The 50% Threshold

[Catatonic]

The NCAA says 50% of eligible schools must play this fall for playoffs to happen. Here’s where we are, subject to change by the hour:

Big Sky (13)
Big South( 5) Hampton no Fall sports. North Ala not eligible
CAA (3) JMU, Elon, Nova will play. Conference cancelled
MVFC (11)
Ohio Valley (9)
Pioneer (9)
Southern (9)
Southland (9) SFA and McNeese not Eligible

That’s 68 schools left standing.

How many schools are eligible? This isn’t an easy question to answer for FCS. There are 127 FCS schools. Transitional schools and those with APR problems aren’t eligible. That much is clear. Six schools fit in these categories (Tarleton, Dixie State and North Alabama are Transitional. SFA, McNeese and Prairie View are under APR sanction). This leaves 121 FCS schools to consider.

What about schools that could be eligible but whose conferences choose not to participate or whose conference champions play in their own championship game rather than the FCS playoffs? Do those schools count as “eligible?” The Ivy League, MEAC and SWAC fall into these categories.

If the NCAA determines schools from these conferences must be counted than FCS is barely above the required minimum with 68/121 eligible schools.

If the NCAA permits a more liberal defininition of eligible schools to include only schools from conferences that normally participate in the playoffs, the FCS is in good shape, with 68/98 playing.

There’s also a middle ground option. Sam Herder Tweeted that he spoke with a member of the D1 Council who believes the Ivy will not be counted but the MEAC and SWAC will count toward the total number of eligible schools. If this opinion proves correct, The current tally is 68/113 or 60%.

[bluedog]

Who's going to pay for all the mandatory Covid testing if they are eligible to play?

[cx500d]

Who's going to pay for all the mandatory Covid testing if they are eligible to play?

What do you care, you pussies don't participate anyway

[major095]

What do you care, you pussies don't participate anyway

I don't know who the mods are but this should not be tolerated.

[FUBeAR]

What do you care? You pussies don't participate anyway.

I don't know who the mods are but this should not be tolerated.

Agreed. The punctuation is HORRIBLE! (fixed it)

[Libertine]

Who's going to pay for all the mandatory Covid testing if they are eligible to play?

Probably the schools themselves. The bulk of expenses for FCS football is already borne by the schools as the NCAA provides very little funding up to and continuing through the playoffs. I don't know why that would change now.

[bluedog]

Probably the schools themselves. The bulk of expenses for FCS football is already borne by the schools as the NCAA provides very little funding up to and continuing through the playoffs. I don't know why that would change now.

My point is how do they expect to pay for those? From what I'm hearing it can go up to $100k a pop and it has to be done weekly. Not sure of the accuracy but if it's even close to being accurate. 95% of FCS schools can't afford that.

[walliver]

Who's going to pay for all the mandatory Covid testing if they are eligible to play?

These will be paid for the same way the SWAC will pay in the spring.

[BEAR]

The NCAA says 50% of eligible schools must play this fall for playoffs to happen. Here’s where we are, subject to change by the hour:

Big Sky (13)
Big South( 5) Hampton no Fall sports. North Ala not eligible
CAA (3) JMU, Elon, Nova will play. Conference cancelled
MVFC (11)
Ohio Valley (9)
Pioneer (9)
Southern (9)
Southland (9) SFA and McNeese not Eligible

That’s 68 schools left standing.

How many schools are eligible? This isn’t an easy question to answer for FCS. There are 127 FCS schools. Transitional schools and those with APR problems aren’t eligible. That much is clear. Six schools fit in these categories (Tarleton, Dixie State and North Alabama are Transitional. SFA, McNeese and Prairie View are under APR sanction). This leaves 121 FCS schools to consider.

What about schools that could be eligible but whose conferences choose not to participate or whose conference champions play in their own championship game rather than the FCS playoffs? Do those schools count as “eligible?” The Ivy League, MEAC and SWAC fall into these categories.

If the NCAA determines schools from these conferences must be counted than FCS is barely above the required minimum with 68/121 eligible schools.

If the NCAA permits a more liberal defininition of eligible schools to include only schools from conferences that normally participate in the playoffs, the FCS is in good shape, with 68/98 playing.

There’s also a middle ground option. Sam Herder Tweeted that he spoke with a member of the D1 Council who believes the Ivy will not be counted but the MEAC and SWAC will count toward the total number of eligible schools. If this opinion proves correct, The current tally is 68/113 or 60%.

Hopefully the NCAA won't count the "ineligible" teams or the ones who choose not to participate...as they have no bearing on the playoff count anyway. But you know the NCAA...

[Bisonator]

I fully expect the Pioneer to bail so we are pretty much screwed for having playoffs this year but I still hope the rest of these teams play this fall and don't pretend a spring season might happen because it won't.