So this is something that has probably been discussed, re-discussed, and just for hecks sake re-hashed, well I have been thinking about this-with the recent defections from FCS to FBS of some powerhouse programs has the EC fallen behind the WC? After 8 straight EC championships the WC has claimed 3 straight with no EC team getting beyond the semi’s. The balance of power took a major shift west when perennial powerhouses Georgia Southern and App State announced their impeding departure from FCS, especially with recent resurgence of programs such as UNI, Montana, and Eastern Washington, not to mention the appearance of 2-time defending champ NDSU. This case was very obvious that the WC is superior to the EC when only one team in the top ten was an EC school. The NCAA may have been ahead of the game in moving the national title game away from the East coast and into a more neutral location. Feel free to post your thoughts.
Tag Archives | NCAA
Rule Changes, UD, Iowa, Facebook and LSAs
CS Weekly Update: Issue #2
This has been another very busy week with lots of controversy on many differing subjects and I will summarize a few of them below.
On Thursday the NCAA adopted three new rules. 1) players are not allowed to have any symbols or messages on their eye black starting in the 2010 season. 2) wedge-blocking formations of three or more players by the receiving team on kickoffs has been banned for the 2010 season and 3) players will now be penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct as a live-ball foul beginning with the 2011 season. These new rules come with both approval and protests from users across the country. The most debated rule would be #2 as to what is acceptable taunting and celebration. Many don’t believe that refs have the ability to make proper judgement… unless of course the penalty is on the opposing team, or any team in the CAA for that matter. WCB
In other news, the NCAA denied Deaware’s TE Josh Baker a 6th year of eligibility. 
He was injured in the first quarter of the first game in the 2009 season which ended his season and now it is apparent that it also ended his college career. My question to you all is… how many fricking years does it take for a CAA football player to graduate? 6 Years? Really? All kidding aside (no offense to you Mr. Baker) this just shows that the NCAA is starting to sway to the west. WCB
Iowa… what can I say about Iowa? Actually, what can’t I saw about Iowa. Iowa has been the most discussed topic as of late and I am starting to learn just how bad ass that state is. I mean they have flying fireballs, hailstorms that could take out a small country (excluding Iowa), a sub par football team and don’t forget the Austin Powers missile silo with attached pig trough. They even have a “mature discussion” thread on the subject, which happens to be the only official mature topic on this entire site. I’m sure it is soon to be hijacked by a JMU poster soon, oh wait… it was started by one, $#%&. The only thing Iowa doesn’t have is Willie, and he is one bad ass MoFo.
Facebook rarily makes it to CS (most users on this site can’t figure it out) but when it does, it can be quite the interesting conversational topic. This weeks
facebook topic was asking whether or not andy7171 should add one of his lacrosse players’s mom on facebook and stalk her. This turned into many demands for pictures which then brought out more facebook mommies from Towson and was quite a treat for all. It was like a trip down memory lane for the 2 people that know where Towson is. We did get to see a picture of what she looked looked like in the 80’s but have yet to see a recent one so the judgement is still out. andy7171 did end up adding her, which makes his brother andysbrother7070 very happy as he can now…
The last but not least and hugely debated and overly controversial topic is LSAs. You might be asking what the heck LSAs are? Well, LSAs are Left Side Avatars (AKA Left Side Profiles) on the topic pages. It seems that a few (Ursus, dback and DJH, not to name names) can’t seem to grasp the concept of having the information on the left with the pictures on the right. As of right now, LSAs do not work but we are hard at work *cough* (camping, drinking, fishing, partying) *cough* trying to get these things fixed so please be patient. If you don’t give a rats ass which side the avatars are on then please ignore this topic and continue on.
This just in, Alpha has a best friend (no homo… or is it?)
This has been your CS Weekly Update! Enjoy!
The Rumor Mill is turning: Pioneer League applying for autobid
Rob Weiss, FCS Update:
The end of November is always an exciting time in FCS football. For 16 teams it means the beginning of a shot at the national championship. Starting in 2010 that number will jump to 20 with the addition of automatic bids for the Big South and NEC, and 2 more at-large bids.
When the playoffs started in 1978 there was only 4 teams involved. In 1981 the format changed to 8 teams. One year later the playoffs were expanded to 12 teams, with 4 teams getting a first round bye. The first 16 team playoff bracket was formed in 1986.
With the first change in over 20 years only a season away, another change is already brewing.
A little more than a month ago the rumors began spreading that the Pioneer Football League, a non-scholarship football only conference, was applying for an automatic bid. The league is in its 17th year of operation and it currently ranges from coast to coast. The ten team conference is composed of Butler, Campbell, Davidson, Dayton, Drake, Jacksonville, Marist, Morehead State, San Diego, and Valparaiso. Although the Pioneer League has not officially announced it’s intentions, the rumor was confirmed by Morehead State Athletic Director Brian Hutchinson. ( http://www.wkyt.com/wymtsports/headlines/61520037.html )
This announcement has stirred up a lot of arguments in the FCS community. Here are the two sides to that argument:
“The Pioneer League meets all requirements”- This is the positive side of the discussion, and it’s true. The Pioneer meets all of the requirements set forth by the NCAA for teams who want to apply for an automatic bid. They are one of three conferences who are eligible to apply for an autobid, but most likely the only one that will apply.
I agree with this side of the argument. There is no reason to keep a league from applying for an automatic bid if they meet all of the requirements put forth by the NCAA. If the NCAA plans to exclude them, they would have to change the language in the by-laws. If they Pioneer League is denied, they will be the only qualified applicant who has been denied. The SWAC and Ivy show no interest in participating at this juncture.
“The Pioneer League is not competitive”- The other side of the argument is that the teams in the Pioneer League do not schedule properly and are not competitive when playing against teams from the other auto bid conferences. Statistically, since 2002 the Pioneer League is 7-25 against teams from auto bid conferences. They were outscored in these games by a total of 1132-486. In the 7 games that they won, their opponents combined for a record of 18-54, although one of those wins was against a 2007 Fordham team that won the Patriot League and lost in the first round to Massachusetts. There are two teams, Butler and Campbell, that did not play teams from automatic bid conferences during this period. The other issue that makes the Pioneer League appear to be weak is the losses to sub D-I opponents. The 10 teams in the league have combined for 53 losses to sub D-I opponents since 2002.
It’s hard to disagree with this side. If the Pioneer League intends to participate in the playoffs, some changes need to be made in order for them to be competitive. The changes need to start with the schedules. The teams in the Pioneer League need to schedule less sub D-I teams and more teams from auto-bid conferences. Hopefully with some changes the Pioneer League will find itself competitive and their playoff match-ups won’t end up like a 1 seed playing a 16 seed in March Madness.