Extra week and neutral location for semis?

[Lehigh Football Nation]

With the turnover-laden games and the large amount of travel for one of the teams, it got me thinking. Might neutral locations and an extra week for the semis make some sense?

[Redhawk2010]

You gonna put the game on Christmas Day? No, there's no need for it. If travel is such an issue, it's an issue every single week of the playoffs; not just in the semis. Besides, if you make it a neutral-site game "due to travel" then you'll have even fewer fans there! East Coast people need to realize that they don't get to be at home every week. Buck up and travel!

[Skjellyfetti]

With the turnover-laden games and the large amount of travel for one of the teams, it got me thinking. Might neutral locations and an extra week for the semis make some sense?

No. You earn homefield advantage. Villanova lost 4 games in the regular season and deserved to hit the road in the playoffs.

[TypicalTribe]

I think the only travel issue was that the Villanova/EWU game was on Friday night. That really forced a short week on the Wildcats. That's why you want home games in the playoffs, though, so can't complain about it.

[Redhawk2010]

I think the only travel issue was that the Villanova/EWU game was on Friday night. That really forced a short week on the Wildcats. That's why you want home games in the playoffs, though, so can't complain about it.

That is also partially ESPN's fault. If they wouldn't mandate times to be set like they are, then the games wouldn't have to played at weird times. 5PM on a Friday night is NOT football gametime.

[bluehenbillk]

It's hard enough to get decent crowds for the semi's & playoff games in general. Why make it worse & play it at a neutral site?

[GannonFan]

Agree with others. Don't change a thing. You get the advantages you have in the playoffs by doing well during the regular season. GSU and nova had 8 losses between them coming into the playoffs and at least GSU was fortunate to get a home game at the start (would've gotten two home games if their AD had remembered to put in a bid).

I can see a point with nova having a super short week because of having to play Saturday and then turn around and go cross country to play on Friday, but even an extra day wouldn't have really helped that. Playing on the road in the playoffs should be a disadvantage - if it's not, then what's the purpose of playing all those regular season games for? Win during the year, and you get to play playoff games at home.

[ngineer]

No, home field advantage is what you work for in getting your seed. It also brings a much better crowd. Yes, VU had to travel alot and I believe it effected their play, but they made their bed by losing four games this year, so sleep in it.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Interesting, the overwhelming consensus to keep things the way they are.

I was thinking that the semifinals perhaps could be neutral "destination locations" like a domed NFL stadium or perhaps a location in, say, Florida, and give it a "bowl atmosphere" with some pomp and circumstance before the game. I suppose that it would take away some of the seeding advantages- and no disrespect to EWU or Delaware, both venues are cool, and showed a good gameday atmosphere on TV - but I just think that in a neutral location in better weather we would have had two much more thrilling games.

[GannonFan]

Interesting, the overwhelming consensus to keep things the way they are.

I was thinking that the semifinals perhaps could be neutral "destination locations" like a domed NFL stadium or perhaps a location in, say, Florida, and give it a "bowl atmosphere" with some pomp and circumstance before the game. I suppose that it would take away some of the seeding advantages- and no disrespect to EWU or Delaware, both venues are cool, and showed a good gameday atmosphere on TV - but I just think that in a neutral location in better weather we would have had two much more thrilling games.

Come on, how many fans would be able to go to the semifinal round at these "destination locations" and then be able to go to Frisco the following week? UD going to Frisco is at least a $300 ticket, if not more, and that's just airfare. Doing that x2 is just going to price out most everyone. And why does weather have to be taken out of the equation? I don't recall the NFL removing weather from their semifinal rounds. Again, home field advantage is something that makes the regular season that much more important. Too bad that nova had to travel - they finished, essentially, 4th in their own conference. Don't want to travel? Don't lose to Rhode Island. Same for GSU - don't lose to Samford and Chatty if you want to avoid travelling in the playoffs.

As for the games not being "thrilling" - really, you didn't like the games this week? The EWU/nova game on Friday night was a great game to watch - tons of scoring, tons of story lines, tons of big plays. And the UD/GSU game was maybe a bit less glamorous, but it was also a defensive tussle that included an option offense. Frankly, if you weren't entertained with those two games I wonder what you're looking for in your football watching.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Come on, how many fans would be able to go to the semifinal round at these "destination locations" and then be able to go to Frisco the following week? UD going to Frisco is at least a $300 ticket, if not more, and that's just airfare. Doing that x2 is just going to price out most everyone. And why does weather have to be taken out of the equation? I don't recall the NFL removing weather from their semifinal rounds. Again, home field advantage is something that makes the regular season that much more important. Too bad that nova had to travel - they finished, essentially, 4th in their own conference. Don't want to travel? Don't lose to Rhode Island. Same for GSU - don't lose to Samford and Chatty if you want to avoid travelling in the playoffs.

As for the games not being "thrilling" - really, you didn't like the games this week? The EWU/nova game on Friday night was a great game to watch - tons of scoring, tons of story lines, tons of big plays. And the UD/GSU game was maybe a bit less glamorous, but it was also a defensive tussle that included an option offense. Frankly, if you weren't entertained with those two games I wonder what you're looking for in your football watching.

Fair points, but I was not entertained by eleven turnovers by the losing teams - especially when you get the feeling that, on a neutral field, there might not have been half as many.

[jmufan999]

the neutral site thing is retarded.

the #1 seed gets the exact same advantage as the #2 seed, which makes no sense at all. we don't have an NFC/AFC thing going, where both conferences are "equal".... if we're going to pick seeds, the #1 seed should have more of an advantage than the other seeds. besides that, i have a lot more faith in the #1 seed to sell out a NC game than a neutral site that's nowhere near the teams participating.

[Wildcat80]

No way do we get enough fans if moved......also it is Christmas week so no further delay is needed.

[cowboy91]

Seeding is useless in that case. Why punish teams that did well enough to get a seed?