Chattanooga Times: Championship Football Game Moved

[dbackjon]

The Football Championship Subdivision title game that has been held in Chattanooga for the last 11 years will move from December to the eve of the Bowl Championship Series national championship game in January for the 2010 season, NCAA officials said.

The administrative committee of the Division I Championships/Sports Management Cabinet approved the Division I Football Championship Committee’s recommendation earlier this month.

The FCS bracket will expand from 16 to 20 teams in 2010. The additional round of the postseason spurred the football committee to explore ways to enhance the sport without starting the football season earlier or compromising the regular-season bye week for teams.

Under the proposal, the postseason tournament would begin Thanksgiving weekend and continue on a weekly basis. The semifinals would be on campus sites in mid-December, with the two winners receiving a break until the first week of January 2011 when the title game would be played on the eve of the BCS national championship game.

The site of the 2010 FCS title game hasn’t been selected.

http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_142825.asp

[Ursus A. Horribilis]

I think this is a real good move. It will basically be a bye week before the championship game and may give more fans an opportunity to attend with the extra time to travel.

[Willie]

It'll get better tv ratings as well.

[putter]

Not sure if it will help if the game is on a Wednesday (like it would have been this year)

[clenz]

Are they taking bids for a "permanent" home like Chattanooga was, or are they looking for year to year hosts.


The UNIDome would be a great fit for the title game I think

[JMU DJ]

20 teams? Will this up the Autobid for the CAA from 5 to 14?


I think this is a great move, the Championship game is much more interesting most of the time and more competitive than 90% of the BCS bowel games. It should definitely get more publicity especially with college football talking heads running out of games to discuss at that point. There should be slightly more commentary about the game seeing as there won't be that much college football afterward... negative is that it's closer to the BCS championship game... meaning we will have to hear more about how awesome Tim Tebow is.

[danefan]

The biggest reason why this move is good for FCS is because it preserves the 11 game schedule with a bye week.

Had they not moved the NC game there wouldn't have been any room for a bye week once the playoffs expanded in 2010.

[grizzaholic]

Not sure if it will help if the game is on a Wednesday (like it would have been this year)

That is exactly what I was just thinking. If the game is on a WED people, I think, will be more inclined, if they attend the game, to head back that night and not stay through the weekend and party it up or do some touristy things. I would think that the town might get less money from visitors.


Other side of the coin....People might show up on Saturday and stay through WED and do all the "fun" stuff before the game and head home after the game.

I guess there is always two ways to look at things.

[slycat]

Now half the field can be from the CAA so they get a lock for the championship game.

Not sure if I like the idea of the game being played on a Wednesday. Did anyone watch the Tulsa/Ball State game the Tuesday before the FBS championship?

[SUUTbird]

Agreed great move for the FCS championship game to get some more exposure, now if they would only move it to a better stadium! I personally think Vegas or somewhere like that would be great, or if they would rotate it every year giving other places some FCS exposure.

[Ursus A. Horribilis]

Agreed great move for the FCS championship game to get some more exposure, now if they would only move it to a better stadium! I personally think Vegas or somewhere like that would be great, or if they would rotate it every year giving other places some FCS exposure.

I'm sure this would just be a real gold rush for Vegas and we'll all keep our fingers crossed that they put in the winning bid this time? How many times has Vegas put in a bid on this game and got aced out by Chattanooga there Tbird? I'm quite sure that the NCAA would be more than happy to move the game around every couple of years to give other FCS schools some exposure...all it will take is for those schools to submit the winning bid to host the game and be in a reasonable climate. Until that happens though, as my dad used to say "you can wish in one hand and shit in the other."

[putter]

If they do move it, I vote for Jacksonville. They have an FCS team and December weather would not be bad there

[grizzaholic]

If they do move it, I vote for Jacksonville. They have an FCS team and December weather would not be bad there

And airfare might be cheaper, maybe.

[BlackFalkin]

Now we can fit Eastern, Montana & Montana State in the playoff at once every year. it about time they ditched that shittynooga place.

[putter]

Now we can fit Eastern, Montana & Montana State in the playoff at once every year. it about time they ditched that shittynooga place.

So you're saying we should join the CAA now?!

[grizzaholic]

Now we can fit Eastern, Montana & Montana State in the playoff at once every year. it about time they ditched that shittynooga place.

So you're saying we should join the CAA now?!

Eastern is the only team that actually would stand a chance and deserve playing in the ALMIGHTY CAA.

[guinzone]

The UNIDome, are you kidding me. It's not terrible, but it still has AstroTurf and the TV cameras can't even see the sidelines!

I may be biased, but I think the Ice Castle would be a great site. Here is an animated photo of YSU Stadium created by the GIS students.

[HI54UNI]

I think this is a good idea. It gives more time to make travel arrangements. It also doesn't interfere with finals week, and the holidays as much.

They need to have it someplace warm and/or attractive to get people to attend. Going to Chatty in December or January does not have that appeal. Vegas or Florida would probably be more appealing to most people.

[GreenDay17]

The NCAA is getting closer to what I proposed on January 2, 2007.

Back when I used to post on AGS I wrote...

What do you think?

12 Autobids:
Atlantic 10, Big Sky, Big South, Gateway, Great West, Mid American, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Pioneer, Southern, and Southland

12 At-large (selected by current "at-large process"):


Seed the first 8 teams and those seeds receive a first round bye.

The first, second, third, and fourth (Semifinal) rounds could be played on the same dates that they currently are played (Semifinal would be on the weekend of the current Championship Game) with the games being played at sites as currently determined. The FCS Championship game would then be played on the Sunday night of the opening of the AFCA Convention at a site in/near the convention city. This is typically LA/Anaheim, Dallas/San Antonio, New Orleans, and Orlando.

This 3 week period until the FCS Championship game would allow fans of the two participating teams to better be able to attend. It could also be treated like the NCAA Final Four by providing complementary tickets to at least all the FCS coaches and at most all the DI coaches. The FCS Championship would be in the spotlight the day before the BCS Championship is played.


The 2007 season FCS Championship would look like this:

First Round—November 24 at on-campus sites (BYE for 8 seeded teams)
Second Round—December 1 at on-campus sites
Quarterfinals—December 8 at on-campus sites
Semifinals—December 14 at on-campus sites
Championship Game—January 6 at site in city of 2007 AFCA Convention

I like what they are planning and think it can only be a positive for all of the FCS.

Here's the link to show that I'm not making this up. http://www.anygivensaturday.com/forum/s ... hp?t=18535

[dbackjon]

Good to see you, Green Day!

[GOKATS]

The NCAA is getting closer to what I proposed on January 2, 2007.

Back when I used to post on AGS I wrote...

What do you think?

12 Autobids:
Atlantic 10, Big Sky, Big South, Gateway, Great West, Mid American, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Pioneer, Southern, and Southland

12 At-large (selected by current "at-large process"):


Seed the first 8 teams and those seeds receive a first round bye.

The first, second, third, and fourth (Semifinal) rounds could be played on the same dates that they currently are played (Semifinal would be on the weekend of the current Championship Game) with the games being played at sites as currently determined. The FCS Championship game would then be played on the Sunday night of the opening of the AFCA Convention at a site in/near the convention city. This is typically LA/Anaheim, Dallas/San Antonio, New Orleans, and Orlando.

This 3 week period until the FCS Championship game would allow fans of the two participating teams to better be able to attend. It could also be treated like the NCAA Final Four by providing complementary tickets to at least all the FCS coaches and at most all the DI coaches. The FCS Championship would be in the spotlight the day before the BCS Championship is played.


The 2007 season FCS Championship would look like this:

First Round—November 24 at on-campus sites (BYE for 8 seeded teams)
Second Round—December 1 at on-campus sites
Quarterfinals—December 8 at on-campus sites
Semifinals—December 14 at on-campus sites
Championship Game—January 6 at site in city of 2007 AFCA Convention

I like what they are planning and think it can only be a positive for all of the FCS.

Here's the link to show that I'm not making this up. http://www.anygivensaturday.com/forum/s ... hp?t=18535

The move from 16 to 20 sucks and going to 24 would only make it worse. Hell might as well make it 32....

[grizzaholic]

Yeah, and having 3 weeks inbetween the final playoff game and the championship game is a GREAT idea.

[putter]

I am kind of a little brain dead here. Could someone please explain how the brackets are going to work out with 20 teams? I have heard the top 4 get 1st round byes and I have heard 8 get 1st round byes and I can't get the brackets to work out. Help.....

[danefan]

I am kind of a little brain dead here. Could someone please explain how the brackets are going to work out with 20 teams? I have heard the top 4 get 1st round byes and I have heard 8 get 1st round byes and I can't get the brackets to work out. Help.....

Actually 12 teams get opening round byes. Presumably the determination will what the bottom 8 teams are, as opposed to the top 12.

"Opening round" has 4 games. Presumably with the last 8 teams in. Twelve other teams get byes to the "first round"

The winners of the opening round games move on to the first round. Of the 12 teams that got byes in the opening round, 4 of them (presumably the top 4 seeds) will play the 4 winners of the opening round games. The other 8 teams will be matched up. Now you have 16 teams and it will operate exactly the same.

The way I see it, it will unfold like this:

Opening Round:
NEC AQ vs. Patriot AQ
MEAC AQ vs. Big South AQ
OVC AQ vs. SLC AQ
Last two at-larges in (CAA 5th vs. Socon 4th, etc.)

First Round
#1 Seed versus winner of NEC vs. Patriot
#2 Seed versus winner of MEAC vs. Big South
#3 Seed versus winner of OVC AQ vs. SLC AQ
#4 Seed versus winner of last two at-larges.
Normal matchup of the remaining 8 teams (geographically, etc...)

[putter]

I am kind of a little brain dead here. Could someone please explain how the brackets are going to work out with 20 teams? I have heard the top 4 get 1st round byes and I have heard 8 get 1st round byes and I can't get the brackets to work out. Help.....

Actually 12 teams get opening round byes. Presumably the determination will what the bottom 8 teams are, as opposed to the top 12.

"Opening round" has 4 games. Presumably with the last 8 teams in. Twelve other teams get byes to the "first round"

The winners of the opening round games move on to the first round. Of the 12 teams that got byes in the opening round, 4 of them (presumably the top 4 seeds) will play the 4 winners of the opening round games. The other 8 teams will be matched up. Now you have 16 teams and it will operate exactly the same.

The way I see it, it will unfold like this:

Opening Round:
NEC AQ vs. Patriot AQ
MEAC AQ vs. Big South AQ
OVC AQ vs. SLC AQ
Last two at-larges in (CAA 5th vs. Socon 4th, etc.)

First Round
#1 Seed versus winner of NEC vs. Patriot
#2 Seed versus winner of MEAC vs. Big South
#3 Seed versus winner of OVC AQ vs. SLC AQ
#4 Seed versus winner of last two at-larges.
Normal matchup of the remaining 8 teams (geographically, etc...)

That is interesting. Are they going to use regionalization, RPI, etc. to set up those "2nd round games" or have they determined that yet?