Seriously though, Georgia Southern and Appalachian State to the Sun Belt? I think I like those choices.
Dear Godfrey, You know you're supposed to break news here first...
- Thread starter Maroon Eagle
- Start date
No kidding.
I hate this. ASU and GSU were such good FCS programs. In 5 years they'll be a household **** name like WKU, FIU, or UTEP.
WKU is the best FCS to FBS team I can think of and that had everything to do with having a Harbaugh as a coach. Lucky bunch.
My parents are both Georgia Southern graduates (BIAS BIAS BIAS BIAS), and they will be leaving behind one of the most impressive legacies in football. They have been an absolute powerhouse in my lifetime.
But here's just one small example as to why they're doing it (it's all about money): GSU will be an official FBS school (and a Sun Belt member) in 2015. They have a contract game with Georgia Tech that year that will now, by rule, double to around a 1.2M payout. They'll receive half that the year before to go to LSU.
There's also a very strong push from the Big 10 and Pac 12 to eliminate wins over FCS teams in the formula that will determine the FBS Playoff seeds. If the SEC stops scheduling FCS schools, the Sun Belt is about to become RICH.
Also, programs like Ole Miss and MSU and many others will be forced to play 2-1s or 3-1s, bringing BCS schools to places like Statesboro. Ole Miss has played Arkansas State, MSU has obviously played at Murfreesboro and at Troy.
Appy will now aggressively court the Carolina ACC schools for such a deal, and if I'm GSU, I go talk to USF and UCF immediately.
But here's just one small example as to why they're doing it (it's all about money): GSU will be an official FBS school (and a Sun Belt member) in 2015. They have a contract game with Georgia Tech that year that will now, by rule, double to around a 1.2M payout. They'll receive half that the year before to go to LSU.
There's also a very strong push from the Big 10 and Pac 12 to eliminate wins over FCS teams in the formula that will determine the FBS Playoff seeds. If the SEC stops scheduling FCS schools, the Sun Belt is about to become RICH.
Also, programs like Ole Miss and MSU and many others will be forced to play 2-1s or 3-1s, bringing BCS schools to places like Statesboro. Ole Miss has played Arkansas State, MSU has obviously played at Murfreesboro and at Troy.
Appy will now aggressively court the Carolina ACC schools for such a deal, and if I'm GSU, I go talk to USF and UCF immediately.
Question...
If FCS teams are eliminated from the formula, wouldn't that make the formulas of SEC, ACC, and Big 12 teams less diluted (and therefore stronger)?
Meaning: As long as SEC, ACC, and Big 12 teams play one FCS team per year, they will still have a very strong year seeding wise because you know with as many bowls as there are that Division I FBS schools don't want to get rid of games against FCS teams or not allow wins against them to NOT be counted as far as bowl consideration is concerned.
If FCS teams are eliminated from the formula, wouldn't that make the formulas of SEC, ACC, and Big 12 teams less diluted (and therefore stronger)?
Meaning: As long as SEC, ACC, and Big 12 teams play one FCS team per year, they will still have a very strong year seeding wise because you know with as many bowls as there are that Division I FBS schools don't want to get rid of games against FCS teams or not allow wins against them to NOT be counted as far as bowl consideration is concerned.
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Let me preface by saying that none of this has been decided, but the concern isn't that the FCS game will simply be thrown out, but that there will be some kind of mathematical penalty for doing so.
The reality is this - Alabama and LSU and that level of program run a full SEC schedule, plus they often open in neutral site games. In Florida/Georgia/South Carolina's case, they play rather strong ACC games annually. So I can see the advantage in scheduling a FCS breather.
Again, I can't specify any further because it's all conjecture short of the Big 10 removing FCS teams and the Pac 12 likely to follow. But you can also look at Florida State, who schedules FCS teams in addition to a **** ACC schedule, and when they lose to a Clemson or lay an egg at NC State or wherever, they're basically out of the title picture instantly.
If this does become a reality, I would like to see some expansion that allows for enough of these Sun Belt / MAC / CUSA teams to go around. You have to assume that scrub programs will go two, maybe three max. Plus, those teams will still schedule FCS games for homecoming wins.
The reality is this - Alabama and LSU and that level of program run a full SEC schedule, plus they often open in neutral site games. In Florida/Georgia/South Carolina's case, they play rather strong ACC games annually. So I can see the advantage in scheduling a FCS breather.
Again, I can't specify any further because it's all conjecture short of the Big 10 removing FCS teams and the Pac 12 likely to follow. But you can also look at Florida State, who schedules FCS teams in addition to a **** ACC schedule, and when they lose to a Clemson or lay an egg at NC State or wherever, they're basically out of the title picture instantly.
If this does become a reality, I would like to see some expansion that allows for enough of these Sun Belt / MAC / CUSA teams to go around. You have to assume that scrub programs will go two, maybe three max. Plus, those teams will still schedule FCS games for homecoming wins.
15-20 years ago there was talk about having a FBS league made up of HBCUs. Maybe that should be revisited-- Jackson State, Grambling, Southern, Florida A&M, Tennessee State, South Carolina State, North Carolina A&T, Prairie View, Texas Southern, Alabama State, Delaware State, and Howard could all be possibilities (others could as well such as Alcorn of course).
Yes, I know that's crazy talk but it's not as if the SWAC schools participate in FCS playoffs so why don't they (with the exception of Valley who doesn't offer enough scholarships to qualify as a qualifying win for a FBS team) just elevate themselves to FCS to get even more money?
Yes, I know that's crazy talk but it's not as if the SWAC schools participate in FCS playoffs so why don't they (with the exception of Valley who doesn't offer enough scholarships to qualify as a qualifying win for a FBS team) just elevate themselves to FCS to get even more money?
Actually the HBCUs do decently at attendance. Southern, Tennessee State, South Carolina State, Alabama State meet the 15,000 threshhold outright, and if the neutral site classics they play count, Jackson State, Florida A&M and Alabama A&M qualify too. Maybe Alcorn if they count the annual game in Jackson as a home game for Alcorn (I believe they do).
Citation: http://web1.ncaa.org/mfb/2012/Internet/attendance/FCS_AVGATTENDANCE.pdf
Plus, that rule isn't really ever enforced anyway. Eastern Michigan literally has an average attendance in the 3000s.
I don't know if many HBCUs would have the $$ to fund 85 scholarships, but maybe if they all play 2-3 AQ teams and take home big paychecks.
Citation: http://web1.ncaa.org/mfb/2012/Internet/attendance/FCS_AVGATTENDANCE.pdf
Plus, that rule isn't really ever enforced anyway. Eastern Michigan literally has an average attendance in the 3000s.
I don't know if many HBCUs would have the $$ to fund 85 scholarships, but maybe if they all play 2-3 AQ teams and take home big paychecks.
The answer to the scholarship question might be given by Wikipedia:
If partial scholarships count fully against the total of 85, then the SWAC HBCUs could theoretically offer 85 partial scholarships (at say 75-80 percent?) to start off with and gradually moving up to full scholarships thanks to money games against Division I FBS teams, right?
If partial scholarships count fully against the total of 85, then the SWAC HBCUs could theoretically offer 85 partial scholarships (at say 75-80 percent?) to start off with and gradually moving up to full scholarships thanks to money games against Division I FBS teams, right?