WHY WOULD A FCS TEAM TRYING TO WIN A NC SCHEDULE A D2 TEAM??

[Aho Old Guy]

Sometimes, it simply makes good financial, scheduling, marketing and branding sense.

Five years ago the Hillbillies played Lenoir Rhyne College. LR is located 30 miles south of Boone in Hickory/Catawba County. In the history of Appalachian football, we've played over 40 times, and were conference mates back in the *old days* A large chunk of Appalachian alumni live in the Catawba County area, and current student enrollment from the region is likely second only to that from Carlotte.

LR gets a needed 'money game' for themselves, and a short bus trip up the mountain to run with the Big Dawgs. Appalachian gets good will, marketing exposure in the region, and a full house

It put 29-30k in the seats -- it probably helped it was the week after the Michigan game

[DavedS]

YSU missed out on making the playoffs several times because instead of scheduling an easy 1-AA team they scheduled a high level D2 team.

[clenz]

Many times a team will back out of a game at a late date and force the AD to do whatever he has to do to fill that suddenly open date... many times that schedule filler is a D2 out of necessity, because that's all they can get.

This....


Also, I don't know if it was this site or AGS that someone brought up Hampton having a date we could have used - that wasn't going to work for UNI due to Farley/Dannen not wanting a bye in the first 3 or 4 weeks of the year.

Would it have been nice to have a counter? Sure, however, the rest where we had it was perfect this year... If the byes matched up 2 weeks later I'm sure it would have happened.....Hampton also was probably asking far too much for it to make any financial sense for UNI - who got Central State dirt cheap as they freaking bused the 12 hours to Cedar Falls.

[DJH]

Many times a team will back out of a game at a late date and force the AD to do whatever he has to do to fill that suddenly open date... many times that schedule filler is a D2 out of necessity, because that's all they can get.

This....


Also, I don't know if it was this site or AGS that someone brought up Hampton having a date we could have used - that wasn't going to work for UNI due to Farley/Dannen not wanting a bye in the first 3 or 4 weeks of the year.

Would it have been nice to have a counter? Sure, however, the rest where we had it was perfect this year... If the byes matched up 2 weeks later I'm sure it would have happened.....Hampton also was probably asking far too much for it to make any financial sense for UNI - who got Central State dirt cheap as they freaking bused the 12 hours to Cedar Falls.

That is not true. Troy has been quoted multiple times as saying they called every single FCS program that was even a remote possibility, and UNI was willing to pay top dollar to bring them in. There is no way in hell that they turned down any D1 school because of when the bye week would have been.

[clenz]

This....


Also, I don't know if it was this site or AGS that someone brought up Hampton having a date we could have used - that wasn't going to work for UNI due to Farley/Dannen not wanting a bye in the first 3 or 4 weeks of the year.

Would it have been nice to have a counter? Sure, however, the rest where we had it was perfect this year... If the byes matched up 2 weeks later I'm sure it would have happened.....Hampton also was probably asking far too much for it to make any financial sense for UNI - who got Central State dirt cheap as they freaking bused the 12 hours to Cedar Falls.

That is not true. Troy has been quoted multiple times as saying they called every single FCS program that was even a remote possibility, and UNI was willing to pay top dollar to bring them in. There is no way in hell that they turned down any D1 school because of when the bye week would have been.

Then I'm mistaken.


I wonder what the hell the deal with Hampton was then.


I know Dannen tried everything he could, including a long hard look at a third FBS game....

[LDopaPDX]

Interesting that this rhetorical question is asked by an Eastern fan...

Eastern has NEVER--- not once in their history--- made it to the NCAA playoffs without playing a D-II in the same season. Last year, more than half of the tourney entrants played a lower division school, and most of those who didn't feasted on BS non- or restricted-scholly FCS schools.

There is no truth to the fact that D-II schools don't "count" towards making the playoffs. This is simply a criteria used by the selection committee, but it is not a rule, or having "only" 6 D-I wins over an 8 win resume is not exclusionary. EWU has once made it into the playoffs, albeit a long time ago, with "only" 6 -DI wins over an 8-win resume.

The reasons listed by others are the correct reasons for scheduling a D-II. You (should) get a win. You get momentum. You get to stay healthier than you might otherwise. You get to work through your 2 and even 3-deep. And you get to play at home instead of traveling to some punk school like Idaho that will never play you in your place even though they suck.

[catbooster]

Are you sure you didn't win the conference AQ when you made it with 6 wins? The only teams I recall making the playoffs with 6 wins were auto-berths.

[LDopaPDX]

As an independent in 1985, Eastern had the following schedule and results... Chico was D-II and Fort Lewis (I think) was NAIA. Long Beach State was an FBS win.


Chico State
28 - 3 W Sep 7, 1985


at Weber State
31 - 19 W Sep 14, 1985


at Montana State
28 - 23 W Sep 21, 1985


vs Northern Arizona
33 - 0 W Sep 28, 1985


vs Fort Lewis
35 - 24 W Oct 5, 1985


at Nevada
25 - 31 L Oct 12, 1985


at Long Beach State
30 - 23 W Oct 19, 1985


at Idaho
21 - 42 L Nov 2, 1985


vs Montana
52 - 19 W Nov 16, 1985


at Idaho State
42 - 21 W Nov 23, 1985


1985-86 FCS Championship - First Round
at Idaho
42 - 38 W Nov 30, 1985


1985-86 FCS Championship - Quarter Finals
at Northern Iowa
14 - 17 L Dec 7, 1985

[BlackFalkin]

So playing a D2 helps or hurts your playoff chances Dopa? So if Cal Poly was instead a D2 team, you think EWU would have a BETTER CHANCE at making the playoffs?

[LDopaPDX]

I get what you're saying, but the evidence that beating a D-II is better than losing to a D-I is overwhelming.

I'd add in that Eastern is notoriously horrible at scheduling any legit games at home, so if it's Western Oregon at home or Toldeo on the road, I'll take Western Oregon at home every day of the week.

[JayJ79]

Hampton also was probably asking far too much for it to make any financial sense for UNI - who got Central State dirt cheap as they freaking bused the 12 hours to Cedar Falls.

Are you theorizing about the amount UNI paid CSU, based solely on the bus fact, or do you actually have info on the payout amount?

[kalm]

I get what you're saying, but the evidence that beating a D-II is better than losing to a D-I is overwhelming.

I'd add in that Eastern is notoriously horrible at scheduling any legit games at home, so if it's Western Oregon at home or Toldeo on the road, I'll take Western Oregon at home every day of the week.

This...I completely agree with.

[89Hen]

Fill seats with a cheap opponent so the volleyball team can get new uniforms from time to time.

sent from my Samsung Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk for one percenters

You have to pay for that d2 game, and if thats the case... take a fbs money game.

D2 payouts are nothing. The real reason for most is they can't find 2 D-I non-conference teams to come to them every year (ESPECIALLY you guys out west where there aren't many I-AA's). Delaware had no excuse for many years, but they've finally seen the light and no more D2's for UD in the future.

[clenz]

Hampton also was probably asking far too much for it to make any financial sense for UNI - who got Central State dirt cheap as they freaking bused the 12 hours to Cedar Falls.

Are you theorizing about the amount UNI paid CSU, based solely on the bus fact, or do you actually have info on the payout amount?

I remember reading it at one point, I'll see if I can find it this week, but I'm pretty sure it was equivalent to a pack of gum and some pixie sticks in the world of college pay out

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[JayJ79]

Are you theorizing about the amount UNI paid CSU, based solely on the bus fact, or do you actually have info on the payout amount?

I remember reading it at one point, I'll see if I can find it this week, but I'm pretty sure it was equivalent to a pack of gum and some pixie sticks in the world of college pay out

That would surprise me greatly.
Unless CSU was also scrambling for an 11th game, I would guess that UNI would have had to offer them more than the normal amount needed to bring in a D2 opponent, just based on the timetable (and perhaps having to buyout whoever CSU was originally scheduled to play). Just because CSU elected to travel via a crazy long bus ride instead of flying, or overnighting, doesn't mean that UNI had to pay them less.

[JayJ79]

You have to pay for that d2 game, and if thats the case... take a fbs money game.

Fans like having more than 4 home games in a season.