Video: Should Division II Overhaul the Playoff System? - with Mike Racy

[GorillaTeacher]

I don't think the portal is bearing out the doomsayer predictions. A minuscule fraction of the portal entries find new homes at 4 year institutions, even less moving up divisions. The NFL is designed to entirely level the playing field with their scheduling and salary cap. Parity is the name of their game. Its why 1st place teams play 1st place teams and so forth, the lowest performing teams pick first and get first claim on waiver pick ups. That is the reason why so many NFL teams seem to come out of nowhere each season, (see 2022 eagles, 2021 bengals), it all comes due eventually in the NFL.

[KleShreen]

Then the semi final games in that setup have to be at a neutral site. I don't care if 10 people show up in the stands. FCS needs to do that too...always giving the Dakotastan State schools the advantage has gotten really boring. The final 8 in basketball go to a neutral site...there is no reason why they can't play two games in a day at neutral site...hell...why not take those games back to Florence....make it feel like the Good Old Days for some of you.

I like how D1 does their semi final games in the bowl game...neither team has the true home field advantage.

if you can't agree on that then my belief that this is all about making sure the playoffs are tilted for the advantaged few and there is no point to having a division wide playoff system is spot on.

All it takes for an SR1 team to host a semifinal is to actually face decent competition in their non-conference schedule. But the only teams anyone in SR1 is scheduling in non-conference are fellow SR1 teams and HBCU's. So if they get to the semifinals, they have a poor SOS. That's an easy fix on SR1's end. That's on you guys. Face some competition outside of your own bad region, and beat them, and then get to the semifinals. The "advantaged few" are the "advantaged few" because they challenge themselves in non-conference play and win in non-conference play as a region. There's nothing stopping IUP from playing Colorado Mines in their non-conference week. Instead, they schedule, yet again, another SR1 team in Ashland. That's not going to help anything. It's just going to weaken your own region's OWP and SOS.

[KleShreen]

I think the benefit of the doubt should certainly be in play at times and Region 1 hasn't earned it yet. I truly thought Shepherd might be on their way to establishing themselves as the bully of Region 1 when they beat GV in 2015 and then lost a very tough game against UNA the following year in the national semi's in 2016. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to have happened as they got bum rushed the last couple years in the national semifinals. I agree with your last paragraph synopsis.

I can assure you however, that Shepherd's VP of athletics (former player on the fball team) has a mission to get the Rams to be nationally competitive and not just regionally. It's been a climb, but scholarships have increased incrementally in his tenure to the point where I think the Rams are in the 28-30 range now. Goal is to get to the full amount of 36 and I do think they will get there eventually.

I also think Ashland could end up being that team as well. Facilities are great there and in a good recruiting area. I've heard that funding has been good as well, so shouldn't be any reason really why shouldn't be in the conversation either. It hasn't bore out fully yet, but I don't think SR1 is going backwards is I guess what I'm trying to say. It's incrementally trying to get there at least amongst a few teams.

Ashland could be. They were never able to get out of the region while in the GLIAC, but they're one of the few schools now in SR1 that seem to be investing the resources needed to compete nationally. And maybe Shepherd will get there as well. Would be great for everyone.

[KleShreen]

No...all NFL teams just don't all over haul themselves every season.

The Bengals drafting at the top for a few years finally started paying off. They would be like IUP getting more money and recruiting more players and rising back up but you would demand they play every Semi final on the road based on "past history"

The Rams had been to a Super Bowl a few years prior. They went for broke last year as the window was shutting on their aging roster and the refs made sure they got through the window and screwed over the Bengals..based on reputation of course.

The Lions never figured out how to win in an era of free agency and a salary cap. A lot of teams are in that boat......

So...if the Lions make the playoffs...the need to play on the road until they prove themselves. I was told that was a fair system for foosball.

lol you are making comparisons that don't make any sense. The NFL doesn't have a committee which determines playoff teams or seedings. The NCAA does. There's no postseason in NCAA that doesn't have humans making decisions on who makes it and who is seeded where, besides the sports which use timing systems like track, cross country, and swimming. The NFL doesn't have human decisions being used for playoffs, because professional sports is all on an equal playing field when there's a salary cap involved, so record is all that is needed. The "disadvantage" for the Lions if they were to make the playoffs would be in their lack of experience for playoff atmosphere football.

[GorillaTeacher]

All it takes for an SR1 team to host a semifinal is to actually face decent competition in their non-conference schedule. But the only teams anyone in SR1 is scheduling in non-conference are fellow SR1 teams and HBCU's. So if they get to the semifinals, they have a poor SOS. That's an easy fix on SR1's end. That's on you guys. Face some competition outside of your own bad region, and beat them, and then get to the semifinals. The "advantaged few" are the "advantaged few" because they challenge themselves in non-conference play and win in non-conference play as a region. There's nothing stopping IUP from playing Colorado Mines in their non-conference week. Instead, they schedule, yet again, another SR1 team in Ashland. That's not going to help anything. It's just going to weaken your own region's OWP and SOS.

Regionality discourages leaving your region for game.

[IUPNation]

I don't think the portal is bearing out the doomsayer predictions. A minuscule fraction of the portal entries find new homes at 4 year institutions, even less moving up divisions. The NFL is designed to entirely level the playing field with their scheduling and salary cap. Parity is the name of their game. Its why 1st place teams play 1st place teams and so forth, the lowest performing teams pick first and get first claim on waiver pick ups. That is the reason why so many NFL teams seem to come out of nowhere each season, (see 2022 eagles, 2021 bengals), it all comes due eventually in the NFL.

The 2021 Eagles made the playoffs. So did the 2018 and 2019 Eagles.

[IUPNation]

All it takes for an SR1 team to host a semifinal is to actually face decent competition in their non-conference schedule. But the only teams anyone in SR1 is scheduling in non-conference are fellow SR1 teams and HBCU's. So if they get to the semifinals, they have a poor SOS. That's an easy fix on SR1's end. That's on you guys. Face some competition outside of your own bad region, and beat them, and then get to the semifinals. The "advantaged few" are the "advantaged few" because they challenge themselves in non-conference play and win in non-conference play as a region. There's nothing stopping IUP from playing Colorado Mines in their non-conference week. Instead, they schedule, yet again, another SR1 team in Ashland. That's not going to help anything. It's just going to weaken your own region's OWP and SOS.

The MIAA has been SILO.

[KleShreen]

Regionality discourages leaving your region for game.

Well most schools aren't thinking about the semifinals. The teams which are, like GV/Ferris/Mines/Pueblo, go take on good schools from other regions so they can have the edge in possibly hosting a semifinals game. SR1 fans here have admitted they don't care about the semifinals/finals, so I guess it makes sense they don't care to challenge themselves out of their own region.

[IUPNation]

lol you are making comparisons that don't make any sense. The NFL doesn't have a committee which determines playoff teams or seedings. The NCAA does. There's no postseason in NCAA that doesn't have humans making decisions on who makes it and who is seeded where, besides the sports which use timing systems like track, cross country, and swimming. The NFL doesn't have human decisions being used for playoffs, because professional sports is all on an equal playing field when there's a salary cap involved, so record is all that is needed. The "disadvantage" for the Lions if they were to make the playoffs would be in their lack of experience for playoff atmosphere football.

So you agree that your points for D2 are nonsense.

Finally you make sense.

[KleShreen]

The MIAA has been SILO.

And then they beat teams in the playoffs from the GLIAC who have beaten top teams out of region. That's why SOS, OWP, and OOWP are all part of the formula. But SR1 just keeps everything in SR1, so all their numbers end up being bad because they're just beating each other.

[IUPNation]

Well most schools aren't thinking about the semifinals. The teams which are, like GV/Ferris/Mines/Pueblo, go take on good schools from other regions so they can have the edge in possibly hosting a semifinals game. SR1 fans here have admitted they don't care about the semifinals/finals, so I guess it makes sense they don't care to challenge themselves out of their own region.

So four teams that are in smaller conferences playing one another to fill out the mandated 10 game schedule. Okay...they turned a problem into a solution that benefits each other.

[KleShreen]

So you agree that your points for D2 are nonsense.

Finally you make sense.

D2 football is a professional sport with free agency and drafts and a salary cap that keeps all teams at the same level? Weird.

[IUPNation]

And then they beat teams in the playoffs from the GLIAC who have beaten top teams out of region. That's why SOS, OWP, and OOWP are all part of the formula. But SR1 just keeps everything in SR1, so all their numbers end up being bad because they're just beating each other.

Hmm...didn't they both lose in Meatchicken in December?

Neither played anyone outside of the MIAA in the regular season. Their numbers were based entirely on their SILO schedule.

When IUP played Ashland in 2017...it was not an in region game. Did it again in 2018.

The regional set up does not encourage anyone to play out of region because the rankings come down to numbers on the spread sheet based on regional numbers. The fact is there are enough schools to fill the one week they have for an OOC within Region 1...we are not the GLIAC with 6 conference game that you need to find four more games to meet the 10 game requirement to be eligible for the playoffs.The RMAC needs two OOC games to reach 10. You are acting like they are playing each other for playoff reasons when it really just comes down to there is nobody else to play to fill out the schedule since the MIAA was SILO...the NSIC is SILO..the GMAC hates you and the Pee Sack can find pretty much anyone on the MEC, GMAC and NE10 to fill out Week 1. Sometimes they even play a better CIAA team.

This alone is the top reason to ditch the regions. I HATE how they do regional rankings based on spread sheet numbers.

You don't seem to get that I am agree with you all mostly...I just don't agree that certain teams should get privileges every season based on prior season results. I just don't think that if they do ditch the regional format and schools are now free to schedule anyone they like...that all of a sudden we are going to see MIAA teams playing in Pennsylvania any more than Grand Valley will all of a sudden be doing home and home series with West Florida or Valdosta State every year. Schools will still continue to schedule based on travel costs....as money will always be the final deciding factor. At lets face it..Grand Valley travels far because they have the private jets! :-) What will actually happen is many schools will now become FCS cupcake games to get paid in Week 1 and it won't hurt their playoff chances....

[KleShreen]

So four teams that are in smaller conferences playing one another to fill out the mandated 10 game schedule. Okay...they turned a problem into a solution that benefits each other.

Firstly, there's nothing stopping the PSAC from only playing 8 conference games and allowing teams to play more non-conference games. Secondly, there's nothing stopping PSAC teams from using their one non-conference week to go play a good team from another region. Your conference and region are just terrified to leave their own little bubble.

[KleShreen]

Hmm...didn't they both lose in Meatchicken in December?

Neither played anyone outside of the MIAA in the regular season. Their numbers were based entirely on their SILO schedule.

Uh yea. And that's why they had to play in Michigan. Because the Michigan teams had better numbers based on their schedule. That's why 1-loss Ferris was seeded ahead of 0-loss Pitt State lol. I'm not sure what you're not understanding here. You're just running around in circles. It's like you get cut off at one pass and run to another pass, get cut off there, and go running back to the first one.