B1G Football Scheduling Changes
Starting in 2016, 9 league games, 1 required Power-5 non-con game, and no FCS games.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/bigten/2015/07/31/big-ten-sc…
Apologies if this has already been talked about. Seems like a big deal, so I'm kinda surprised there hasn't already been a thread on it.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
Fuhh-nom-eeeee-naaaaaal.
I like the move to 9 conference games.
I'd rather have 10 league games and no FCS but I suppose 9 games plus 1 power 5 opponent will do.
If you were at ten league games, there's no way you'd ever have a good OOC game.
August 10th, 2015 at 11:25 AM ^
You'd get good OOC games in the playoffs and bowls though.
I'd rather play Wisconsin more often than Arkansas, VT, and Oklahoma in the regular season. Just my opinion though.
UM's 2016 schedule has nine league games.(five at home) Kinda strange that it is being announced considering that the schedules reflected this for months.
From browsing earlier, I believe the new twist is the discussion at media days, including Fitzgerald claiming the coaches voted 14-0 against. The no FCS rule might be new, but I don't remember either way.
SQ, I believe you are right. I was hoping this was going to fix the msu and THE ohio always being both either on the road or at home. Assuming it can not be fixed, I hope then the times when they are both home games is when we only have 4 B1G home games and that when they are away we have 5 B1G home games. I trust Hackett can fix what Brandon screwed up!
Brandon's extremely limp 'pimp hand' forced us to play Sparty on the road 2 years in a row to create this monumental screw up. Simple solution: they play us 2 years in a row at the Big House... and all other teams' schedules adjust accordingly... it ain't rocket science.
Hackett uber alles!
the power-5 requirement is new. Though I guess you could always just schedule the weakest power-5 team possible and call it good. But everyone can't schedule Kansas.
Interesting wording by Delany in the press release.
-The 1 Power 5 opponent is Mandated. Cool... will go into effect in 2016.
-The no FCS teams are "The new standard operating procedure" not a conference mandate. If you recall, the AD's voted no FCS back in 2013 when the conference expanded. Delany said they would most likely honor existing contracts. The last scheduled FCS game is Iowa vs Northern Iowa in 2018, so this won't be taking effect in 2016. I would expect AD's to honor their "commitment" not to schedule FCS schools, but there is nothing stopping them.
-Another interesting fact- Pat Fitzgerald said that all the B1G coaches voted against a 9 game conference schedule, but it didn't matter.
Personally I love this.
I wonder if there is a possibility that there is a competative disadvantage with this setup? Some of the other conferences are at 8 games with no restriction I believe.
Best Idea I have heard all day!!!
But the Big Ten’s new criteria is influenced most heavily by the impact of the College Football Playoff, and specifically in how the 13-member selection committee culls through relevant data and metrics to select its four participants.
Of course this is the main driver, but I still like the switch, especially the part about having at least one Power Five opponent in the OOC.
With the change, can they fix the MSU/OSU double-rotation issue?
August 1st, 2015 at 11:25 AM ^
It's not about scheduling difficulty. It's that we always played one conference rival at home every year and now we're playing two one year and zero the next. It makes the schedule crappy every even-numbered year.
August 1st, 2015 at 11:35 AM ^
August 1st, 2015 at 12:32 PM ^
1 game at either U-M/MSU (geography), 1 game at either OSU/PSU (again, geography), 1 game at either U-M/OSU (the traditional B1G top 2).
Actually, that is the way it WAS in the 1995-2002 era.
Penn State made 2 separate trips to Michigan in each of 2005, 2007, and 2009. Always thought that was dumb.
August 1st, 2015 at 12:11 AM ^
Didn't we know for like a year now we were going to 9 conference games?
I think they've set this more in stone vs agreeing to do it last Winter.
August 1st, 2015 at 12:24 AM ^
is that the SEC will still not be punished for playing them like they should be. Believe me they'll still play their Fuman's and Stephen F Austin's becasue the SEC is so HARRRRRDDDD.
The BIG is putting itself in a tougher situation relative to college football's best conference.
the infrequency of playing Wisconsin to 6 years?
But I'm trying to think how much this actually changes things Michigan.
Michigan didn't often schedule FCS teams. App St x2, and Delaware St are the only two that come to mind from recent memory. I'm sure WD or a google search could add in any I'm missing
Until Notre Dame chickened out, we always had at least one qualifying "crossover" game, and looking to the future there are some great marquee home and homes scheduled.
So is the main benefit here that the overall level of competition will rise across the conference, which assuming the Big Ten wins its share of these games helps the conference?