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...And Morgan State too...if a Maryland lawmaker gets his way...

Del. Jay Walker (D-Prince George’s) has introduced a bill requiring the Terps to play either Morgan State or Towson once every four years, arguing it would help fund the two smaller schools’ football programs. But university officials are opposing the bill, saying it would strip the Athletics Department of flexibility in scheduling and force it to subsidize the smaller programs.

“The university should be making its decisions on scheduling football, not the legislature,” university lobbyist Ross Stern said. “This really is stepping on the university’s autonomy.”

http://www.diamondbackonline.com/news/b ... -1.1115654

I believe jon has posted something about Arizona already mandating something similar...

I agree with both sides. Money runs everything though.

I think there are a few states that mandate it.

I'd like to see this in NY as well. If Buffalo is going to pay an FCS to play in Buffalo, then I think NY should have the ability to say that the money should be kept in the SUNY system and therefore they have to play either Albany or SBU (assuming they are both counters).

For states whose tax dollars don't fund athletics I'm not sure the argument is as strong.

ECU whined enough to the state legislature that UNC and NC State are now on the Pirates' schedule. There's certainly a precedence for this sort of thing.

So happy to see this. Hope it goes through. I've been saying this for some time for all the states. Penn St. should be playing Pitt 4 times a decade. Ohio St. should be playing more Ohio MAC schools over a 4 year period, etc.

Yup - in Arizona, if Arizona and Arizona State are going to schedule a FCS team, NAU gets first dibs. The schools alternate years hosting and paying NAU.

The logic is simple - if you are going to pay a guarantee to a FCS school, then it should stay in-state, if at all possible.

Plus, it allows the parents of NAU players (about half of NAU's roster is from within an hour of either ASU or UA) an easy trip to watch their sons.

If ASU or UA doesn't want to play NAU, it is real simple, don't schedule an FCS team.

dbackjon wrote:The logic is simple - if you are going to pay a guarantee to a FCS school, then it should stay in-state, if at all possible.

That is very cool. I wish something like that would be instituted for the I-A schools here in NC. State played us in 06 and ECU last year, but nary a peep from UNC, Duke or Wake Forest about playing App.

Instead the Tar Heels load up on McNeese State, Furman, The Citadel, Georgia Southern, James Madison and William & Mary all while having a more than willing I-AA school a few hours away.

Ohio State avoided in-state schools for decades before they picked up Mr. Penguin. I'm not sure who other than YSU they've scheduled in-state, though.

DBJ I like that concept. It makes a lot of sense for a state that has less FCS teams than FBS teams.

Mountaineer wrote:

dbackjon wrote:The logic is simple - if you are going to pay a guarantee to a FCS school, then it should stay in-state, if at all possible.

That is very cool. I wish something like that would be instituted for the I-A schools here in NC. State played us in 06 and ECU last year, but nary a peep from UNC, Duke or Wake Forest about playing App.

Instead the Tar Heels load up on McNeese State, Furman, The Citadel, Georgia Southern, James Madison and William & Mary all while having a more than willing I-AA school a few hours away.

To be fair, Arizona and North Carolina are vastly different in terms of FCS teams. Arizona has one, while North Carolina has App St, WCU, Elon, Campbell, Davidson, NC Central, NC A&T, Gardner-Webb and then Charlotte in 2012. So if App St starts making noise at the state legislator, then the folks at all the other schools will and it'll be muddied down.

T-Dog wrote:To be fair, Arizona and North Carolina are vastly different in terms of FCS teams. Arizona has one, while North Carolina has App St, WCU, Elon, Campbell, Davidson, NC Central, NC A&T, Gardner-Webb and then Charlotte in 2012. So if App St starts making noise at the state legislator, then the folks at all the other schools will and it'll be muddied down.

True, but conditions could be set in place for schools in the UNC system. That would leave App, WCU, Central and A&T. I couldn't care less about the private schools. And I'm not talking every year either, but throw us a bone every 5 or so.

T-Dog wrote:

Mountaineer wrote:
That is very cool. I wish something like that would be instituted for the I-A schools here in NC. State played us in 06 and ECU last year, but nary a peep from UNC, Duke or Wake Forest about playing App.

Instead the Tar Heels load up on McNeese State, Furman, The Citadel, Georgia Southern, James Madison and William & Mary all while having a more than willing I-AA school a few hours away.

To be fair, Arizona and North Carolina are vastly different in terms of FCS teams. Arizona has one, while North Carolina has App St, WCU, Elon, Campbell, Davidson, NC Central, NC A&T, Gardner-Webb and then Charlotte in 2012. So if App St starts making noise at the state legislator, then the folks at all the other schools will and it'll be muddied down.

Not all those are state schools, which should be the focus. You can let the private FBS's play the private FCS's.

All they need to do is mandate that if they are going to play an FCS, give the public FCS's, on a rotating basis, first crack.

dbackjon wrote:
Not all those are state schools, which should be the focus. You can let the private FBS's play the private FCS's.

All they need to do is mandate that if they are going to play an FCS, give the public FCS's, on a rotating basis, first crack.

Yes.

I mean, I kinda get it, but will the FCS schools still get paid? And even if they are paid, can the government(s) force an organization to pay for something they might not want (other than taxes)? Isn't the whole idea of a free market to exchange currency for services/products both the buyer and provider agree to? Towson might like it, but what if Maryland doesn't want to play them? This "force" concept seems to be treading on thin water with issues that go beyond football. And again, if Maryland has to play Towson, why would they pay if they know the games are required per the law? I'm probably just missing something here...

∞∞∞ wrote:I mean, I kinda get it, but will the FCS schools still get paid? And even if they are paid, can the government(s) force an organization to pay for something they might not want (other than taxes)? Isn't the whole idea of a free market to exchange currency for services/products both the buyer and provider agree to? Towson might like it, but what if Maryland doesn't want to play them? This "force" concept seems to be treading on thin water with issues that go beyond football. And again, if Maryland has to play Towson, why would they pay if they know the games are required per the law? I'm probably just missing something here...

If Maryland is operating its athletics budget on state funds (i.e. tax dollars) then the state has every right to mandate what they do with that money.

And Towson doesn't have to accept the game, its just a right of first refusal.

If your a state-supported FBS program that is going to pay a guarantee to an FCS school you should have to offer that guarantee to the FCS schools that are also state-supported. If that FCS school isn't a counter school or doesn't want the game (e.g. they got a better $$$ FBS game elsewhere) than fine, play whomever you'd like. But every attempt should be made to ensure that state money stays in the system if possible.

collegesportsinfo wrote:So happy to see this. Hope it goes through. I've been saying this for some time for all the states. Penn St. should be playing Pitt 4 times a decade. Ohio St. should be playing more Ohio MAC schools over a 4 year period, etc.

Agree. Penn State should be playing either Pitt or Temple every year. Since 02' in those Penn State has played Temple 5 times in 8 seasons: 03', 06', 07' @, 08', 09'. Haven't played Pitt once.

Ohio State hasn't been too bad in the same time period vs the other 8 (full scholly) Div I schools in Ohio:
02' Kent St and @ Cinn
03' Bowling Green
04' Cinn
05' Miami of Ohio
06' Cinn
07' YSU and Akron
08' YSU and Ohio U
09' @ Tol

Given that the 6 MAC schools, Cinn, and YSU are all public, I think Ohio State should have to play each once every 4 years. That would mean playing 2 a year, something they've done 3 of the last 8 years anyway. That would still leave them with 2 other OOC, one usually a BCS power, and would still leave them with 7-8 of their 12 games at home every season (in the previous 8 season 2x they had 8 home games, 5x had 7, and once had 6)

What about mandating that Penn State include Penn and Bucknell in the rotation?

SuperHornet wrote:What about mandating that Penn State include Penn and Bucknell in the rotation?

Penn State = Public

Penn & Bucknell = Private

Did you miss that this involves public only institutions???

SuperHornet wrote:What about mandating that Penn State include Penn and Bucknell in the rotation?

Why? Neither Penn nor Bucknell are state schools.

SuperHornet wrote:What about mandating that Penn State include Penn and Bucknell in the rotation?

Besides both being private as others have stated, Penn and Bucknell aren't counters. The Ivy will probably never be. Patriot might, but they won't be counters unless they give out 57 schollies.

I guess I'm on the other side of this topic. I hope nobody ever thinks LSU has to play Southern. I know one of the Southern board members suggested it once but it didn't go over well. LSU can spend their money on whoever they want. I don't even think Baton Rouge wants that matchup. xcoffeex

tampajag wrote:I guess I'm on the other side of this topic. I hope nobody ever thinks LSU has to play Southern. I know one of the Southern board members suggested it once but it didn't go over well. LSU can spend their money on whoever they want. I don't even think Baton Rouge wants that matchup. xcoffeex

Why not give those kids the opportunity to play in Death Valley?

I realize in La you have:
Southland -McNeese, Northwestern St, Nichols St, Se La,
SWAC- Southern, Grambling
Slumbelch- La Lafayette, La Monroe
WAC- La Tech.

Of those 9 other Div I in La LSU played:
02' La Laf
03' La Monroe
04' none
05' none
06' La Laf
07' none
08' none
09' La Laf

But LSU also played App State twice and the Citadel once. If they're going to be playing a I-AA, they ought to be manadated to give 1st refusal to the 1/2 doz public ones in their state. Also nothing wrong with being mandated to play at least one in state Div I opponent a year.

I'd certainly like to see UGA play Savannah State and soon Georgia State (hopefully KSU and Mercer down the road too) rather than going out of state for a paycheck game, but playing Georgia Southern is just never as pleasant as it should be... either we put "too many" points on 'em or we don't and then it becomes a "haha we almost beat you!" situation. I've never understood quite why as I like to root for the Eagles the rest of the time, wish everyone else could just be civil about it especially with what Coach Russell did for both teams... Probably opening a can of worms here but that's just how I feel about it

BDKJMU wrote:

tampajag wrote:I guess I'm on the other side of this topic. I hope nobody ever thinks LSU has to play Southern. I know one of the Southern board members suggested it once but it didn't go over well. LSU can spend their money on whoever they want. I don't even think Baton Rouge wants that matchup. xcoffeex

Why not give those kids the opportunity to play in Death Valley?

I realize in La you have:
Southland -McNeese, Northwestern St, Nichols St, Se La,
SWAC- Southern, Grambling
Slumbelch- La Lafayette, La Monroe
WAC- La Tech.

LSU is playing McN and NWST the next two years...

Apparently in works to play Nich and SLU after that. I do not know where the SWAC schools stand on this one.

dbackjon wrote:Yup - in Arizona, if Arizona and Arizona State are going to schedule a FCS team, NAU gets first dibs. The schools alternate years hosting and paying NAU.

The logic is simple - if you are going to pay a guarantee to a FCS school, then it should stay in-state, if at all possible.

Plus, it allows the parents of NAU players (about half of NAU's roster is from within an hour of either ASU or UA) an easy trip to watch their sons.

If ASU or UA doesn't want to play NAU, it is real simple, don't schedule an FCS team.

I like it!