2022 FCS Non-NDSU Thread

[B.Schlossman Fan Club]

Better start this thread for 2022

Austin Peay giving WKU a run for their money

[El_Chapo]

Go Peay !!!!!

[BigHorns]

Bryant winning 23 -20 over FIU with 5 minutes left.
Looks like a high school game.

[El_Chapo]

Akron barely beat St Francis? lol wut?

[BigHorns]

Akron barely beat St Francis? lol wut?

If you watch some of these games, it's even worse than the scoreboard.
Empty stadiums, and its barely Div 2 football really.

Most of the remaining CUSA, and a couple of the MAC teams are bad.
Very very bad. It's like they don't understand fundamentals.
Completely different universe than what the rest of FBS is.

At least MAC has a few teams that are also ok.
We would still rule the MAC though, it would be about like MVFC.

[El_Chapo]

Schedule Involving FCS Teams Tonight Lehigh at 6-Villanova, 6 (FloSports) Eastern Kentucky at Eastern Kentucky, 7 (ESPN3) 16-Holy Cross at Merrimack, 7 (NEC Front Row) William & Mary at Charlotte, 7 (ESPN3) Tennessee Tech at Kansas, 8 (ESPN+)

[BISONBRI53]

Schedule Involving FCS Teams Tonight Lehigh at 6-Villanova, 6 (FloSports) Eastern Kentucky at Eastern Kentucky, 7 (ESPN3) 16-Holy Cross at Merrimack, 7 (NEC Front Row) William & Mary at Charlotte, 7 (ESPN3) Tennessee Tech at Kansas, 8 (ESPN+)

Who won the Eastern Kentucky game? :frog:

[tony]

Well, the MVFC didn't crap the bed completely. Indiana State and Missouri State winning was good but the teams they beat were not. And at least Western Illinois lost to a future MVFC member.

Unranked Samford beating #8 Kennesaw State will probably be pretty big for playoff positioning. The Samford QB didn't look like he had the best arm, but he still managed to be very good.

Also, I watched a bit of Campbell vs the Citadel - the Camels looked pretty good to me.

[NDSU92]

Well, the MVFC didn't crap the bed completely. Indiana State and Missouri State winning was good but the teams they beat were not. And at least Western Illinois lost to a future MVFC member.

Unranked Samford beating #8 Kennesaw State will probably be pretty big for playoff positioning. The Samford QB didn't look like he had the best arm, but he still managed to be very good.

Also, I watched a bit of Campbell vs the Citadel - the Camels looked pretty good to me.

Watchu talkin'bout willis? Did I miss something or is this tongue-in-cheek?

[tony]

Watchu talkin'bout willis? Did I miss something or is this tongue-in-cheek?

It's a choose-your-own adventure.

[BigHorns]

Well, the MVFC didn't crap the bed completely. Indiana State and Missouri State winning was good but the teams they beat were not. And at least Western Illinois lost to a future MVFC member.

Unranked Samford beating #8 Kennesaw State will probably be pretty big for playoff positioning. The Samford QB didn't look like he had the best arm, but he still managed to be very good.

Also, I watched a bit of Campbell vs the Citadel - the Camels looked pretty good to me.

I think Campbell is going to surprise some people. Definitely a team to watch.
Next year they could be one of the top CAA teams.

[El_Chapo]

William and Mary beating Charlotte

27 24 11 min left

crowd is 50% W & M and they going wild

[El_Chapo]

34-24. I should be a pro gambler

Kev. where's that referral code??

EDIT: 41-24. W & M look top.10 fcs

[TAILG8R]

William and Mary beating Charlotte

27 24 11 min left

crowd is 50% W & M and they going wildWho is Charlotte and what the hell conference is W&M even in?

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[El_Chapo]

Who is Charlotte and what the hell conference is W&M even in?

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Charlotte CUSA

W & M = CAA

[BigHorns]

Delaware takes down Navy today 14-7

[tony]

Trevor G. spotted this in the wild: Trevor Gebhart on Twitter: "Bryant Bulldogs �� NDSU Bison" / Twitter (https://twitter.com/trevg3/status/1565828871705985024)

Bryant took FIU to OT. They are actually not that new to the FCS - they joined the year after UND and going into Saturday had a .514 winning percentage as an FCS school (.001 better than UND, fwiw.)

[BigHorns]

Trevor G. spotted this in the wild: Trevor Gebhart on Twitter: "Bryant Bulldogs �� NDSU Bison" / Twitter (https://twitter.com/trevg3/status/1565828871705985024)

Bryant took FIU to OT. They are actually not that new to the FCS - they joined the year after UND and going into Saturday had a .514 winning percentage as an FCS school (.001 better than UND, fwiw.)

LOL at the Louisiana Tech fan trying to talk up Bryant as the next NDSU.

FIU is simply horrible. I watched that game, and it looked like high school ball. It was bad.
CUSA is quickly becoming a joke.

Their "best" team that will remain is WKU.
WKU barely got past Austin Peay, then beat a bad Hawaii team.
Hawaii got blown out by Vanderbilt.

[bruinbison]

Interesting article on 6-0 Holy Cross, perhaps a new face NDSU could see in the playoffs.

https://herosports.com/fcs-football-holy-cross-accomplish-more-firsts-mnmn/

Fifth-year coach Bob Chesney has built a nice program with Holy Cross ranked 8th in FCS. The wins against Yale and Harvard caught my attention, as people have wondered what the Ivy Leaguers might do in the FCS playoffs if they chose to participate. Plus the Buffalo win is nice.

[B.Schlossman Fan Club]

Montana does not look very impressive. Only up 13-12 to Idaho right now. I think a Valley team with a good run game could easily beat them if they also have a decent secondary. The Big Sky will not get a title if they can’t stop the run or run it themselves. The Big Fluffy is still soft. Saying Montana is one of the few teams that are good enough to win a title is an insult to the other sect conferences like the CAA!

[taper]

Just watch. Assuming NDSU, SDSU, and any 2 of Mont St, Weber, and Sac St win out(would be FCS undefeated) the top seeds will be
1. SDSU
2. Big Sky #1
3. Big Sky #2
4. NDSU
Look at the semifinals to see why.

[BigHorns]

Just watch. Assuming NDSU, SDSU, and any 2 of Mont St, Weber, and Sac St win out(would be FCS undefeated) the top seeds will be
1. SDSU
2. Big Sky #1
3. Big Sky #2
4. NDSU
Look at the semifinals to see why.

Ugh, hope not.
While I think we beat the bunnies next time, I'd rather play a big fluffy team before frisco.

[gavin2126]

Just watch. Assuming NDSU, SDSU, and any 2 of Mont St, Weber, and Sac St win out(would be FCS undefeated) the top seeds will be
1. SDSU
2. Big Sky #1
3. Big Sky #2
4. NDSU
Look at the semifinals to see why.There's a 50/50 chance we're on the same side of the bracket

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[EC8CH]

There's a 50/50 chance we're on the same side of the bracket

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https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CSnNtdAWwAASwkK.jpg

[ByeSonBusiness]

Montana does not look very impressive. Only up 13-12 to Idaho right now. I think a Valley team with a good run game could easily beat them if they also have a decent secondary. The Big Sky will not get a title if they can’t stop the run or run it themselves. The Big Fluffy is still soft. Saying Montana is one of the few teams that are good enough to win a title is an insult to the other sect conferences like the CAA!

Idaho is undefeated against FCS teams and has two respectable P5 losses. Idk if they are very good or not, but their resume is pretty solid after today.

[bruinbison]

Idaho is undefeated against FCS teams and has two respectable P5 losses. Idk if they are very good or not, but their resume is pretty solid after today.

Idaho is coached by Coach Stig’s former OC, Coach Eck. He is in his 1st season there.
Idaho, having dropped down from FBS a few years ago, seems to be finding their footing after rejoining the Big Sky Conference.

It was nice the Big Sky Conference let Idaho back in as a member,
if I remember correctly Idaho had trouble with geography
in the FBS, plus the Mountain West Conference wasn’t interested in them.
There is something familiar about those problems, just can’t pin my finger on it……

https://govandals.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/jason-eck/722

[bruinbison]

Saturday, October 22, 2022 Big Sky Schedule includes

Portland State
2-4
Idaho
4-2

Weber State
6-0
Montana State
6-1

Montana
5-1
Sacramento State
6-0

Bad news, With Sacramento State and Weber State still undefeated, Montana State at one loss, could see 2 loss NDSU falling to 4th or worse in the polls. But the good news is the rest of the season’s schedule……

[bruinbison]

Here is how Sam Herder voted for this week’s poll

12. Jackson State

11. Montana

10. Delaware

9. William & Mary

8. Idaho

7. Holy Cross

6. Mercer

5. Montana State

4. Sacramento State

3. North Dakota State

2. Weber State

1. South Dakota State

[El_Chapo]

trash programs.

listen FCS is NDSU & SDSU. 1 2 2 1 1 2 whichever. everyone else is a notch below. it's just the truth

ndsu was up 28-7 on SDSU b4 that BS celebration penalty.

[KSBisonFan]

trash programs.

listen FCS is NDSU & SDSU. 1 2 2 1 1 2 whichever. everyone else is a notch below. it's just the truth

ndsu was up 28-7 on SDSU b4 that BS celebration penalty.

The penalty didn't take points off the board. The interception did.

[NDSUBowler]

I absolutely HATE how much love Jackson State gets. The HBCU conferences as a whole have created this whole aura of "we are as good as the rest of the FCS, we just don't play them to find out" and it drives me nuts.

Jackson State has a SoS of 254 (out of 261 d1 teams) and is getting first place votes in this week's stats top 25 and it's incredibly unearned and undeserved. I am hoping some conference team beats them and steals their bid away to their bowl game so the FCS committee gives them an at large like FAMU last year and then they get stomped by a mid-tier FCS team like SIU in opening weekend, just like FAMU.

[GreenfieldBison]

I absolutely HATE how much love Jackson State gets. The HBCU conferences as a whole have created this whole aura of "we are as good as the rest of the FCS, we just don't play them to find out" and it drives me nuts.

Jackson State has a SoS of 254 (out of 261 d1 teams) and is getting first place votes in this week's stats top 25 and it's incredibly unearned and undeserved. I am hoping some conference team beats them and steals their bid away to their bowl game so the FCS committee gives them an at large like FAMU last year and then they get stomped by a mid-tier FCS team like SIU in opening weekend, just like FAMU.

So, I'll just take a WAG then and assume you were/are not a fan of this 60 Minutes piece last night either then.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jz1YfvAw5Ow

[NDSUBowler]

So, I'll just take a WAG then and assume you were/are not a fan of this 60 Minutes piece last night either then.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jz1YfvAw5Ow

OH CMON!!!!

I will spite watch this eventually, but congrats on building the brand of being the best of the worst.

National media loves them some Jackson State since they know nothing about FCS anyways. Everyone thinks they are good.

[BigHorns]

I absolutely HATE how much love Jackson State gets. The HBCU conferences as a whole have created this whole aura of "we are as good as the rest of the FCS, we just don't play them to find out" and it drives me nuts.

Jackson State has a SoS of 254 (out of 261 d1 teams) and is getting first place votes in this week's stats top 25 and it's incredibly unearned and undeserved. I am hoping some conference team beats them and steals their bid away to their bowl game so the FCS committee gives them an at large like FAMU last year and then they get stomped by a mid-tier FCS team like SIU in opening weekend, just like FAMU.

It is a bit crazy really. They are already getting some buzz about FBS too.
I'd like to see us draw them in the playoffs somehow.

it would get hyped up, and likely tons of viewers.

[bruinbison]

Looking forward to this:

No. 7 Montana (5-1) heads to No. 2 Sacramento State (6-0). The night game will be televised on ESPN2.

https://herosports.com/fcs-football-2022-sac-state-montana-preview-bzbz/

And this:

No. 5 Weber State visits No. 3 Montana State. ESPN+ 2:00

https://herosports.com/fcs-football-2022-montana-state-weber-preview-bzbz/

[KSBisonFan]

Looking forward to this:

No. 7 Montana (5-1) heads to No. 2 Sacramento State (6-0). The night game will be televised on ESPN2.

https://herosports.com/fcs-football-2022-sac-state-montana-preview-bzbz/

And this:

No. 5 Weber State visits No. 3 Montana State. ESPN+ 2:00

https://herosports.com/fcs-football-2022-montana-state-weber-preview-bzbz/

Should be some good games.
I expect UND to give the rabbits all they can handle and won't be surprised if the bunnies lose.

[Bisman]

The Colonial Athletic Association is expanding to 15 (football) schools in 2023.

The burgeoning Colonial Athletic Association has expanded further, announcing Wednesday morning that Campbell University will become an all-sports member in July of 2023.

The Camels, from Buies Creek, North Carolina, will push CAA full-time membership to 14 schools, following the addition earlier this year of Stony Brook, Monmouth, Hampton and North Carolina A&T.

Those three joined Delaware, Drexel, Hofstra, Northeastern, Towson, William & Mary, UNC-Wilmington, Elon and the College of Charleston in the NCAA Division I league beginning this summer. Longtime

CAA school James Madison departed this summer for the Sun Belt Conference.

Campbell, which is presently a member of the Big South, does play FCS-level football.

That addition will give the CAA 15 football schools in 2023 — Delaware and seven other full-time CAA schools, plus football-only associate members Villanova of the Big East, New Hampshire, Maine and

Albany of America East and the Atlantic 10's Richmond and Rhode Island.

Campbell is a private school that had an undergraduate enrollment of just 3,325 in 2021-22 though graduate and professional students pushed total enrollment past 5,600.

[bruinbison]

Campbell plays at #9 Jackson State today

https://herosports.com/fcs-football-week-8-predictions-weber-montana-state-bzbz/

[bruinbison]

Should be some good games.
I expect UND to give the rabbits all they can handle and won't be surprised if the bunnies lose.

Is there a way both teams can lose by 3 TD’s??? :nod:

[EC8CH]

Is there a way both teams can lose by 3 TD’s??? :nod:

Giant Meteor day today.

[Professor Chaos]

Looking forward to this:

No. 7 Montana (5-1) heads to No. 2 Sacramento State (6-0). The night game will be televised on ESPN2.

https://herosports.com/fcs-football-2022-sac-state-montana-preview-bzbz/

And this:

No. 5 Weber State visits No. 3 Montana State. ESPN+ 2:00

https://herosports.com/fcs-football-2022-montana-state-weber-preview-bzbz/
Also Mercer @ Chattanooga, Campbell @ Jackson St (pretty much the last team with a pulse JSU will play until the SWAC title game or Celebration Bowl), and Elon @ UNH. A lot of good games around the FCS today... still wish the Bison were playing today instead of having to ruminate on that traveshamockery from last week for another 7 days.

[bruinbison]

There are some FCS teams with really good records so far.

If either Weber State or Sacramento State can win out, they would be worthy of a top-2 seed.
And others, like SEMO & Mercer + Chattanooga have yet to lose to a FCS team.
Are they contenders or pretenders to a couple wins in the playoffs?
Mercer plays Chatty today, so that will take care of one of the perfect FCS records.

[Kevin]

I’m for whatever outcome ends with Ndsu and sdsu on opposite brackets.

I want to take their souls in frisco.

Assuming they didn’t sell them at half time last week to get that win.

[scottietohottie]

I just realized it's a bye week eh.

[Kevin]

I just realized it's a bye week eh.

And the defense still gave up 12.5 yards per carry.

[KSBisonFan]

Weber is destroying MSU's special teams. 100 yd kickoff return, 91 yd punt return and a blocked FG. Bobcats look one dimensional with QB runs by Mellott. Weber looks legit.

[bruinbison]

Isaiah Davis out, Tucker Kraft in, Fighting Hawks lead 7-0 in 1st qtr

[KSBisonFan]

Weber is destroying MSU's special teams. 100 yd kickoff return, 91 yd punt return and a blocked FG. Bobcats look one dimensional with QB runs by Mellott. Weber looks legit.

Bobcats storm back to lead 27-24 at half.

[KSBisonFan]

USD beats #14 SIU.

[NDSU92]

Weber is destroying MSU's special teams. 100 yd kickoff return, 91 yd punt return and a blocked FG. Bobcats look one dimensional with QB runs by Mellott. Weber looks legit.

Lol yeah are they? Haven’t they literally given up 4 safeties from their longsnapper? Haha

[TAILG8R]

Lol yeah are they? Haven’t they literally given up 4 safeties from their longsnapper? HahaJust read that headline. How on the heck is that even possible???

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[KSBisonFan]

Lol yeah are they? Haven’t they literally given up 4 safeties from their longsnapper? Haha

When I posted, Weber had only given up 1 safety.:sigpalm: Bizarre and a record that will likely never be broken.

[NDSU92]

When I posted, Weber had only given up 1 safety.:sigpalm: Bizarre and a record that will likely never be broken.

Ha I figured. I am going to love hearing the backstory on this

[Kevin]

Mellon ran for 270 and 3 td’s. Gotta love the big fluffy.

[Son of a Bison]

ESPN 2 now. Now 3 (Ball) Sac St vs 7 G(r)iz

Wonder who explodes for the win.

[ndsubison1]

Grizz QB got rocked pretty good with a helmet to helmet. We'll see if he comes back in.

[runtheoption]

Sac State wins in OT.

[BigHorns]

Looks like Holy Cross and UIW will be #5/6 this week.
Wonder if Montana drops below Jackson St also.

Its a shame JSU won't be in the playoffs.

[NDSU92]

Looks like Holy Cross and UIW will be #5/6 this week.
Wonder if Montana drops below Jackson St also.

Its a shame JSU won't be in the playoffs.

I mean I’m of the opinion that the FCS playoffs should be reserved for the best teams

[BigHorns]

I mean I’m of the opinion that the FCS playoffs should be reserved for the best teams

I get that, but they are likely to be ranked in the top 7 or 8 this week.

If the SWAC sent their best team instead of runner up, it could be tested.
As it stands now, JSU can keep winning against crap teams and end up ranked in the top 2 or 3, maybe even #1

How much would it suck to see them listed as the #1 FCS team?
The playoffs help sort out who is legit and who is a pretender.

[td577]

I get that, but they are likely to be ranked in the top 7 or 8 this week.

If the SWAC sent their best team instead of runner up, it could be tested.
As it stands now, JSU can keep winning against crap teams and end up ranked in the top 2 or 3, maybe even #1

How much would it suck to see them listed as the #1 FCS team?
The playoffs help sort out who is legit and who is a pretender.Jsu has the 13th easiest schedule in all of D1 football. They are not a legitimate ranked team. They would maybe give the bottom 3 schools in the valley a run. Against top 10 fcs school, they would lose by at least 2 scores.

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[NDSU92]

I get that, but they are likely to be ranked in the top 7 or 8 this week.

If the SWAC sent their best team instead of runner up, it could be tested.
As it stands now, JSU can keep winning against crap teams and end up ranked in the top 2 or 3, maybe even #1

How much would it suck to see them listed as the #1 FCS team?
The playoffs help sort out who is legit and who is a pretender.

SWAC/MEAC/Ivy shouldn’t be considered “FCS” it’s ridiculous. Always has been. I won’t get into why they’re being voted as highly as they are.

The problem is that most schools in FCS don’t take it that seriously. Coaches poll, playoff seeding, letting conferences be a part of FCS that refuse to participate in the playoffs, the 2020 spring season debacle. That much has been apparent for a long time now.

[scottietohottie]

Ignorance is bliss eh.

[BigHorns]

SWAC/MEAC/Ivy shouldn’t be considered “FCS” it’s ridiculous. Always has been. I won’t get into why they’re being voted as highly as they are.

The problem is that most schools in FCS don’t take it that seriously. Coaches poll, playoff seeding, letting conferences be a part of FCS that refuse to participate in the playoffs, the 2020 spring season debacle. That much has been apparent for a long time now.

Could probably include the NEC and Pioneer leagues in that too, but where do you draw the line?
The Big South is pretty weak, and the SLC is depleted too. So only keep the Power 3 of MVFC, Big Sky and CAA?

fwiw - some of the SEC and B1G schools feel the exact same way about a couple of the G5 conferences, and maybe they are right.
UMass, Charlotte, FIU and some others would lose to many fcs schools. FIU almost lost to Bryant.

[NDSU92]

Could probably include the NEC and Pioneer leagues in that too, but where do you draw the line?
The Big South is pretty weak, and the SLC is depleted too. So only keep the Power 3 of MVFC, Big Sky and CAA?

fwiw - some of the SEC and B1G schools feel the exact same way about a couple of the G5 conferences, and maybe they are right.
UMass, Charlotte, FIU and some others would lose to many fcs schools. FIU almost lost to Bryant.

If FCS were to come together as a whole and take it seriously - which will never happen for about 120 reasons - I'd just do what FBS does:

-Conference doesn't participate in the playoffs? You're out
-Conference doesn't fully fund scholarships? You're out

You're either a fully-committed D1 institution with a football team, a fully-committed D1 institution without a football team or not a D1 institution. Anything else ruins the brand of FCS, and tarnishes the experience for players and fans. The way it is set up now there is way, way more parity at FBS than FCS. Which is super strange and not the way it should be.

Then you could get started with the playoffs. Now that you don't have the bottom 4-ish conferences, you can get rid of the autobids. 80 teams left battle for 12-16 spots, all at-large and all seeded.

[BigHorns]

If FCS were to come together as a whole and take it seriously - which will never happen for about 120 reasons - I'd just do what FBS does:

-Conference doesn't participate in the playoffs? You're out
-Conference doesn't fully fund scholarships? You're out

You're either a fully-committed D1 institution with a football team, a fully-committed D1 institution without a football team or not a D1 institution. Anything else ruins the brand of FCS, and tarnishes the experience for players and fans. The way it is set up now there is way, way more parity at FBS than FCS. Which is super strange and not the way it should be.

Then you could get started with the playoffs. Now that you don't have the bottom 4-ish conferences, you can get rid of the autobids. 80 teams left battle for 12-16 spots, all at-large and all seeded.

Colley Matrix suggests that isn't true. The SEC is 40-5 in out of conference play.
Perhaps the top 7 conference (P5 + AAC/SBC) have some degree of parity.
The bottom 3 don't, and CUSA should just drop back to FCS the way they are going.

I do agree it should be a requirement to fund at least 90% of the scholarships like FBS does.
There is still a gap in FBS, because many of the P5 are now funding walkons with NIL money.

[NDSU92]

Colley Matrix suggests that isn't true. The SEC is 40-5 in out of conference play.
Perhaps the top 7 conference (P5 + AAC/SBC) have some degree of parity.
The bottom 3 don't, and CUSA should just drop back to FCS the way they are going.

I do agree it should be a requirement to fund at least 90% of the scholarships like FBS does.
There is still a gap in FBS, because many of the P5 are now funding walkons with NIL money.

Yeah, you're right I was being dramatic with my "way, way more parity" comment. I will say though that the way I look at it, the FCS should have way, way more parity than FBS and it doesn't. CUSA should be FCS, no doubt.

The cause of the gap at the FBS level is the stupid money budgets at the top, which is to be expected at the top of the college sports pyramid. The cause of the gap at the FCS level is due to there being schools at the bottom of the subdivision who have no scholarships, no COA and no NIL. They belong in lower levels of the pyramid.

[Hammerhead]

IMHO, if you can't fund the equivalent of 45 scholarships for football you should either drop football or go down to D-II. My second choice would be to have three subdivisions with something like 80 in the top subdivision, 100 in the middle with 45-65 scholarships required, and 80 who don't want to be in the playoffs or have minimum scholarships.



Yeah, you're right I was being dramatic with my "way, way more parity" comment. I will say though that the way I look at it, the FCS should have way, way more parity than FBS and it doesn't. CUSA should be FCS, no doubt.

The cause of the gap at the FBS level is the stupid money budgets at the top, which is to be expected at the top of the college sports pyramid. The cause of the gap at the FCS level is due to there being schools at the bottom of the subdivision who have no scholarships, no COA and no NIL. They belong in lower levels of the pyramid.

[ByeSonBusiness]

If FCS were to come together as a whole and take it seriously - which will never happen for about 120 reasons - I'd just do what FBS does:

-Conference doesn't participate in the playoffs? You're out
-Conference doesn't fully fund scholarships? You're out

You're either a fully-committed D1 institution with a football team, a fully-committed D1 institution without a football team or not a D1 institution. Anything else ruins the brand of FCS, and tarnishes the experience for players and fans. The way it is set up now there is way, way more parity at FBS than FCS. Which is super strange and not the way it should be.

Then you could get started with the playoffs. Now that you don't have the bottom 4-ish conferences, you can get rid of the autobids. 80 teams left battle for 12-16 spots, all at-large and all seeded.

This doesn't make sense to me.

FCS serves several purposes, and your proposal would frustrate all of them, including your own.

You want the FCS brand to shine? Telling the Ivy League they can't play football anymore doesn't help anyone. Telling the Pioneer League, NEC, etc doesn't help anyone. All it does is shuts down football programs.

[NDSU92]

This doesn't make sense to me.

FCS serves several purposes, and your proposal would frustrate all of them, including your own.

You want the FCS brand to shine? Telling the Ivy League they can't play football anymore doesn't help anyone. Telling the Pioneer League, NEC, etc doesn't help anyone. All it does is shuts down football programs.

It doesn't force anyone to shut down. It forces them to either commit to being a D1 athletic department (with or without a football team) or not being a D1 athletic department. There is absolutely 0 legit reason why the Ivies can't provide scholarships or participate in the playoffs, besides pandering about academic impacts. There is 0 legit reason why the MEAC and SWAC should be getting ranked in the top 25 and receiving a post-season bid if they aren't going to send their best teams to the playoffs or aren't going to schedule (m)any games against non-HBCU schools.

There's a handful of reasons why/how FCS is hurt by the current set-up:

-Skews the market for FCS/FBS games. No one in their right mind schedules NDSU for FBS games because there's some no-scholly or partial-scholly team nearby that plays at a D2 level. Meanwhile all FCS games are considered the same in the eyes of media/selection committee/casual fans/etc. Refer to the articles that came out calling for an end to the FBS/FCS games when savannah state was losing two FBS games each year by 80 points.
-Messes up the playoffs when teams get an autobid from a conference that doesn't even allow them to provide full scholarships if they wanted to.
-Forces the NCAA to jump through a bunch of ridiculous hoops surrounding playoff seeding/hosting/regionalization because there are a bunch of "D1" programs who don't even want to be in the playoffs because it costs money.

I've already said it's not going to happen. I fully understand why it's set up the way it is. To me it would just make sense to have those conferences compete in an "Independent" D1 subdivision. In my head I can't think of any other sports league where teams are said to be competing, but choose to not participate in the playoffs or have their own separate sub-playoff that pre-empts their league's playoff system.

[BigHorns]

Yeah, you're right I was being dramatic with my "way, way more parity" comment. I will say though that the way I look at it, the FCS should have way, way more parity than FBS and it doesn't. CUSA should be FCS, no doubt.

The cause of the gap at the FBS level is the stupid money budgets at the top, which is to be expected at the top of the college sports pyramid. The cause of the gap at the FCS level is due to there being schools at the bottom of the subdivision who have no scholarships, no COA and no NIL. They belong in lower levels of the pyramid.

Arguably, in both FBS and FCS it is the funding and budgets that cause the huge gaps.
Bottom of FCS doesn't have the scholarships or COA because of money.
What we see as reasonable spending levels the Patriot or NEC would say is stupid big money.

The top of FBS is now approaching $100m/year and up in spending.

Ideally, this would be split into 3 tiers: "high fbs" (elite), "mid/low fbs and power 2/3 FCS" and remainder of FCS.
Separate the tiers largely by spending levels.

There is a chance something like this evolves in the next 5-10 years, especially if the FBS committee ups the standards in a way that disqualifies some schools/conferences like cusa. They've talked about separation based on spending levels, and they aren't planning to grandfather/exempt anyone from the new standards.

[NDSU92]

Arguably, in both FBS and FCS it is the funding and budgets that cause the huge gaps.
Bottom of FCS doesn't have the scholarships or COA because of money.
What we see as reasonable spending levels the Patriot or NEC would say is stupid big money.

The top of FBS is now approaching $100m/year and up in spending.

Ideally, this would be split into 3 tiers: "high fbs" (elite), "mid/low fbs and power 2/3 FCS" and remainder of FCS.
Separate the tiers largely by spending levels.

There is a chance something like this evolves in the next 5-10 years, especially if the FBS committee ups the standards in a way that disqualifies some schools/conferences like cusa. They've talked about separation based on spending levels, and they aren't planning to grandfather/exempt anyone from the new standards.

If D1 football programs think NDSU's budget is stupid big money, I would suggest they move down to D2 where they belong lol. Bottom of FCS doesn't have money for FCS level scholarships? Then why are they FCS?

[BigHorns]

If D1 football programs think NDSU's budget is stupid big money, I would suggest they move down to D2 where they belong lol. Bottom of FCS doesn't have money for FCS level scholarships? Then why are they FCS?

That's a fair point. Just saying the issues we see in FCS also exist at the FBS level.
OSU and Alabama likely feel the same way about SHSU, Kennesaw and FIU.
It's not so different. It's also why they won't be giving every conference a CFP bid ... ever.