Delaney Wants FCS Teams Off Schedule

[Iceland12]

Many Big Ten Coaches would disagree but Delaney is crystal clear. No more BCS/FCS match-ups.

The Big Ten has gone 72-6 against FCS (D-1AA) schools since 1998. Minnesota has 3 of those losses.

The College Football Playoff is coming next season, and strength of schedule is part of the criteria the selection committee will use to determine the four teams. Playing FCS opponents wouldn't help the cause.

That's only part of the reason Commissioner Jim Delany is encouraging Big Ten schools to keep FCS schools off non-conference schedules. He said recently that games against FCS foes don't create enough excitement for players, fans and television networks.

While FCS-FBS matchups usually result in lopsided games that serve as little more than scrimmages to the FBS teams, the chance for the upset offers some intrigue. It happened eight times last week, and fans in Big Ten country will long remember Appalachian State's 34-32 victory at Michigan in 2007.

Last week's highest-profile upset came when North Dakota State, the defending FCS championm, shocked defending Big 12 champ Kansas State 24-21. The Bison defeated Minnesota in 2007 and 2011.

Minnesota will play FCS schoiol Western Illinois on Sept 14, and has Eastern Illinois on its 2014 schedule and South Dakota State on the schedule in 2019.

Wisconsin coach Gary Andersen said Tuesday it's "an opportunity of a lifetime" for the FCS players. Andersen speaks from experience. When he was head coach at Southern Utah in 2003, his team went to Nevada and played the Wolf Pack to within 24-23.

"Those kids still talk about that," he said...

The Big Ten will go from eight to nine conference games beginning in 2016. That means each school will have four home conference games one year and five the next.

Athletic departments ideally need seven home games to make ends meet. To reach that threshold, FBS schools have turned to FCS programs. In return, the FCS school shows up to (usually) take a beating and goes home with a paycheck for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

But if a Big Ten team wants to schedule a fellow FBS opponent with no obligation for a return date, it's going to cost big bucks...

"For the (FBS) teams that are available," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said, "it's probably a good thing for them. It drives the market up a little bit."..

The number of FCS opponents penciled in by Big Ten teams drops to four in 2015, two in 2016 and one in 2017.

The Big Ten is 72-6 against FCS teams since 1998, according to STATS. The Southeastern Conference is a nation-leading 111-2 in those games over that span.

 

[Sparlimb]

This rule is good for the top teams (only bad things can happen to OSU or Michigan when they play FCS teams). But for the lower tier teams like us trying to claw our way up, we need wins. So since we can't get the Dakota teams, we'll play more teams like Idaho, Old Dominion, South Alabama and Western Kentucky. All crappy teams that are FBS now. Wonder if the Big Ten is pushing this or mandating this...

 

[RodentRampage]

This may raise what we have to pay for non-conference games. Without FCS teams on the schedule, games against teams from the MWC, MAC and Sun Belt will be in higher demand.

 

[Ski U Mah Gopher]

This may raise what we have to pay for non-conference games. Without FCS teams on the schedule, games against teams from the MWC, MAC and Sun Belt will be in higher demand.

As Ferentz pointed out in the article, the big winners in all this are the MWC, MAC, Sun Belt & CUSA.

 

[bleedsmaroonandgold]

I am all for getting rid of the FCS matchups. Those are garbage, and I hate seeing them on our or any other Big Ten schedule.

 

[e.bigelow]

Basic principles of economics. Supply & Demand.

 

[Gopherprof]

This may raise what we have to pay for non-conference games. Without FCS teams on the schedule, games against teams from the MWC, MAC and Sun Belt will be in higher demand.

The TV money generated from more Big Ten games and less FCS games should more than compensate for that.

 

[SelectionSunday]

I am all for getting rid of the FCS matchups. Those are garbage, and I hate seeing them on our or any other Big Ten schedule.

Amen, and thanks Commish Delany.

Athletes of Big Ten/major-conference caliber don't sign with those schools to play lower-level programs.

 

[Gopherpride13]

I am all for getting rid of the FCS matchups. Those are garbage, and I hate seeing them on our or any other Big Ten schedule.

Agreed!

 

[AO54]

As Ferentz pointed out in the article, the big winners in all this are the MWC, MAC, Sun Belt & CUSA.

As we've seen this past weekend, all FCS teams are not created equal and the top 15 FCS teams are better than the majority of teams from the lesser FBS conferences listed above. Big difference between Nothern Iowa, New Mexico State and Western Illinois. As we've all seen the FBS label doesn't even guarantee a televised game.

 

[Ski U Master]

Agreed!

As do I. FCS games are all risk and no reward. If you win it's means next to nothing (Sure it's a win, but you could schedule a bad FBS team and get a win as well), but if you lose it kills momentum and ticket sales as well as getting national pub you don't want.

 

[AO54]

As do I. FCS games are all risk and no reward. If you win it's means next to nothing (Sure it's a win, but you could schedule a bad FBS team and get a win as well), but if you lose it kills momentum and ticket sales as well as getting national pub you don't want.

except when the FCS teams are better than UNLV or New Mexico State. If you want momentum and ticket sales, schedule good games regardless of conference or division label. Nobody is fooled by scheduling New Mexico State instead of North Carolina.

 

[GophersInIowa]

As we've seen this past weekend, all FCS teams are not created equal and the top 15 FCS teams are better than the majority of teams from the lesser FBS conferences listed above. Big difference between Nothern Iowa, New Mexico State and Western Illinois. As we've all seen the FBS label doesn't even guarantee a televised game.

I wouldn't say majority. It's one thing to play and win one game against the FBS, it's another to go through an entire season against them.

And we only hear about when they beat a FBS team, not when they lose to one. The FCS went 3-9 last week against teams from CUSA, MAC, Sun Belt, MWC, and Independent (Army).

 

[husker70]

Mr. Delaney sees it as a no win. To Play a FCS team early is their best chance to compete, but if you win you should of won by more. If you lose, you embarrass the Big 10. There are 3 or 4 non conference scheduling opportunities. And there should be some latitude with the bottom of the league trying to build or turn a program around. Where it should be addressed is with the top of the conference. Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Michigan State, Nebraska, Wisconsin. They should be required to schedule BCS contenders in the non conference ala Georgia v. Clemson. Who wouldn't want to watch say Louisville v Ohio State, Penn State v. Florida State, Nebraska v. Oklahoma. Michigan v Texas Michigan State v. Oregon. If you want to drive numbers which Delaney has said, take the opportunity and schedule national games in the non conference, don't hide behind directional schools, the lowest members of the MAC. Take a step beyond the FCS schools to no more directional schools. This is the Big 10.

 

[AO54]

I wouldn't say majority. It's one thing to play and win one game against the FBS, it's another to go through an entire season against them.

And we only hear about when they beat a FBS team, not when they lose to one. The FCS went 3-9 last week against teams from CUSA, MAC, Sun Belt, MWC, and Independent (Army).

the top 15 from FCS didn't go 3-9 and that was my point. Everyone knows that Massachusetts, UNLV and New Mexico State are terrible. NDSU, South Dakota State and Northern Iowa are all much better teams and would generate more fan interest/momentum/ticket sales and tv ratings.

 

[mplsbadger]

Personally, I'd like to see the Gophers rotate through the Dakotas and N. Iowa to get 7 home games. If we have to give NMSU a return game then I don't think we're going to be playing 7 home games a year with nine in the B10 and no FCS.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

From a selfish point of view: I like to see the Gophs play the Dakota schools. Most of the kids from my area (SW MN) who play college FB tend to go to the Dakota schools, so I get to see a player I followed in HS go up against a B1G team.

And, I don't think there's any doubt that the U would sell more tickets for a game against NDSU or SDSU, as opposed to playing Directional State Cupcake.

 

[Gopherprof]

As we've seen this past weekend, all FCS teams are not created equal and the top 15 FCS teams are better than the majority of teams from the lesser FBS conferences listed above. Big difference between Nothern Iowa, New Mexico State and Western Illinois. As we've all seen the FBS label doesn't even guarantee a televised game.

Delaney doesn't care about fair matchups; he cares about perception and money. Playing FBS programs, even crappy ones, creates more eyeballs which equals more money, and even though some of those FCS programs could compete in the MAC or the MWC, few people believe they can, so there's nothing won by beating them.

You have to be a little cynical about college football, because it's a damn cynical system.

 

[Gopherprof]

And, I don't think there's any doubt that the U would sell more tickets for a game against NDSU or SDSU, as opposed to playing Directional State Cupcake.

It's not nearly worth the loss in perception of losing to one of those schools. There's so much to lose and almost nothing to gain by playing a Dakota school, especially when you consider that we compete with them every year for walk-ons. Why give them the stage of playing on television to sell their program? Let them wither on the vine in the obscurity of FCS football.

 

[Gopherprof]

Everyone knows that Massachusetts, UNLV and New Mexico State are terrible. NDSU, South Dakota State and Northern Iowa are all much better teams and would generate more fan interest/momentum/ticket sales and tv ratings.

It wouldn't generate *&^!#*&^!#*&^!#*&^!# for TV ratings. You honestly think people care about the Dakota schools outside of their very limited fan bases? You think most people except die-hard football fans are even aware they exist? NDSU may be able to compete against MAC schools on the field, but that's it. There's a reason why MAC games are frequently on national television and FCS games almost never are unless it's the playoffs or against a major BCS conference opponent.

The U would sell a few more tickets from people that travel from Fargo to see the game. Other than that there is nothing to gain from it. National perception wouldn't view a win against NDSU as an accomplishment because nationally they are irrelevant and viewed as just another small program that should be fodder for the Big Ten.

 

[AO54]

It wouldn't generate *&^!#*&^!#*&^!#*&^!# for TV ratings. You honestly think people care about the Dakota schools outside of their very limited fan bases? You think most people except die-hard football fans are even aware they exist? NDSU may be able to compete against MAC schools on the field, but that's it. There's a reason why MAC games are frequently on national television and FCS games almost never are unless it's the playoffs or against a major BCS conference opponent.

The U would sell a few more tickets from people that travel from Fargo to see the game. Other than that there is nothing to gain from it. National perception wouldn't view a win against NDSU as an accomplishment because nationally they are irrelevant and viewed as just another small program that should be fodder for the Big Ten.

I must have missed all the excitement/high tv ratings that came from beating UNLV. We're competing against the Dakota schools for walk-ons as it is. That doesn't noticeably change whether we play them or not. NDSU got a bigger recruiting boost from winning the national title than they did from beating the gophers.

MAC games are not frequently on television. Eastern Michigan from the MAC is on TV 4 out of 12 games this year with no appearances on ESPN or ESPN 2, whereas NDSU has every game broadcast either on FS1, ESPN 2 for a couple playoff games or across NE Minnesota and North Dakota on the local NBC network.

There's a reason NDSU is skeptical of moving up to FBS. They profit more in FCS and would rather play in the playoffs than some dumpy bowl game.

 

[Gopherprof]

I must have missed all the excitement/high tv ratings that came from beating UNLV.

You said it would create better TV ratings. I don't need to prove that UNLV creates good ratings, just that the Dakota schools wouldn't either (which is unquestionably true)

We're competing against the Dakota schools for walk-ons as it is. That doesn't noticeably change whether we play them or not.

Of course it does. It gives them both a local platform playing in TCF and puts them on national television. It also gives them the opportunity to beat us and say that they are our equal to recruits.

NDSU got a bigger recruiting boost from winning the national title than they did from beating the gophers.

Don't believe that for a second. Even the FCS programs themselves will admit that it's a bigger deal to beat a major conference opponent than to do anything within the FCS. The eyeballs and perception are that much greater.

MAC games are not frequently on television. Eastern Michigan from the MAC is on TV 4 out of 12 games this year with no appearances on ESPN or ESPN 2, whereas NDSU has every game broadcast either on FS1, ESPN 2 for a couple playoff games or across NE Minnesota and North Dakota on the local NBC network.

I love how you lump local North Dakota TV as if that is in any way comparable or relevant to the discussion. I wasn't sure if you were a Bison homer or not before, but you simply must be to continue to make these arguments.

There's a reason NDSU is skeptical of moving up to FBS. They profit more in FCS and would rather play in the playoffs than some dumpy bowl game.

It's because they can't. They would have no logical conference and their fan base/facilities are middling at best for that level. Who has ever invited them to join an FBS conference?

 

[AO54]

You said it would create better TV ratings. I don't need to prove that UNLV creates good ratings, just that the Dakota schools wouldn't either (which is unquestionably true)

Of course you have to prove it as common sense says the ratings would be higher with a more evenly matched opponent. New Mexico State would have ranked 16th in attendance in the FCS last year.

Don't believe that for a second. Even the FCS programs themselves will admit that it's a bigger deal to beat a major conference opponent than to do anything within the FCS. The eyeballs and perception are that much greater.

Bigger deal to beat Michigan or Kansas State, not Minnesota. unfortunately.

I love how you lump local North Dakota TV as if that is in any way comparable or relevant to the discussion. I wasn't sure if you were a Bison homer or not before, but you simply must be to continue to make these arguments.

It's better than the online only way to watch the MAC team I mentioned for 8 of their 12 games.

 

[Ole]

I must have missed all the excitement/high tv ratings that came from beating UNLV. We're competing against the Dakota schools for walk-ons as it is. That doesn't noticeably change whether we play them or not. NDSU got a bigger recruiting boost from winning the national title than they did from beating the gophers.

MAC games are not frequently on television. Eastern Michigan from the MAC is on TV 4 out of 12 games this year with no appearances on ESPN or ESPN 2, whereas NDSU has every game broadcast either on FS1, ESPN 2 for a couple playoff games or across NE Minnesota and North Dakota on the local NBC network.

There's a reason NDSU is skeptical of moving up to FBS. They profit more in FCS and would rather play in the playoffs than some dumpy bowl game.

Holy crap, you bison fans have been drinking too much oil fracking polluted water or something.
Had you never played Mason/Brewster in 06'/07' you would never had been able to recruit MN so well the past decade. That carrot game at TCF Bank in 2010 probably got you as many commits from the TC area as 15 D2 national championships would.
Those walk on types that we lose to Dakota schools won't go there so willingly when they are isolated on the frozen prairie with no national exposure in the TC for their family and friends to see them. But I digress.

Dakota school FCS/D2 football is irrelevant nationally. It's a no win game for everyone in D1 football, a no lose game for everyone in D2 football. That's why Delaney wants to change it. It hurts perception of the league, reduces strength of schedule, and doesn't build a national brand for the B1G, regardless of what bizon fans think of their plucky little squad.

 

[e.bigelow]

Of course you have to prove it as common sense says the ratings would be higher with a more evenly matched opponent. New Mexico State would have ranked 16th in attendance in the FCS last year.

Yes, 16th in attendance, IN THE FCS, where NDSU IS, and they are an awful FBS program. Come on now.

Bigger deal to beat Michigan or Kansas State, not Minnesota. unfortunately.

Since when did beating Michigan and Kansas State become equal to each other as far as FCS victories are concerned? You certainly haven't beaten Michigan at anything, anywhere.

It's better than the online only way to watch the MAC team I mentioned for 8 of their 12 games.

No, it's not. I have watched that garbage HD channel that NDSU televises there games on. It is 100% dog s*#!. Do not try to tell anyone else otherwise.

 

[AO54]

Yes, 16th in attendance, IN THE FCS, where NDSU IS, and they are an awful FBS program. Come on now.

??? Come on where? My point is don't pretend that the awful FBS programs are better than the really good FCS programs. They're not better in any way, TV ratings, attendance, and most importantly if you want to be prepared for the Big Ten football season - THEIR FOOTBALL ABILITY.

Since when did beating Michigan and Kansas State become equal to each other as far as FCS victories are concerned? You certainly haven't beaten Michigan at anything, anywhere.

Since Appy State (FCS at the time) beat Michigan and NDSU beat the Big 12 champs K-State last Friday. NDSU is 7-3 against the FBS. They lose more often at home in the Missouri Valley than they do on the road against FBS schools. The TV ratings for the FCS national championships are better than the average game they could play on the Big Ten Network versus a bottom rung Big Ten team.

No, it's not. I have watched that garbage HD channel that NDSU televises there games on. It is 100% dog s*#!. Do not try to tell anyone else otherwise.

In case you missed it. We're celebrating over in the other thread over being able to watch the gophers vs New Mexico state on some obscure low-def channels that we didn't know we subscribed to.

 

[Ole]

??? Come on where? My point is don't pretend that the awful FBS programs are better than the really good FCS programs. They're not better in any way, TV ratings, attendance, and most importantly if you want to be prepared for the Big Ten football season - THEIR FOOTBALL ABILITY.

Since Appy State (FCS at the time) beat Michigan and NDSU beat the Big 12 champs K-State last Friday. NDSU is 7-3 against the FBS. They lose more often at home in the Missouri Valley than they do on the road against FBS schools. The TV ratings for the FCS national championships are better than the average game they could play on the Big Ten Network versus a bottom rung Big Ten team.

In case you missed it. We're celebrating over in the other thread over being able to watch the gophers vs New Mexico state on some obscure low-def channels that we didn't know we subscribed to.

No.
Awful FBS teams are still more relevant because they are FBS. They can in theory win a D1 title. Most have much better attendance/TV numbers than FCS/D2 teams in their prime years.
UNLV is more relevant to D1 football than NDSU ever will be.
Nobody watches FCS playoffs but FCS fans or bored people who'd be watching ESPN anyway.

 

[RodentRampage]

the top 15 from FCS didn't go 3-9 and that was my point. Everyone knows that Massachusetts, UNLV and New Mexico State are terrible. NDSU, South Dakota State and Northern Iowa are all much better teams and would generate more fan interest/momentum/ticket sales and tv ratings.

I don't agree. The loss in 2011 to New Mexico State was a worse loss than losing to NDSU, yet the loss to NDSU was perceived nationally as a worse loss than the NMSU loss. It may not be fair, but when you play an FCS team, the perception is the same whether you play a top FCS team or a bottom FCS team.

 

[e.bigelow]

??? Come on where? My point is don't pretend that the awful FBS programs are better than the really good FCS programs. They're not better in any way, TV ratings, attendance, and most importantly if you want to be prepared for the Big Ten football season - THEIR FOOTBALL ABILITY.

That is fair, but do not try to premise that fact with their attendance figures. They have been pretty bad for a while. Just say they are bad.

Since Appy State (FCS at the time) beat Michigan and NDSU beat the Big 12 champs K-State last Friday. NDSU is 7-3 against the FBS. They lose more often at home in the Missouri Valley than they do on the road against FBS schools. The TV ratings for the FCS national championships are better than the average game they could play on the Big Ten Network versus a bottom rung Big Ten team.

I'd like to see some figures for that.

In case you missed it. We're celebrating over in the other thread over being able to watch the gophers vs New Mexico state on some obscure low-def channels that we didn't know we subscribed to.

Very true. And, it won't be in low-def, it will be in HD, sadly. But, it is also on BTN2Go, which I may be using instead.

 

[station19]

It's not nearly worth the loss in perception of losing to one of those schools. There's so much to lose and almost nothing to gain by playing a Dakota school, especially when you consider that we compete with them every year for walk-ons. Why give them the stage of playing on television to sell their program? Let them wither on the vine in the obscurity of FCS football.

Then don't lose to them.