College football playoff thread: A Tournament, a Tournament, a Tournament of Lies

[BitterYoungMatador2]

1960 Pirates over the Yankees

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

I don’t blame the Dakota and Montana schools for not moving up though. For one thing they are all together at that level. For another, population limits will never let them scratch out consistent success in FBS the way the former SoCon schools have, to name one example.

Montana isn't moving up unless Bozeman is part of the package, and for some reason the people behind the second-rate FBS conferences don't want Bozeman (they cite the stadium, which is about the size of Montana's stadium so I don't understand the problem).

 

[micropolitan guy]

I don’t blame the Dakota and Montana schools for not moving up though. For one thing they are all together at that level. For another, population limits will never let them scratch out consistent success in FBS the way the former SoCon schools have, to name one example.

Me neither. They are successful and happy right where they are.

 

[DanOregon]

Not to bring James Franklin back into the conversation, but can you imagine the travel for some of these FCS schools if they had to take five or six plane trips? I have to think its a two hour bus ride just to the closest runway that can handle a 737. At both ends.

 

[Della9250]

 

[Bubbler]

I don’t blame the Dakota and Montana schools for not moving up though. For one thing they are all together at that level. For another, population limits will never let them scratch out consistent success in FBS the way the former SoCon schools have, to name one example.

Can’t speak for the Montana schools, but North Dakota State would stab several hobos to move up to FBS if given the chance. South Dakota State, which rebuilt its stadium from dump to gem in the 2010s, would likely follow them. The Dakota schools have some serious financial benefactors, particularly the Sanford health organization.

Problem is that they’re on the island of misfit toys as far as value to an existing FBS conference is concerned. Travel to the Dakotas is an expensive pain in the ass even for the relatively close MVFC schools. Only NDSU is directly in a remotely urban market, and besides, the Dakota schools collectively offer nothing to another conference in terms of TV market value. And, as mentioned, for all of their collective devotion to football, I don’t think there’s 2 million people combined in the Dakotas.

However, in nearly every other sense, they should be FBS … which begs the question. Why in the hell don’t they challenge the NCAA rule where you have to be invited by a conference to move up? I mean, what the ****? Are we playing by vampire rules here?

The NCAA has had its ass handed to them in court on issues less cut-and-dried than this one. Putting an artificial restraint on their ability to play at that level strikes me as legally dubious.

The MVFC, or some new combination of the best of the MVFC and Big Sky schools who have resources to realistically compete in FBS, should challenge the move-up rule in court. I think they’d win or settle favorably beforehand.

If Missouri State, which was almost always dog-ass in the MVFC, can move up and win right away, God knows what the actual quality programs in the MVFC and Big Sky might accomplish.

 

[dixiehack]

Liberty already sued them and either got an injunction or the NCAA agreed to an exception so they didn’t get their asses handed to them in court.

 

[Bubbler]

Forgot about that. There are cost concerns about moving up, but these days, there are cost concerns about not moving up too.

 

[tapintoamerica]

That may be the dullest SEC Shorts I can remember. Maybe I’m just burned out at the end.

Agreed. Part of the problem is that the games are over and the coaching changes are over. Not as much to lampoon.

 

[BTExpress]

If the Dakota schools not invited by a conference and move up anyway . . . who's on their schedule?

 

[micropolitan guy]

If the Dakota schools not invited by a conference and move up anyway . . . who's on their schedule?

Unless they have been invited to join an FBS conference, the NCAA will deny their bid to move up. They set this precedent with Sacramento State this past offseason. No invitation, no move.

 

[BTExpress]

My hypothetical was based on the NCAA losing in court (or allowing it for fear of losing in court).

Had Sacramento State been allowed to move up without a conference invitation, who would they have played?

 

[tapintoamerica]

My hypothetical was based on the NCAA losing in court (or allowing it for fear of losing in court).

Had Sacramento State been allowed to move up without a conference invitation, who would they have played?

Lot of road games. With nice guarantees. Home games against D-II teams.

 

[BTExpress]

I guess. Can't imagine how hard it would be to fill a dance card from scratch with prospective opponents having even fewer non-conference games available.

 

[Bubbler]

If the Dakota schools not invited by a conference and move up anyway . . . who's on their schedule?

That’s one reason why they’d need partners. Montana, Montana State, Illinois State, Youngstown State, probably Northern Iowa, maybe Southern Illinois, the other two Dakota schools could plausibly do it, though their indoor stadia are small. There are others.

 

[Cosmo]

The only reason Liberty was allowed to move up was because they were prepared to sue the bejesus out of the NCAA and the NCAA blinked.

 

[dixiehack]

If the Dakota schools not invited by a conference and move up anyway . . . who's on their schedule?

PAC-12 schools will only have seven league games and the Mountain West only eight. Lots of vacancies off the bat there. UConn is also an independent needing to fill out games so that’s a natural fit. MAC schools would be willing to go home-and-home. And as long as it counts as an FBS win, lots of big schools will be happy to stick them in the body bag rotation.

 

[waterytart]

The only reason Liberty was allowed to move up was because they were prepared to sue the bejesus out of the NCAA and the NCAA blinked.

Pun intended?

 

[Bud_Bundy]

Which is how Liberty Christian stared down the Virginia High School League and the VHSL caved.

The only reason Liberty was allowed to move up was because they were prepared to sue the bejesus out of the NCAA and the N