Should the Pioneer League get an Auto-bid?

[DetroitFlyer]

Of course the PFL should have an autobid. I just noticed that JU is going to Boone again to play
App State. Butler will be playing YSU next year as well. The PFL is following the NEC lead in scheduling more traditional FCS teams. Heck, I even heard that my Flyers were within a whisker of landing a game against a traditional FCS team in 2009. Not sure who it was, but again it points to a change in scheduling philosophy. The PFL Champ, year in and year out is going to be a solid FCS team. We will lose in the first round about as much as the MEAC or OVC, (OK, I hope we do a bit better). I would still have enjoyed seeing USD in 2006 or Dayton in 2007 in the playoffs. We will have more teams like that in the future. Gotta love the comments that the PFL is not working to improve. One word for you.... Butler. Enough said on that topic. Rumor has it that we are requesting a bid for 2012. As for 2010 in the PFL, it should be a banner year. Butler, Dayton, Drake, JU could all be "favored". Marist looks to be tough, USD should bounce back, Campbell should improve again, Davidson could be solid. ONLY Valpo is struggling. They will have a new coach working to improve.... Can't wait for that playoff bid, and I do want to thank the NEC for doing all of the heavy lifting over the years!!

[dbackjon]

Why wait for 2012?

[JayJ79]

Personally i think the GWC should get the autobid despite only having 5 teams as we of late have done rather well in OOC play.

Problem is that there is a rule defining a minimum number of schools in a conference in order for that conference to qualify for an autobid. And that number is greater than 5.

[JayJ79]

No, they should. But if you break that barrier, any future independant or start-up or whatever that plays a soft schedule and wins 9 games should have equal claim for a 1st round spot.

This isn't about the merits of an individual school/program. It is about CONFERENCES.

[collegesportsinfo]

Personally i think the GWC should get the autobid despite only having 5 teams as we of late have done rather well in OOC play.

Problem is that there is a rule defining a minimum number of schools in a conference in order for that conference to qualify for an autobid. And that number is greater than 5.

Might as well have the GWFC and Pioneer "champs" play each other for a seed.

[Monarch Nation]

If the PFL got an auto-bid, ODU should get an invite if they go 9-2 again

Thanks, but in all seriousness I wouldn't want one unless we are ready to compete at playoff level. Right now, we aren't.

But to answer the topic question; yes the PL should get a playoff bid. The cream of that conference deserves the right to playoff as much as a SoCon or CAA team.

edited for spelling

[pantherrob82]

Heck, I even heard that my Flyers were within a whisker of landing a game against a traditional FCS team in 2009. Not sure who it was, but again it points to a change in scheduling philosophy.

I believe it was us, but you guys wanted a home and home.

[dbackjon]

Heck, I even heard that my Flyers were within a whisker of landing a game against a traditional FCS team in 2009. Not sure who it was, but again it points to a change in scheduling philosophy.

I believe it was us, but you guys wanted a home and home.

ROB!!

[Wildcat Ryan]

Of course they should.

[Silenoz]

No, they should. But if you break that barrier, any future independant or start-up or whatever that plays a soft schedule and wins 9 games should have equal claim for a 1st round spot.

This isn't about the merits of an individual school/program. It is about CONFERENCES.

Well maybe the disconnect is coming from the fact that I don't like auto-bids to begin with. The 16/20 best teams should be in the playoffs, and I know I'm in the minority (or the singularity) on this.

[SDHornet]

I for one cannot say they shouldn't be allowed to have one.

Here are some reasons why I think they should get one:

...

5. There are markets in the PFL that are untapped by the FCS world (e.g. San Diego, Jacksonville, Dayton, etc.).

There is no chance for an FCS market here in SoCal. Save your time, money and energy.

[SDHornet]

This isn't about the merits of an individual school/program. It is about CONFERENCES.

Well maybe the disconnect is coming from the fact that I don't like auto-bids to begin with. The 16/20 best teams should be in the playoffs, and I know I'm in the minority (or the singularity) on this.

Aside from the playoff aspect of it, this theory already exists in FBS…it always seems that someone doesn’t always get a fair shake.

[UNHWildCats]

San Diego went and scheduled two Great West opponents this season.

[SUUTbird]

San Diego needs to leave the Pioneer and come to the Great West. I still honestly think that maybe in the future San Diego will finally get some sense, i mean the amount they would save on travel costs alone would be a staggering figure, the teams in the GWFC all have good academic reputations and most importantly would make our growing conference even stronger and get us an autobid.

And if i may ask UNH who else did SD schedule from the GWC?

[danefan]

San Diego needs to leave the Pioneer and come to the Great West. I still honestly think that maybe in the future San Diego will finally get some sense, i mean the amount they would save on travel costs alone would be a staggering figure, the teams in the GWFC all have good academic reputations and most importantly would make our growing conference even stronger and get us an autobid.

And if i may ask UNH who else did SD schedule from the GWC?

At SUU and home versus Davis in back-to-back weeks.

[SDHornet]

San Diego needs to leave the Pioneer and come to the Great West. I still honestly think that maybe in the future San Diego will finally get some sense, i mean the amount they would save on travel costs alone would be a staggering figure, the teams in the GWFC all have good academic reputations and most importantly would make our growing conference even stronger and get us an autobid.

And if i may ask UNH who else did SD schedule from the GWC?

Would the GWC require USD to fund scholarships as a stipulation to be a member? If so, USD would never do that. It’s cheaper to fly all over the country than is is to fund 63 scholarships (or whatever number they would fund) plus matching women’s scholarships.

[SUUTbird]

Im not to sure about that but either way the GWC would be a better fit then the conference they are in now. Money is not one thing that San Diego is short of as their overall budget is much higher then any other team in the Pioneer conference and probably several other FCS teams. They could make the transition with quite less trouble as lets say a d2 school moving up.

[danefan]

Im not to sure about that but either way the GWC would be a better fit then the conference they are in now. Money is not one thing that San Diego is short of as their overall budget is much higher then any other team in the Pioneer conference and probably several other FCS teams. They could make the transition with quite less trouble as lets say a d2 school moving up.

They do spend the most, but not by a mile.

San Diego spends $1,183,665 a year on football.

Other PFL teams:

Butler - $535,346
Campbell - $892,411
Davidson - $616,673
Dayton - $941,124
Drake - $939,261
Jacksonville - $1,074,629
Morehead - $820,477
Valpo - $625,319

Compare that to the Great West teams

UC-Davis - $2,754,712
North Dakota - $2,409,630
South Dakota - $2,055,800
SUU - $1,871,404
Cal Poly - $2,540,558

San Diego would need to almost double their expenditures to get even with the other GWFC teams without even considering the TItle IX implications.

[Go...gate]

Let 'em in! I'm one of the old farts who thinks all conference champions should receive an automatic bid.

[Fresno St. Alum]

Question I'm be asked by the head of the D-II board. Do FCS schools get paid for going to the playoffs?

[clenz]

I honestly don't see why they shouldn't get one

[CoachL]

Yes.

[dbackjon]

Yes.

Welcome. Good to see a Butler bulldog.

[SpiderFan5]

If the PFL got an auto-bid, ODU should get an invite if they go 9-2 again

They should, but you never know

[CoachL]

Welcome. Good to see a Butler bulldog.

Thank you.

re:

Re: Gridiron Challenge (sic) - CCSU vs Butler
by dbackjon » Sun Dec 06, 2009 2:17 pm

I have changed my opinion. If the NEC gets an autobid so should the Pioneer.

And thank you for maintaining an open mind.

I know that some people would like to see the Pioneer Football League change overnight (i.e. scheduling of sub-Division I opponents), but change is coming. Slowly but surely change is coming.

Butler went from 0-11 in 2005 and rumored to be close to dropping football, to 11-1 in 2009; champions of the PFL; and victors in the Gridiron Classic over the NEC champion CCSU.

In 2010 Butler has replaced a Division III opponent with Youngstown State, and Dartmouth has been scheduled for a home-and-home series.

Jacksonville will be taking on App State for the second time.

Valparaiso has stated their intention to upgrade their program and their schedule to reflect their Division I status.

Marist plays a full Division I schedule every year.

As a brand-new program, Campbell is improving by leaps and bounds.

And on and on...

Change is coming.