does big ten giving up fCS schools effect us?

[loucatfan]

Sorry if this has been discussed but I have been in Europe most of last month with spotty wi fi reception.
In reading Sullivan's article in the CJ today he indicated a month ago the Big Ten decided to stop playing FCS schools. My guess is this will eventually result in the P5 conferences only playing each other.

It should result in more TV revenue BUT one less home game a year. I don't think this is all bad. If we go back to only six home games , with the reduction in stadium capacity I see sellouts for all games. After the season ticket sales are completed UK could beef up what they are doing now with two quality three game packages.

For instance one year would include an A package one three game package including Louisville. The B package Tenn.
Each would include two SEC games and one non conference game against a quality opponent.

While it creates a bigger problem for coach Stoops and co. it makes too much sense financially not to go that way. Playing teams like Charlotte in November really has been an abuse of the season tickets holders. A game nobody really wanted to see but you had to buy to keep your season tickets.

Lou

 

[Blue Decade]

If you look at the way other SEC football teams tend to schedule, it might change your thinking. Scheduling a few breathers like Charlotte is not an abuse of ticket holders. If it is, then every school is abusing their ticket holders. Nobody plays ranked teams every week of the season, but Kentucky already has a tough schedule. Do you want to see a bowl invitation? Because if you just want to see a ranked team every week, that's what cable TV is for. If you want Kentucky to be nationally ranked in the future, we can't do it by playing teams like Ohio State and Florida State every week. That's too much to ask of any school.

 

[BoulderCat]

I don't think that decision affects UK or the SEC, but there's no doubt that's the direction all of the P5 conferences are headed. I think they will be replaced by teams in the FBS, but in lesser conferences like the MW and CUSA. Right now I think it's more important for UK to have what look to be sure wins. Once Stoop's has us more competitive then will be the time to move to an all FBS schedule. Of course that's the opinion of a non season ticket holder.

 

[loucatfan]

If you look at the way other SEC football teams tend to schedule, it might change your thinking. Scheduling a few breathers like Charlotte is not an abuse of ticket holders. If it is, then every school is abusing their ticket holders. Nobody plays ranked teams every week of the season, but Kentucky already has a tough schedule. Do you want to see a bowl invitation? Because if you just want to see a ranked team every week, that's what cable TV is for. If you want Kentucky to be nationally ranked in the future, we can't do it by playing teams like Ohio State and Florida State every week. That's too much to ask of any school.

Good point but I think it is coming and all P5 programs will have the same challenge. Jurich is smart in scheduling Indiana. We should be scheduling Indiana,Kansas, Northwestern and whatever other P5 programs are not really into football. TV rules and the Big Ten is doing this to increase the VALUE of their TV contract. SEC will have to follow. That is my point.

 

[SaguaroCat]

There will always be Toledo, Eastern Michigan, Southern Miss, ULL, etc...

 

[C1180]

IMO you are right that schedules are going to be ruled more and more by the dictates of TV. I however do not see the P5 teams going to an all P5 schedule anytime soon. unless a lot of the present FBS teams that are not now members of the P5 are absorbed by the P5 conferences.

I could see the P5 conferences expanding and the possibility of the creation of another P5 type conference to make it a P6 deal and going to a true playoff system of say 16 teams. Such a playoff would allow the winners of both divisions of P6 Conferences plus 4 at larges to make a playoff. IMO TV is salivating for such a deal and college football is fueled by TV. You say but this would destroy the bowls maybe so and maybe not. The playoffs could be played at present day bowl sites. A few bowl would go by the way side but we all know there is just too many bowls. Heck there could even be a secondary invitational playoff series to fill those bowls.

 

[ram1955]

Other conferences may decide to no longer play fcs schools, but their overall strength of schedule STILL won't be as difficult as playing Ky's SEC schedule. If Ky was in that conference, I'd favor playing no out of conference games. We would win enough against the likes of northwestern, purdue, maryland, illinois, rutgers, etc....to be bowl eligible EVERY year.

 

[WildCard]

Can't see where it really affects anything. Other leagues are likely to follow suit. I like the idea but hope there is a way for those FCS schools to make up the much needed revenue from such games.

There are 65 P5 teams. That leaves 63 FBS school to schedule. Of course the bottom dozen or so in the P5 category are seldom much better than the top dozen of the non-P5. Given the size of the new P5 conferences I think there will be a move to more conference games as well,

More "tougher games" and a possible expansion of the playoff model would likely impact the currently overcrowded bowl picture. I'm not sure what new standards would be in place for bowl participation but the current standard of allowing 1 FCS win counted in the 6 win minimum would be out the window.

Peace

 

[Vonburns1]

It's great. Right now, we're having to play one game there for two home games with some teams. This means there will be fewer teams scheduling these smaller teams which should help us to get a better deal. For instance, those teams may accept the big paycheck to play us at home rather than insist on a home game at their field for two games at CWS.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

Sorry if this has been discussed but I have been in Europe most of last month with spotty wi fi reception.
In reading Sullivan's article in the CJ today he indicated a month ago the Big Ten decided to stop playing FCS schools. My guess is this will eventually result in the P5 conferences only playing each other.

It should result in more TV revenue BUT one less home game a year. I don't think this is all bad. If we go back to only six home games , with the reduction in stadium capacity I see sellouts for all games. After the season ticket sales are completed UK could beef up what they are doing now with two quality three game packages.

For instance one year would include an A package one three game package including Louisville. The B package Tenn.
Each would include two SEC games and one non conference game against a quality opponent.

While it creates a bigger problem for coach Stoops and co. it makes too much sense financially not to go that way. Playing teams like Charlotte in November really has been an abuse of the season tickets holders. A game nobody really wanted to see but you had to buy to keep your season tickets.

Lou

I don't thing anyone will say directly you can't play a FCS school, but I think they can make it unwise to do so. When a 1 loss conference runner-up who played 12 P5 teams makes the playoos over a 1 loss conference champion who played multiple FCS teams, it will likely end on its own. So as soon as the selection committee decides you get no credit for beating a FCS team, teams hoping to make the playoff will quit scheduling them. And they would have a valid agreement. I am as pro SEC as anyone, and 2-3 years ago It was a murders row, but not so much last year. So playing in the SEC won't be a valid reason any longer, last year we went 0-4 on rivalry weekend and 7-5 in the bowl season, neither shows a dominant conference

With our annual game in Jaxsonville, there are years UGA only has 6 games in Athens, and fans do complain about who they are at times.

 

[hmt5000]

it won't be p5 but it's gonna get legit D1 for sure. like UK scheduling nm st and so miss. that is gonna be the kinda teams everyone is gonna try to schedule over the next few years. that being said, a whole bunch of teams are gonna try to go D1 to get paid for that 1 off game so you may still end up with some of those exact same games but the team will play in cusa or ohvc instead of meac or swac.

 

[ram1955]

if they ever get to the point where the 65 or so power schools play only one another, they need to do away with conferences and just have open scheduling.

As for the bowl set up, I don't ever want to see anything that interferes with the bowl situation. I enjoy seeing small schools play one another in bowls. The most entertaining bowl game of them all last season was the bowl wku played in.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

if they ever get to the point where the 65 or so power schools play only one another, they need to do away with conferences and just have open scheduling.

As for the bowl set up, I don't ever want to see anything that interferes with the bowl situation. I enjoy seeing small schools play one another in bowls. The most entertaining bowl game of them all last season was the bowl wku played in.

I have heard that has been the plan for quite some time. But instead of 65, 64 teams, with 4 super conferences with 16 teams each. There are 64 teams in P5 conferences, ND would get left out which would make it that much better. They had plenty of chances to join a conference but chose to stay with their own tv deal, lets see how much that's worth when they are playing the South Alabama, Arkansas State, Georgia State and Middle Tennessee is their big game of the season.

 

[Blue Decade]

Good point but I think it is coming and all P5 programs will have the same challenge. Jurich is smart in scheduling Indiana. We should be scheduling Indiana,Kansas, Northwestern and whatever other P5 programs are not really into football. TV rules and the Big Ten is doing this to increase the VALUE of their TV contract. SEC will have to follow. That is my point.

It's more complicated than that. Another effect of the trend will be for more FCS schools to move up to membership in FBS conferences, like WKU, Georgia State, and Appalachian State joined the Sunbelt. They have to. Economic factors are forcing FCS schools to optimize revenues. If some FBS schools stop scheduling FCS schools, that will compel FCS schools capable of making the jump to join FBS conferences. In turn, that increases options for FBS schools to schedule breather games, while giving the fodder schools a big paycheck for that Saturday. That is only 1 factor. SEC schools already play some of the toughest football schedules in the country. That's why Alabama schedules Charleston Southern and Kentucky schedules Charlotte. Every SEC school does this. It is not abuse of ticket holders. On the contrary, it is part of their strategies for keeping their players fresh in November and getting to the best possible bowls. We might see these trends force some FBS schools to toughen up their schedules, but I don't see it changing anything for SEC schools.

 

[buckkiller]

Those smaller schools needs those paydays playing the Power 5 schools. We will allways play atleast 2 of them per year IMO.

 

[ram1955]

I have heard that has been the plan for quite some time. But instead of 65, 64 teams, with 4 super conferences with 16 teams each. There are 64 teams in P5 conferences, ND would get left out which would make it that much better. They had plenty of chances to join a conference but chose to stay with their own tv deal, lets see how much that's worth when they are playing the South Alabama, Arkansas State, Georgia State and Middle Tennessee is their big game of the season.

I detest notre damn more than even ohiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiio st and would love nothing better than to see ncaa schools knock them off their high horse. Give them an ultimatum, either join us and play according to our rules or form you own little league. If the ACC had gonads, they would have already set them straight.

 

[ram1955]

SEC schools already play some of the toughest football schedules in the country. That's why Alabama schedules Charleston Southern and Kentucky schedules Charlotte. Every SEC school does this. It is not abuse of ticket holders. On the contrary, it is part of their strategies for keeping their players fresh in November and getting to the best possible bowls. We might see these trends force some FBS schools to toughen up their schedules, but I don't see it changing anything for SEC schools.

Make no mistake about it, the vast majority of schools in the USofA would do no better than Ky if they had to play 8 SEC games....including our beloved neighbors to the west. For those that constanly WHINE about playing 3-4 ooc cupcakes... I look at it this way: I've been a life long Ky Football fan and season ticket holder for around 30 years. If it gets to the point that I believe our schedule leaves little or no possibility of being bowl eligible on an annual basis, I'll stop buying the tickets.

 

[*Bleedingblue*]

A lot of these little schools depend on the money for taking a beating

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

Make no mistake about it, the vast majority of schools in the USofA would do no better than Ky if they had to play 8 SEC games....including our beloved neighbors to the west. For those that constanly WHINE about playing 3-4 ooc cupcakes... I look at it this way: I've been a life long Ky Football fan and season ticket holder for around 30 years. If it gets to the point that I believe our schedule leaves little or no possibility of being bowl eligible on an annual basis, I'll stop buying the tickets.

I agree with what you say in principle, but things point to the SEC not being all that good right now. We went 7-5 in last season's bowls, we went 0-4 against the ACC on Rivalry Saturday last year. The top 5 teams in the supposely stronger West lost their bowls, with a blowout in one. Regardless of what we say or think, the rest of the country think we are a collection of cheaters and play 8 Charlottes a year. More importantly the people who represent those areas who have a vote for the playoff selection will look at schedules and see a couple of FCS teams. They would like nothing better than to keep the SEC out of the playoffs a couple of years, looking at the bowl results one has to wonder if the best team wasn't left out last season. But season ticket holders do complain about paying the same to watch Charlotte as you do to watch Bama or Auburn.

I understand not having a chance to make a bowl because of the schedule, but winning the SEC and getting omitted from the 4 team playoff because you had 2 FCS games schedule would be a tough pill to swallow. That's what the Big10 would like to see, that's why they are adopting this policy. Play an FCS school and your 1 loss team is at the bottom of the one loss teams.

 

[gamalielkid]

Sorry if this has been discussed but I have been in Europe most of last month with spotty wi fi reception.
In reading Sullivan's article in the CJ today he indicated a month ago the Big Ten decided to stop playing FCS schools. My guess is this will eventually result in the P5 conferences only playing each other.

It should result in more TV revenue BUT one less home game a year. I don't think this is all bad. If we go back to only six home games , with the reduction in stadium capacity I see sellouts for all games. After the season ticket sales are completed UK could beef up what they are doing now with two quality three game packages.

For instance one year would include an A package one three game package including Louisville. The B package Tenn.
Each would include two SEC games and one non conference game against a quality opponent.

While it creates a bigger problem for coach Stoops and co. it makes too much sense financially not to go that way. Playing teams like Charlotte in November really has been an abuse of the season tickets holders. A game nobody really wanted to see but you had to buy to keep your season tickets.

Lou

This is just getting everyone ready for competitive football for every power 5 school. We will soon be doing an 8 team national championship series. In reality it basically already exist. The major conference champions involving 8 teams, will send it's winners to the playoffs. What does this mean for ALL the teams - out of conference losses will not count against them in having a chance to win the national championship. How many undefeated basketball teams have happened? How many National Champions have lost 25% of their games? See the correlation.

We are moving towards great games every weekend! All games will be against power 5 schools eventually. Why not? Wouldn't you rather see us play Ohio State than Charlotte? The biggest reason those games don't exist is the bowl structure as it exists today - but that will be changing as well.

Go Big Blue!

 

[hmt5000]

I think the sec was overrated last year and this year but largely because of poor qb play. Bama played osu to the wire and osu had a way better qb. LSU had a bologna sandwich playing qb and still beat wisc but lost to nd in their bowl. Uga had a average qb. Scar was horrible qb play. Uf had driskell. Could you imagine if qb was stronger in the league just how good the sec would be?

Alas we have a league with good Ds and good rbs so we are playing 80's style games and other conferences are having shootouts.