One More Auto-bid…

[Mvemjsunpx]

The Ivy League will fiiiinnnnaaalllllyyyyy participate in the FCS playoffs.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/s ... l-playoffs

[canyoncat]

This is great news! Would love to see the Cats playing at or hosting one of the Ivies.

[89Hen]

Long overdue... of course they waited until I-AA has become a shell of its former self.

[Caribbean Hen]

Long overdue... of course they waited until I-AA has become a shell of its former self.

this is good news for FCS

[Gil Dobie]

Great addition to the playoffs.

[Gil Dobie]

Long overdue... of course they waited until I-AA has become a shell of its former self.

FCS power moved West.

Montana Grizzlies haven't won since all the other teams left. They won twice with the old guard. Now they aren't even the best program west of old muddy, or even their own state.

[Bobcat]

Yeah the Grizz have definitely fell on hard times. Its amazing how bad they have been for as long as its been. Wasnt the new old coach supposed to return them to dominance, how long does that take?

Its even more glaring that they cant compete in the current FCS as weak as it is. Thats how far they have slid.

[Caribbean Hen]

Yeah the Grizz have definitely fell on hard times. Its amazing how bad they have been for as long as its been. Wasnt the new old coach supposed to return them to dominance, how long does that take?

Its even more glaring that they cant compete in the current FCS as weak as it is. Thats how far they have slid.

I actually saw some empty seats in that early playoff game

[Mvemjsunpx]

Yeah the Grizz have definitely fell on hard times. Its amazing how bad they have been for as long as its been. Wasnt the new old coach supposed to return them to dominance, how long does that take?

Its even more glaring that they cant compete in the current FCS as weak as it is. Thats how far they have slid.

I actually saw some empty seats in that early playoff game

To be fair, the Griz have never sold out Thanksgiving weekend once.

On the other hand, that game had the lowest attendance for a Griz home game since 1995 (not counting the socially distanced Spring '21 games).

[kalm]

Yeah the Grizz have definitely fell on hard times. Its amazing how bad they have been for as long as its been. Wasnt the new old coach supposed to return them to dominance, how long does that take?

Its even more glaring that they cant compete in the current FCS as weak as it is. Thats how far they have slid.

I actually saw some empty seats in that early playoff game

Every playoff venue has empty seats..

Welcome to FCS!

[Caribbean Hen]

I actually saw some empty seats in that early playoff game

Every playoff venue has empty seats..

Welcome to FCS!

Are you welcoming Montana to FCS?

Montana always had less empty seats and many times none

But you had to know that right

I was surprised to see that many empty seats at a Montana playoff game

[kalm]

Every playoff venue has empty seats..

Welcome to FCS!

Are you welcoming Montana to FCS?

Montana always had less empty seats and many times none

But you had to know that right

I was surprised to see that many empty seats at a Montana playoff game

Have you watched any Montana playoff games or historically tracked attendance at all? Or any other schools? Even NDSU has some empty seats. There might be a few exceptions depending on game time, weather and opponent but making fun of playoff attendance typically comes from new and/or younger fans.

Bowl games are similar BTW.

[Caribbean Hen]

Are you welcoming Montana to FCS?

Montana always had less empty seats and many times none

But you had to know that right

I was surprised to see that many empty seats at a Montana playoff game

Have you watched any Montana playoff games or historically tracked attendance at all? Or any other schools? Even NDSU has some empty seats. There might be a few exceptions depending on game time, weather and opponent but making fun of playoff attendance typically comes from new and/or younger fans.

Bowl games are similar BTW.

I’m not making fun of attendance, I’m passing along an observation. that area of the end zone is usually packed at Montana …. Even on TG weekend

[89Hen]

Long overdue... of course they waited until I-AA has become a shell of its former self.

FCS power moved West.

Montana Grizzlies haven't won since all the other teams left. They won twice with the old guard. Now they aren't even the best program west of old muddy, or even their own state.

In 1990 there were 107 I-A teams. Next year there will be 134. If you don't think that impacts the quality of I-AA then we're at an impasse.

[Gil Dobie]

FCS power moved West.

Montana Grizzlies haven't won since all the other teams left. They won twice with the old guard. Now they aren't even the best program west of old muddy, or even their own state.

In 1990 there were 107 I-A teams. Next year there will be 134. If you don't think that impacts the quality of I-AA then we're at an impasse.

The top DIi could have beat the top I-AA teams in 1990. Not happening in 2024. Very few of the non-power 5 teams would be competitive in FCS. That is where the watering down has happened.

[SuperHornet]

So who would have been the first out with the inclusion of the Ivy champ?

[Caribbean Hen]

FCS power moved West.

Montana Grizzlies haven't won since all the other teams left. They won twice with the old guard. Now they aren't even the best program west of old muddy, or even their own state.

In 1990 there were 107 I-A teams. Next year there will be 134. If you don't think that impacts the quality of I-AA then we're at an impasse.

FCS after the big 3 is nothing like it used to be

Poffenbarger getting paid in Miami to hang out on South Beach, should of stayed and played

105 scholarship for FBS teams

Declining birth rates

Declining enrollments

Parents shying away from Jr playing football due to injuries

Where are all the players going to come from?

[dal4018]

The Ivy League will fiiiinnnnaaalllllyyyyy participate in the FCS playoffs.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/s ... l-playoffs

Let the church say Amen some of those guys are NFL CALIBER

[89Hen]

In 1990 there were 107 I-A teams. Next year there will be 134. If you don't think that impacts the quality of I-AA then we're at an impasse.

The top DIi could have beat the top I-AA teams in 1990. Not happening in 2024. Very few of the non-power 5 teams would be competitive in FCS. That is where the watering down has happened.

Like I said, we're at an impasse. As you go down levels two or three teams can become dominant for LONG periods of time. Sure, there were stretches where GSU, YSU, AppSt had great runs, but not like you'd see in D2 and D3. Even with AppSt's threepeat there were 14 different teams in the chipper from 2000-2010 (five of which have moved up). Since then there has been one game of 13 that didn't feature NDSU or SDSU.

D2: NWMoSt, Valdosta St and Ferris State have made a combined 18 appearances in the NC in the last 20 years.

D3: Mount Union and Whitewater played for the championship 9 of ten years in a row and there have been only three years in the last 20 that didn't have one of them in it.

The bottom of FBS is watered down, I don't disagree but by you saying that shows how bad I-AA must be. Most of the teams that watered down I-A were pretty damn good I-AA teams. Idaho was pretty abismal in FBS and now they are very competitive. You really need to show your work on your theory because I'm not seeing it.

[kalm]

The top DIi could have beat the top I-AA teams in 1990. Not happening in 2024. Very few of the non-power 5 teams would be competitive in FCS. That is where the watering down has happened.

Like I said, we're at an impasse. As you go down levels two or three teams can become dominant for LONG periods of time. Sure, there were stretches where GSU, YSU, AppSt had great runs, but not like you'd see in D2 and D3. Even with AppSt's threepeat there were 14 different teams in the chipper from 2000-2010 (five of which have moved up). Since then there has been one game of 13 that didn't feature NDSU or SDSU.

D2: NWMoSt, Valdosta St and Ferris State have made a combined 18 appearances in the NC in the last 20 years.

D3: Mount Union and Whitewater played for the championship 9 of ten years in a row and there have been only three years in the last 20 that didn't have one of them in it.

The bottom of FBS is watered down, I don't disagree but by you saying that shows how bad I-AA must be. Most of the teams that watered down I-A were pretty damn good I-AA teams. Idaho was pretty abismal in FBS and now they are very competitive. You really need to show your work on your theory because I'm not seeing it.

Good post.

[UNI88]

The top DIi could have beat the top I-AA teams in 1990. Not happening in 2024. Very few of the non-power 5 teams would be competitive in FCS. That is where the watering down has happened.

Like I said, we're at an impasse. As you go down levels two or three teams can become dominant for LONG periods of time. Sure, there were stretches where GSU, YSU, AppSt had great runs, but not like you'd see in D2 and D3. Even with AppSt's threepeat there were 14 different teams in the chipper from 2000-2010 (five of which have moved up). Since then there has been one game of 13 that didn't feature NDSU or SDSU.

D2: NWMoSt, Valdosta St and Ferris State have made a combined 18 appearances in the NC in the last 20 years.

D3: Mount Union and Whitewater played for the championship 9 of ten years in a row and there have been only three years in the last 20 that didn't have one of them in it.

The bottom of FBS is watered down, I don't disagree but by you saying that shows how bad I-AA must be. Most of the teams that watered down I-A were pretty damn good I-AA teams. Idaho was pretty abismal in FBS and now they are very competitive. You really need to show your work on your theory because I'm not seeing it.

* abysmal

Has D3 shifted? Those 3 years without Whitewater or Mt Union all occurred in the last 8 games not 20 years and neither has actually won a national championship since 2015. Larry Kehres is retired from Mt Union and Lance Leipold moved from Whitewater to Buffalo to Kansas.

[bonarae]

Has D3 shifted? Those 3 years without Whitewater or Mt Union all occurred in the last 8 games not 20 years and neither has actually won a national championship since 2015. Larry Kehres is retired from Mt Union and Lance Leipold moved from Whitewater to Buffalo to Kansas.

Yes, to some extent. However, North Central has somewhat supplanted both. Mount Union is having a resurgence quite a bit; Johns Hopkins almost got to the NC game this past season.

[Gil Dobie]

The top DIi could have beat the top I-AA teams in 1990. Not happening in 2024. Very few of the non-power 5 teams would be competitive in FCS. That is where the watering down has happened.

Like I said, we're at an impasse. As you go down levels two or three teams can become dominant for LONG periods of time. Sure, there were stretches where GSU, YSU, AppSt had great runs, but not like you'd see in D2 and D3. Even with AppSt's threepeat there were 14 different teams in the chipper from 2000-2010 (five of which have moved up). Since then there has been one game of 13 that didn't feature NDSU or SDSU.

D2: NWMoSt, Valdosta St and Ferris State have made a combined 18 appearances in the NC in the last 20 years.

D3: Mount Union and Whitewater played for the championship 9 of ten years in a row and there have been only three years in the last 20 that didn't have one of them in it.

The bottom of FBS is watered down, I don't disagree but by you saying that shows how bad I-AA must be. Most of the teams that watered down I-A were pretty damn good I-AA teams. Idaho was pretty abismal in FBS and now they are very competitive. You really need to show your work on your theory because I'm not seeing it.

In 2003 Delaware won the title, Sagarin rating of 76.15.
#2 I-AA team in Sagarin was Western Illinois 66.20
Playoff Runner-up Colgate was 65.04

Today's Sagarin rating FCS #1 was SDSU 77.65
#2 NDSU 76.87
Playoff Runner-up Montana St 75.92

South Dakota 69.63
Texas St 69.60
James Madison 69.01
Jacksonville St 67.69
Georgia Southern 65.66
Old Dominion65.43
UCD 64.78
App St 64.38
Sam Houston 62.20
Liberty 62.10
Troy 61.65
Montana 60.56
Western Kentucky 60.53
Idaho 58.95
Missouri St 57.18
Incarnate Word 57.07
Tarleton 56.88
Illinois St 56.74
Tennessee Martin 56.54
Mercer 56.14
Georgia St 55.44
Jackson St 54.95
Abilene Christian 54.39
Northern Arizona 54.36
Richmond 54.10
North Dakota 53.98
Delaware 53.48

3 schools are rated at the level of the 2003 Champion Delaware and 4 schools rated above any of the schools that have left FCS for FBS.
All that extra scholarships and money really hasn't raised the level of football played at the schools that left. As I've contended, the East Coast teams have fallen or left (old CAA), but there is an even level of competition at the top of FCS more than there was in 2003. I'm sure years will vary, but it's obvious the east is down, but the West is up and FCS as a whole is not down. Familiar names may be gone or down, but there are some good schools coming up like Mercer this year, Abilene Christian to name a couple.

[dal4018]

Has D3 shifted? Those 3 years without Whitewater or Mt Union all occurred in the last 8 games not 20 years and neither has actually won a national championship since 2015. Larry Kehres is retired from Mt Union and Lance Leipold moved from Whitewater to Buffalo to Kansas.

Yes, to some extent. However, North Central has somewhat supplanted both. Mount Union is having a resurgence quite a bit; Johns Hopkins almost got to the NC game this past season.

I have always said that Mount Union needs to move up to the FCS LEVEL

[89Hen]

Sagarin

You lost me after that. Sagarin relies on data that doesn't exist. One game a year for most FCS teams against FBS...

But if you want to play that game. In 2003 there were 11 I-AA teams in the top 100 teams for Sagarin. Last year there were 5.