn't count toward the playoffs for either team. I know that Tarleton State beat SFA a couple years ago, went 9-3 overall, but did not make the playoffs because the SFA game didn't count.

The risk is too much on both sides, the SLC schools don't want to risk losing to the top tier of the LSC, and the LSC schools don't want to risk not making the playoffs so teams like Tarleton, West Texas A&M, and Abilene Christian are second guessing taking these games.

[g-webb1994]

Chatty bit the bullet and played Carson-Newman last season and we saw what happened.

I'm sure G-W will plug in a D-2 for a home game early in the 2009 season. We played Debusk's Tusculum squad last year, wouldn't mine seeing us play former South Atlantic Conference foes whenever we have to play a D-2. Regional flavor with Lenoir-Rhyne or Wingate would be alright IMO.

[kperk014]

Valdosta State and North Alabama claim it's because everyone is afraid to play them. xlolxxnodx


You know, Purple Pride, the last time we played a D1AA, it cost us the national championship. UNA went to Jax St (a 1AA playoff team that year) and beat them. The NCAA, in their infinite wisdom, penalized UNA for playing a 1AA team just as if we had played a D3 school.
After losing that game, Jax St cancelled the return to trip to Florence and that was that. We are 2-2 against D1 and 6-5 against 1AA so we hold our own with our 36 scholarships.

[Native]

Much to my surprise and delight, Weber State plays no sub-DI games in 2009, after playing Dixie State (D2) and Western Montana (NAIA) in 2008. xnodx

The non-conference games are:
Wyoming (DI FBS)
Colorado State (DI FBS)
Cal Poly (DI FCS)

xthumbsupx