NCAA Release on FCS Summit

[TexasTerror]

A press release on the FCS Summit that occurred in Frisco...


The FCS Summit, organized by the Southland Conference, attracted more than 140 stakeholders to discuss:

* The Division I football landscape
* Conference realignment
* FCS programs migrating to the Football Bowl Subdivision
* Division I governance issues
* Media coverage
* Branding


http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/ncaa/resources/latest+news/2011/january/fcs+summit+looks+to+boost+identity?&utm_source=delivra&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NCAA%20News%20Direct

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Georgia State Athletics Director Cheryl Levick, whose Panthers went 6-5 in their inaugural season at the FCS level this year, said she’s already fielding questions from eager constituents about possibly moving to the FBS level.

Discuss.


The prevailing sentiment among summit participants, in fact, was that the additional access from the recent expansion trumped the challenges it may have produced. Some attendees supported additional expansion, perhaps to a 24-team field, in the future.

Discuss.

[TheValleyRaider]

Point 2 there doesn't surprise me in the slightest. Once the Pioneer League announced they wanted a playoff spot, 24 was really only a matter of time.

One last potential auto-bid left: Ivy and SWAC, who wants it? xsmiley_wix

[TexasTerror]

Expansion to 24 would be interesting, because you would likely have more at-large bids than automatic bids. I do not see the Ivy League or SWAC budging from their positions in the foreseeable future.

As far as Georgia State - numerous FCS schools are fielding questions. Some have completed studies, others have thought about studying the subject. Realignment is the hot topic and the belief is there are not many more spots left at the FBS left.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Expansion to 24 would be interesting, because you would likely have more at-large bids than automatic bids. I do not see the Ivy League or SWAC budging from their positions in the foreseeable future.

As far as Georgia State - numerous FCS schools are fielding questions. Some have completed studies, others have thought about studying the subject. Realignment is the hot topic and the belief is there are not many more spots left at the FBS left.

Especially if the exisiting conference structure is ossified: meaning, an FCS conference cannot join FBS as a group. It almost begs for Superconferences to be formed.

[henfan]

Especially if the exisiting conference structure is ossified: meaning, an FCS conference cannot join FBS as a group.

I'd wonder about the anti-trust challenges to these sorts of limits.

[Tuscon]

Expansion to 24 would be interesting, because you would likely have more at-large bids than automatic bids. I do not see the Ivy League or SWAC budging from their positions in the foreseeable future.

As far as Georgia State - numerous FCS schools are fielding questions. Some have completed studies, others have thought about studying the subject. Realignment is the hot topic and the belief is there are not many more spots left at the FBS left.

That's why I thought it was interesting that they mentioned us by name in the article. It's hardly newsworthy unless there's some merit to it.

[AppMan]

To my knowledge, since the tournament was expanded to 16 teams in 1986 no team ranked lower than #12 has ever won the championship. There was no rational reason for expanding to 20, so why would the NCAA even consider a 24 team field? More feel good stuff on the part of the NCAA. Issues like this are what will chase the larger programs out of the division.

[TheValleyRaider]

To my knowledge, since the tournament was expanded to 16 teams in 1986 no team ranked lower than #12 has ever won the championship. There was no rational reason for expanding to 20, so why would the NCAA even consider a 24 team field? More feel good stuff on the part of the NCAA. Issues like this are what will chase the larger programs out of the division.

You're right, because App. State's season was ruined by the extra week off and then game against WIU xrolleyesx

[GeauxLions94]

That's why I thought it was interesting that they mentioned us by name in the article. It's hardly newsworthy unless there's some merit to it.

Ga State would be a viable option for a move to FBS with having the Georgia Dome .... but, it would have to make some serious upgrades to the rest of its facilities (basketball arena, baseball/softball/soccer facility located in Panthersville, estimated 20-30 minutes from downtown ... please correct if I'm wrong, been a while since I've been there).

[Tuscon]

Ga State would be a viable option for a move to FBS with having the Georgia Dome .... but, it would have to make some serious upgrades to the rest of its facilities (basketball arena, baseball/softball/soccer facility located in Panthersville, estimated 20-30 minutes from downtown ... please correct if I'm wrong, been a while since I've been there).

We have had a change in administration that seems to be a lot more excited about making those sorts of changes though. Getting football at all, for example. I haven't really heard any hard plans to upgrade any of those facilities, but there are plenty of rumors.

[glsjunior]

Ga State would be a viable option for a move to FBS with having the Georgia Dome .... but, it would have to make some serious upgrades to the rest of its facilities (basketball arena, baseball/softball/soccer facility located in Panthersville, estimated 20-30 minutes from downtown ... please correct if I'm wrong, been a while since I've been there).

Depends on where we moved to. Big East yes. Sunbelt/Conference USA not so much.

[Big Al]

Depends on where we moved to. Big East yes. Sunbelt/Conference USA not so much.

Good luck with that.

[eaglewraith]

Is there a way to get a full list of all attendees?

[The Eagle's Cliff]

To my knowledge, since the tournament was expanded to 16 teams in 1986 no team ranked lower than #12 has ever won the championship. There was no rational reason for expanding to 20, so why would the NCAA even consider a 24 team field? More feel good stuff on the part of the NCAA. Issues like this are what will chase the larger programs out of the division.

Conferences like the Big South, Northeast, and Great West see the Patriot and MEAC with Automatic Bids and rightfully wonder why they shouldn't get one, too. Every D1 school is fighting for market share and should/will act in their own interest to increase that share.

We all like FCS Football, but in the eyes of the media and the general public it's the same as D2 and D3. Non-AQ FBS isn't seen as much better, but it's still better than FCS.

[Seawolf97]

Conferences like the Big South, Northeast, and Great West see the Patriot and MEAC with Automatic Bids and rightfully wonder why they shouldn't get one, too. Every D1 school is fighting for market share and should/will act in their own interest to increase that share.

We all like FCS Football, but in the eyes of the media and the general public it's the same as D2 and D3. Non-AQ FBS isn't seen as much better, but it's still better than FCS.

That is it in a nutshell. We just had a National Championship game and 13,000 showed up.xcoffeex

[Sly Fox]

I'm not sure who all was involved in the panel, but one of my former sportscaster colleagues who works in Houston was involved.

[BlueHenSinfonian]

That is it in a nutshell. We just had a National Championship game and 13,000 showed up.xcoffeex

The problem is that the FCS Championship has no national exposure. Unless you are already a fan of the FCS and following the playoffs, or you just stumble onto one of the games on ESPN2, you aren't going to know about it. The day of the champioship game ESPN's homepage was full of FBS junk, they didn't even put up anything on the main NCAA Football section of the site the day after to congratulate EWU.

The biggest thing the FCS needs to do is to fight the notion that we are somehow inferior to the FBS. Top level FCS teams can and do compete with, and beat, FBS teams on a regular basis. The FCS coaches, schools, and ADs need to come together and pressure the NCAA to include the FCS in bargaining agreements for television and other media exposure. Teams like Dayton, 'Nova, Georgetown, UMass, URI, and Fordham that have strong basketball programs that draw TV money need to use that leverage to get the football teams on TV as well.

The FCS fans there are are dedicated and rabid about the success of the subdivision the challenge is to bring in fans who don't even know about the FCS or who think it's more like Div II when it's really very close to FBS.

[Anovafan]

Nova did a fine job getting on tv this year, 7 times in the regular season (8 if you count ESPN3 Temple game), and all of their playoff games were on tv, with both App. St. and EWU games on national tv. Problem is the school doesn't get any $$ from these games.

[DFW HOYA]

The FCS coaches, schools, and ADs need to come together and pressure the NCAA to include the FCS in bargaining agreements for television and other media exposure. Teams like Dayton, 'Nova, Georgetown, UMass, URI, and Fordham that have strong basketball programs that draw TV money need to use that leverage to get the football teams on TV as well.

Except that these schools have no leverage when they play football in different conferences. How does Georgetown get leverage for the Patriot League on TV when the PL refuses to implement a league-wide TV package (protecting the previous deals for SE2 and the Lafayette Sports Network)?

As it stands, Georgetown is one of three I-AA schools without even radio coverage, so you can see how much leverage it has right now.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

The biggest thing the FCS needs to do is to fight the notion that we are somehow inferior to the FBS. Top level FCS teams can and do compete with, and beat, FBS teams on a regular basis. The FCS coaches, schools, and ADs need to come together and pressure the NCAA to include the FCS in bargaining agreements for television and other media exposure. Teams like Dayton, 'Nova, Georgetown, UMass, URI, and Fordham that have strong basketball programs that draw TV money need to use that leverage to get the football teams on TV as well.


Except that these schools have no leverage when they play football in different conferences. How does Georgetown get leverage for the Patriot League on TV when the PL refuses to implement a league-wide TV package (protecting the previous deals for SE2 and the Lafayette Sports Network)?

Multiple TV networks have attempted to come up with a business plan for paying for the rights of FCS football games, and thus far have not been successful. Almost every game you see produced on TV that is FCS is self-produced, and someone in the athletic department is paying to do the broadcast. It's a far cry from media entities like the Big Ten Network where Fox pumps money into it like nobody's business.

[eaglewraith]

Is there a way to get a full list of all attendees?

Guess not :(

[BlueHenSinfonian]

Many of the schools in the FCS division are in cities that are just as big as FBS cities with others containing enrollments just as larger. There is no reason why a national title game at the Division 1 level should draw only 13,027.

FCS certainly needs a bigger national profile, but I think developing bigger local profiles for the FCS schools could be a major improvement as well. How many people drive from DC to College Park to watch the Terps instead of going to Georgetown or Howard games, how many drive right past the Texas FCS schools on their way to see the Longhorns or the Aggies? How many students at Southeastern Louisiana or Nicholls own LSU Tigers gear but nothing from their own school?

Delaware and Montana have had great attendance for years both due to winning traditions but also because they are active and visible in the community. The Blue Hens are Delaware's team, there are no pro sports (except for a minor league baseball team) and no FBS football teams in Delaware, so that has allowed the Blue Hens to have a a presence in the local media. App State, GaSou, and others have had similar success despite having to compete with other in state, and in the case of GaSou, fairly regional major sports programs, but they have the community visibility and support which greatly enhances their chances of success. Every FCS team needs to start a major marketing program in their own city/town/region to get butts in the seats for gameday. People need to know about the FCS programs in their area, and know that they aren't essentially Div II programs. The perception that FCS is lesser than FBS needs to be countered on every campus in this country at a local level, and then the national spotlight can come.

[DetroitFlyer]

FCS certainly needs a bigger national profile, but I think developing bigger local profiles for the FCS schools could be a major improvement as well. How many people drive from DC to College Park to watch the Terps instead of going to Georgetown or Howard games, how many drive right past the Texas FCS schools on their way to see the Longhorns or the Aggies? How many students at Southeastern Louisiana or Nicholls own LSU Tigers gear but nothing from their own school?

Delaware and Montana have had great attendance for years both due to winning traditions but also because they are active and visible in the community. The Blue Hens are Delaware's team, there are no pro sports (except for a minor league baseball team) and no FBS football teams in Delaware, so that has allowed the Blue Hens to have a a presence in the local media. App State, GaSou, and others have had similar success despite having to compete with other in state, and in the case of GaSou, fairly regional major sports programs, but they have the community visibility and support which greatly enhances their chances of success. Every FCS team needs to start a major marketing program in their own city/town/region to get butts in the seats for gameday. People need to know about the FCS programs in their area, and know that they aren't essentially Div II programs. The perception that FCS is lesser than FBS needs to be countered on every campus in this country at a local level, and then the national spotlight can come.

Well, hard to counteract the truth. FCS will never be FBS. I do not care how much marketing is completed, folks in Ohio will never view Dayton football in the same way that the Ohio State University is viewed. Heck, Dayton will never be viewed as UC, Bowling Green, Akron, etc.... FBS is the top level of college football. No amount of marketing is going to overcome that fact.

[Redhawk2010]

Well, hard to counteract the truth. FCS will never be FBS. I do not care how much marketing is completed, folks in Ohio will never view Dayton football in the same way that the Ohio State University is viewed. Heck, Dayton will never be viewed as UC, Bowling Green, Akron, etc.... FBS is the top level of college football. No amount of marketing is going to overcome that fact.

The problem is two-fold. On one hand, the school won't put up money and so many people see that as "well if the school doesn't support it, then we suck." On the other hand, it's difficult for the school to put up money it doesn't have! Attendance needs to increase so that the school can put money back into the program.

We've had this issue for years here at SEMO. From what I've read, pretty much all of the money that football gets (FBS games, etc) goes straight into paying for the female sports. It doesn't go to getting the football team new uniforms, paying the coaches better, etc. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if other schools are similiar--- many of the administrative costs are taken out of the football budget whether they are football-related or not. For example, I believe I read at one point our events manager position was being paid for from the football budget though he has responsibilities with ALL sports.

Part of it comes from winning, but then not all of it. SEMO saw a $50k increase in revenue this year with one less home game. Simply we "sold out" the stadium 2 or 3 times and our attendance was definitely up overall for the season. Did we have great crowds for every game? NO. I heard two main excuses. 1) It's too expensive to go to games 3 weeks in a row. They shouldn't have scheduled 3 home games so close together (gen admission tickets were $9 or something like that!) and 2) Missouri's homecoming game was more important. Columbia is 3 hours away, you don't even go there!, and you're going to pay 4-5x to go!

[BlueHenSinfonian]

Well, hard to counteract the truth. FCS will never be FBS. I do not care how much marketing is completed, folks in Ohio will never view Dayton football in the same way that the Ohio State University is viewed. Heck, Dayton will never be viewed as UC, Bowling Green, Akron, etc.... FBS is the top level of college football. No amount of marketing is going to overcome that fact.

The fact is that FCS and FBS are both Division I football - the only difference is the number of scholarships. The product put on the field by FCS teams is every bit as good, and every bit as entertaining for fans, as that of FBS teams. The athletes playing at the FCS level are just as good as those playing at the FBS level - I wouldn't have traded Devlin for Newton or Luck this past season.

The fans in Ohio might not view Dayton the same as OSU overall, and they may never as a whole come around, which is fine. The people of Dayton however should be supporting Dayton football, not some team out of Columbus (well, aside from OSU alumni of course). I agree that the FBS has a much larger profile right now, but what really bugs me is when people from the host cities and towns of FCS schools or even students of FCS schools overlook their own programs in favor of some FBS team.

[magnolialeague]

Definitely agree on the need for improved marketing. This work needs to start at the top and fan out through the major FCS conferences.

After seeing the disappointing turnout for the championship games over the past few years, I wonder if FCS would be best served to hold the championship game at the highest seeds home field rather than a neutral field. Many FCS teams have strong local fan bases but they just do not travel. At the end of the day no one but the NCAA cares about grand marshalls and theme marketing fan zones. What leaves the best impression on fans watching on TV are sold out games and raucous fans. Casual fans that have watched FCS always comment on the great games played in Montana or App State in the snow with wild fans. Bring the NCAA FCS circus to an FCS city and it will raise the intensity of the Championship. If the stadium is small, bring in temporary seats. The game needs fans...wild ones.

[Gil Dobie]

To my knowledge, since the tournament was expanded to 16 teams in 1986 no team ranked lower than #12 has ever won the championship. There was no rational reason for expanding to 20, so why would the NCAA even consider a 24 team field? More feel good stuff on the part of the NCAA. Issues like this are what will chase the larger programs out of the division.

Like the eventually champion needing a conservative 4th qtr drive, and an OT fumble by the team ranked less than #12 to advance to the semi's.

[magnolialeague]

I am in favor of expanding the field to 24. Basic principle is that more football is better than less football. Any objection to this is un-American.