PFL Playoff Bid

[Model Citizen]

Look at this. The Pioneer has an automatic bid to the playoffs, and the Drake coach likes it.

http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2013/02/06/drake-football-pitching-the-playoffs/article?nclick_check=1

Wow. What do you think about that?

[danefan]

Its a great thing to get guaranteed playoff access to the conference winner.

It was the first step for alot of Albany fans to get involved in the program when the NEC got an AQ. Playoffs are a wonderful thing.

[CID1990]

So chalk up another playoff spot to be taken by a sacrificial lamb over about 40 more deserving teams.

[Model Citizen]

I feel sad for you. Here's hoping the Citadel has an opportunity to be in the playoffs some day.

[Vitojr130]

lololololol Here's to Valpo winning the league with 2 wins this year! [/sarcasm]

[Professor Chaos]

I like it, now every team from a conference willing to participate in the playoffs can say that they have a shot a title.

As for the PFL champ taking a spot away from a more deserving team I'd say that the more deserving team had plenty of opportunities to prove it deserved an at large or the autobid from it's league but still lost 3+ games (or in Lehigh's case one game). If you want to make sure you make the playoffs, put it in your own hands and win your league. Just like PFL teams now have the opportunity to do.

[danefan]

So chalk up another playoff spot to be taken by a sacrificial lamb over about 40 more deserving teams.

Its not taking any spots away from anyone. The PFL's addition has actually opened up three more AQs. AQ 11, 12 and 13.

[Franks Tanks]

So chalk up another playoff spot to be taken by a sacrificial lamb over about 40 more deserving teams.

Couldn't you say the same about the SoCon champ in the NCAA basketball tournament 80% of the time? Most years there are dozens of teams with higher RPI's left out of the NCAA tournament in favor of the SoCon champ.

[PAllen]

I like it, now every team from a conference willing to participate in the playoffs can say that they have a shot a title.

As for the PFL champ taking a spot away from a more deserving team I'd say that the more deserving team had plenty of opportunities to prove it deserved an at large or the autobid from it's league but still lost 3+ games (or in Lehigh's case one game). If you want to make sure you make the playoffs, put it in your own hands and win your league. Just like PFL teams now have the opportunity to do.

+1

[CID1990]

Couldn't you say the same about the SoCon champ in the NCAA basketball tournament 80% of the time? Most years there are dozens of teams with higher RPI's left out of the NCAA tournament in favor of the SoCon champ.

Yes. The SoCon sucks out loud in basketball. If not for Davidson, I would tend to agree that the SoCon should not have an AQ, but then there are 64 teams in the NCAAs, so the AQ conferences aren't exactly bumping people.

This year both Bethune Cookman and even worse- CCU went to the playoffs. Both of those teams would have been manhandled by the top 6 teams in the SoCon, and the top 8 in the CAA.

[CID1990]

I feel sad for you. Here's hoping the Citadel has an opportunity to be in the playoffs some day.

Been there, done that.

When you qualify for the tournament from the SoCon, there is NO question whether or not you belong. Again, the top 6 in the SoCon are generally better than at least 2 AQs every year. We played Jacksonville twice. GSU played them once. They got trashed in all three games, and yet at that time they were the cream of the PL.

If you like your tournament to be the FCS equivalent of zero-outcome soccer, then fine, give every Helen Keller conference an AQ. But the tournament will never be representative of the best football teams in FCS. Just the best in each conference, and that's a huge difference. It is the equivalent of giving the Sun Belt an automatic to the BCS and would be just as ridiculous (and that's not meant as a dig at ASu or GSU, it is just reality).

[BucBisonAtLarge]

The PFL is just under 10% of the subdivision. They play the sport. They are in Division I. Three more at large teams join the playoff-- no added week, three more seeds, too. Yay.

[Professor Chaos]

Been there, done that.

When you qualify for the tournament from the SoCon, there is NO question whether or not you belong. Again, the top 6 in the SoCon are generally better than at least 2 AQs every year. We played Jacksonville twice. GSU played them once. They got trashed in all three games, and yet at that time they were the cream of the PL.

If you like your tournament to be the FCS equivalent of zero-outcome soccer, then fine, give every Helen Keller conference an AQ. But the tournament will never be representative of the best football teams in FCS. Just the best in each conference, and that's a huge difference. It is the equivalent of giving the Sun Belt an automatic to the BCS and would be just as ridiculous (and that's not meant as a dig at ASu or GSU, it is just reality).
Your argument would have more merit if there weren't 13 at large selections. You pretty much have to be outside the top 20 with these 3 additional at large selections to be left out of the playoffs. IMO, if you can't get into the top 20 you don't deserve consideration for an at-large bid. The foundation of the FCS postseason is that it's decided on the field and do you know what's also decided on the field? Conference titles. If the 4th place team in the SOCON wanted to be included in the postseason party it shouldn't have let the three teams above it outperform it on the field. I applaud the decision to let the best team in each playoff eligible league compete in the playoffs, it makes the tournament truly national.

[CID1990]

Your argument would have more merit if there weren't 13 at large selections. You pretty much have to be outside the top 20 with these 3 additional at large selections to be left out of the playoffs. IMO, if you can't get into the top 20 you don't deserve consideration for an at-large bid. The foundation of the FCS postseason is that it's decided on the field and do you know what's also decided on the field? Conference titles. If the 4th place team in the SOCON wanted to be included in the postseason party it shouldn't have let the three teams above it outperform it on the field. I applaud the decision to let the best team in each playoff eligible league compete in the playoffs, it makes the tournament truly national.

That's very noble of you, but the PL champion is not going to be competitive by any stretch of the imagination. Again, trying to be fair and inclusive = throwaway playoff games.

[DFW HOYA]

That's very noble of you, but the PL champion is not going to be competitive by any stretch of the imagination. Again, trying to be fair and inclusive = throwaway playoff games.

Of course, they once said that about the NEC champion, too. Time will tell.

[Model Citizen]

Been there, done that.

Good. After reading your post, however, I still feel sad for you.

[CID1990]

Good. After reading your post, however, I still feel sad for you.

I don't want to hear about you emotions. Go have tissue.

[cmaxwellgsu]

They don't deserve a bid IMO, and the playoffs are started to get watered down. There's no way these zero scholly leagues are going to be able to hang with anybody. And with the regionalization of the opening rounds, it's just going to give a big seed a week one cupcake. I think it's time to go back to 16 teams, and seed everyone. Oh yeah, and no auto bid for any league that caps below the max scholarship level. Time to stop with the little league "everyone gets a trophy " mentality.

[danefan]

They don't deserve a bid IMO, and the playoffs are started to get watered down. There's no way these zero scholly leagues are going to be able to hang with anybody. And with the regionalization of the opening rounds, it's just going to give a big seed a week one cupcake. I think it's time to go back to 16 teams, and seed everyone. Oh yeah, and no auto bid for any league that caps below the max scholarship level. Time to stop with the little league "everyone gets a trophy " mentality.


There is no forced regionalization in the playoffs. And no seeded teams will be playing in the first round.

It was considered and specifically rejected.

Top 8 teams get seeded and byes and home games. Remaining 16 teams play in the first round being paired up using the exact same criteria used this year. Preference is for bus trips (less than 400 miles), but conference teams cannot play in the first round.

[AmsterBison]

I like it. They are never going to improve by playing the schedules they currently have.