Future 12-Game Seasons?

[TexasTerror]

When KatFans.com went down, I lost my future schedule listing, plus the years in which a 12-game schedule will be in place (per current rules) for FCS...

Anyone know which years that 12-game schedules will be permissible? I believe there are three of those years between now and 2019...??

[Jackman]

2013, 2014 and 2019, if the current policy is maintained.

After that, 2024, 2025, 2030, 2031, 2036, 2041, 2042, 2047, 2052, 2053, 2058, 2059, 2064, 2069, and screw it, I'll be dead.

[MplsBison]

I know when the expanded playoffs were going to be the 5 weeks after the regular season there was talk of getting rid of 12 game seasons altogether.

But now that the championship is pushed out to Jan, that may not longer be true.

[TexasTerror]

2013, 2014 and 2019, if the current policy is maintained.

That looks right - thanks! xthumbsupx

[Redbird Ray]

I would really like to see FCS play 12 game seasons just like FBS, especially if we are really are going to wait until January to have a title game.

If a 12 game season went into action, I would suggest a few caveats.

1) FCS scholarship teams can only play one D2 OR Non-scholarship team per year.
2) FCS teams can only play one FBS team per year.

I think that these rules would force much more competetion among FCS power conferences, and weed out some contenders versus pretenders come playoff selection time.

[MplsBison]

I would really like to see FCS play 12 game seasons just like FBS, especially if we are really are going to wait until January to have a title game.

If a 12 game season went into action, I would suggest a few caveats.

1) FCS scholarship teams can only play one D2 OR Non-scholarship team per year.
2) FCS teams can only play one FBS team per year.

I think that these rules would force much more competetion among FCS power conferences, and weed out some contenders versus pretenders come playoff selection time.

I don't agree with rule 2, I think the FCS teams should be allowed to play the other DI football teams as much as they want.

Rule 1 I would make more restrictive: no DI football team can schedule a game against a non-DI football team.

[UAalum72]

Current rule is that at least half of games must be vs. other Division I teams.

Definitions: Is the current Patriot League aid formula considered non-scholarship? Is the Ivy League? Would the PL have to give up its 3 or 4 games vs. the Ivy? Do you get an exception if your D-I opponent drops football?

[Redbird Ray]

My train of thought was that Patriot, Pioneer, IVY, etc. would be excused because they fall into non-scholly status. Non-schollies could schedule as they please.

However, teams from the MVFC, CAA, Southland, Big Sky, Southern, OVC, NEC, and other major FCS conferences would then only be allowed one game against a non-scholly and one game against FBS. This would usually force every team from a power FCS conference to schedule at least 1 or 2 games a year against another major conference team. I just think the results yielded from the increased league to league competition would be an efficient way to grade at-large teams for the playoffs.

I know some schools count on the money from FBS games, but this is FCS. If you want to schedule 2 or 3 games a year just for the financial gain, you belong in the Sun Belt or you just need to reprioritize your athletic budget(s).

[Jackman]

I'd rather keep the NCAA out of directly mucking with our schedules, but having the playoff committee try to steer it in a certain direction by favoring certain types of schedules (like the 7 Division I wins "recommendation") is fine with me.

[Redbird Ray]

I'd rather keep the NCAA out of directly mucking with our schedules, but having the playoff committee try to steer it in a certain direction by favoring certain types of schedules (like the 7 Division I wins "recommendation") is fine with me.

I would be fine with this except that I feel that in FCS football, it is much more difficult to compare resumes with so few games played. So many teams in FCS load up their two (granting that almost everyone plays at least one FBS game these days) non-conf games against such weak competition. Who knows if wins over North Carolina Central and Quincy are better than wins over Marist and Kentucky Wesleyan? It would be nice to have another barometer for conference strength other than the Sagarin ratings. If there was more competetion among the conferences that typically contend for at-large berths, there would be more clarity in the "last four in", so to speak.

I would just hope that you would not see a bunch of Montana versus Indiana State match-ups. Ideally, the conference heavyweights would want to test their mettle against the peer conference's elite.

[jstclmet]

11 Regular season games combined with 1 - 4/5 playoff games is long enough. It's a grueling season, and remember the majority of the kids will go pro in something other than football.

[WestCoastAggie]

I would be fine with this except that I feel that in FCS football, it is much more difficult to compare resumes with so few games played. So many teams in FCS load up their two (granting that almost everyone plays at least one FBS game these days) non-conf games against such weak competition. Who knows if wins over North Carolina Central and Quincy are better than wins over Marist and Kentucky Wesleyan? It would be nice to have another barometer for conference strength other than the Sagarin ratings. If there was more competetion among the conferences that typically contend for at-large berths, there would be more clarity in the "last four in", so to speak.

I would just hope that you would not see a bunch of Montana versus Indiana State match-ups. Ideally, the conference heavyweights would want to test their mettle against the peer conference's elite.

You have to factor the business side of the games too, ya know?

The FBS games generate upwards of $650,000+ each game and quite a few teams have long standing rivalries with DII institutions.

For instance, look at the MEAC conference, in particular Norfolk St and A&T. Both have long standing rivalries with DII schools in the CIAA (Virginia St. and WSSU respectively) both of these games generate packed stadiums at NSU and A&T that have very decent sized FCS stadiums (21,500 at A&T and 30,000 at NSU's Dick Price). These games are money makers for the schools.