OT: D1

[IUP24]

Pitt doesn’t play in the BIG East either…

Really have no interest in getting into a Pitt-Penn State discussion. Still don't.

Outside of Michigan and Ohio State, who exactly is a challenging game in that division for Penn State? Michigan State once every 4 or so years? Iowa or Wisconsin every 3rd time they catch them in a crossover game? Clemson beat more teams ranked by the College Football Playoff committee at the time they played them than the entire Big Ten conference did combined. What's that say?

Look at the games Franklin has lost over the last 3 seasons. Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan State.... That's not exactly impressive. And if you're measuring the supposed strength of the BIG due to the likes of programs like Indiana and Maryland, that's pretty laughable.

[IUPNation]

The full context of your post highlights what's ultimately wrong with the NCAA at the highest levels of college sports. The NCAA is never going to punish a major program at a major university the way they actually should (like they did with SMU and the "death penalty" punishment). And it has nothing to do with killing a town's economy, or hurting a university, etc. They won't pull the trigger for reasons related to their own self-interest.

In recent history, there's been MAJOR scandals in college sports at big-time programs, and in big revenue sports. You think about some of the things that have happened, and this probably isn't the entire list...

• Penn State sex scandal with Jerry Sandusky
• Michigan State scandal within their athletic department with Larry Nassar
• Rick Pitino prostitute scandal with Louisville men's hoops
• Louisville basketball scandal, Part 2
• UNC basketball academic cheating scandal
• FBI investigation into coaches and boosters wire tapping recruits money from some big-time basketball programs (Arizona, UNC, Tennessee, etc.).

You take a look at each of those individually... Minimal tangible punishment that would legitimately impact anything and serve as an actual deterrent to others. To your point, there wasn't a punishment levied against UNC. Sean Miller and Bruce Pearl lost their jobs stemming from that FBI investigation, but nothing happened to the basketball programs otherwise. The NCAA picks and chooses who they want to punish, and when they want to step in.

At the end of the day, there's far too much money at stake for the NCAA to actually do anything when these scandals break. People can say what they want about the Jerry Sandusky scandal. The reality outside of State College, PA and outside of that fanbase is that a predator was allowed to work within Penn State's football program for decades. What involvement or knowledge powerful people within that program and university actually had, I guess we'll never know. And in hopes of not stirring up an argument, or straying from the actual point I'm intending to make here, I'll choose to just not proceed further. That said, Penn State was let off the punishment they were issued with "good behavior." Why? Because the NCAA and college football NEEDS Penn State. They can't afford for their football program to be down and for the fanbase to not be energized or interested. The NCAA has far too much to lose if Penn State's program got destroyed from that scandal - and that's truth. It wasn't about feeling bad for the players on the team who had nothing to do with it; the NCAA cared about their wallets. They need Penn State's fans to travel to Phoenix, or Jacksonville, or Topeka, and spend a crap ton of money to watch a bowl game. They need that alumni base tuning into games every weekend on TV. They need the world to tune into the White Out once a year. It's no different than Alabama, or Georgia, or Ohio State, etc. The NCAA needs those schools. They want those schools. And in evaluation of teams vying for the College Football Playoff, they've successfully used the sports media to condition most fans to turn their nose up at anyone not considered a "blue blood." They don't actually want Cincinnati or UCF to have a legit shot. They would rather that spot go to a big time program. Because with big time programs, comes big time money. Impacting one of those programs chances of being there at the end can effectively hurt the NCAA.

Those big boys play by a different set of rules relative to what they are allowed to do off the field. Had a scandal like what happened at Penn State occurred at any of those big schools, it would've been the same punishment at the end of the day. Now... Had that happened at a school like Kent State, or UNLV, or some mid-tier P5 program like Indiana or Maryland.. Those schools would be celebrating homecoming at a soccer game today. I truly believe that.

You keep going further and actually dig into the corruption of college basketball. Look at what you see in March now. They are playing Sweet 16 games in football stadiums. The only schools selling those out are the ones who continue to break the rules off the court. UNC, Arizona, Louisville, etc. The NCAA can't lay the iron fist on North Carolina. They have far too much to lose with them being banned from the postseason for 3 years. They need Tar Heels fans selling out Lucas Oil Stadium in the Round of 16. They need fans from Arizona filling up Jerry's World in the Elite 8. And this thing is only going to get worse. The NCAA continues to push for postseason expansion in all sports, because they are being prompted to do so with money from the networks. And they'll try to make the venues those games are played in bigger. Who sells the most tickets? The teams that cheat the most.

Those runs for schools like St. Peters, UMBC, etc., are fun for the fans, but that's not what the NCAA wants. So, ultimately, that's why they're going to placate to the big boys and let them skirt the rules where they can.

Now.. Had one of those programs committed the academic cheating violation, they'd be banned from the dance for life. Rant over lol...

An aside to all of the this... I think the NCAA was always like this, but I think it's just so out in the open now and visible.

I agree with all of this….

[Chuck Norris]

It’s going to be interesting. Winning at Jackson State is one thing, but he’s going to need a good staff around him to win consistently at this level. The PAC 10/12, whatever, is probably a good place to start for him. It’s going to be watered down now as well with the defections. Recruiting is one thing and I think he’ll do that extraordinarily well. Will he be able to win at the next level? That’s the question. He’s a winner and I wouldn’t doubt him, but we’ll find out soon enough.

His staff appears to be shaping up pretty nicely. Sean Lewis, a very good young offensive mind is leaving the HC job at Kent State to be his OC, which sounds kinda crazy on the surface. Mike Zimmer may end up the DC. Willie Taggart is joining the staff and it looks like Tim Brewster will as well. I also think Deion himself is a pretty underrated football mind. I suspect he’ll turn Colorado around pretty quickly, then likely head to an even bigger job.

[EyeoftheHawk]

His staff appears to be shaping up pretty nicely. Sean Lewis, a very good young offensive mind is leaving the HC job at Kent State to be his OC, which sounds kinda crazy on the surface. Mike Zimmer may end up the DC. Willie Taggart is joining the staff and it looks like Tim Brewster will as well. I also think Deion himself is a pretty underrated football mind. I suspect he’ll turn Colorado around pretty quickly, then likely head to an even bigger job.

If I was betting on it I’d have to put my money on Deion as well. Winners seem to find a way to be winners. We’ll see if that means 8-4 seasons or 11-1 seasons, which is a big difference. If he is closer to the 11-1 successful, I agree he’d move on. “Neon Deion” seems like he’d need a bigger spotlight than what Boulder has to offer. You’d have to think his ultimate goal would be to get back to Florida State. It should be fun to watch.

[Fightingscot82]

A bunch of FCS schools are collectively moving up and forming a football-only FBS conference. Several were D2 schools not long ago:

• Stephen F. Austin (WAC)
• Abilene Christian (WAC)
• Utah Tech (WAC)
• Southern Utah (WAC)
• Tarleton State (WAC)
• Austin Peay (Atlantic Sun)
• Eastern Kentucky (Atlantic Sun)
• Central Arkansas (Atlantic Sun)
• North Alabama (Atlantic Sun)

[IUPNation]

A bunch of FCS schools are collectively moving up and forming a football-only FBS conference. Several were D2 schools not long ago:

• Stephen F. Austin (WAC)
• Abilene Christian (WAC)
• Utah Tech (WAC)
• Southern Utah (WAC)
• Tarleton State (WAC)
• Austin Peay (Atlantic Sun)
• Eastern Kentucky (Atlantic Sun)
• Central Arkansas (Atlantic Sun)
• North Alabama (Atlantic Sun)

A waste of time.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

A waste of time.

North Alabama probably wishes it was still D2 ... 1-10 this year.

[ironmaniup]

A bunch of FCS schools are collectively moving up and forming a football-only FBS conference. Several were D2 schools not long ago:

• Stephen F. Austin (WAC)
• Abilene Christian (WAC)
• Utah Tech (WAC)
• Southern Utah (WAC)
• Tarleton State (WAC)
• Austin Peay (Atlantic Sun)
• Eastern Kentucky (Atlantic Sun)
• Central Arkansas (Atlantic Sun)
• North Alabama (Atlantic Sun)

It’s the part of the country that’s growing. In 10 years one will have a place in the expanded fbs playoffs - maybe

[IUPNation]

North Alabama probably wishes it was still D2 ... 1-10 this year.

That league won’t ever win a national title.

[Ship69]

A bunch of FCS schools are collectively moving up and forming a football-only FBS conference. Several were D2 schools not long ago:

• Stephen F. Austin (WAC)
• Abilene Christian (WAC)
• Utah Tech (WAC)
• Southern Utah (WAC)
• Tarleton State (WAC)
• Austin Peay (Atlantic Sun)
• Eastern Kentucky (Atlantic Sun)
• Central Arkansas (Atlantic Sun)
• North Alabama (Atlantic Sun)

Just what the world needs. More crap D1 teams.

[EdinboroFB]

A bunch of FCS schools are collectively moving up and forming a football-only FBS conference. Several were D2 schools not long ago:

• Stephen F. Austin (WAC)
• Abilene Christian (WAC)
• Utah Tech (WAC)
• Southern Utah (WAC)
• Tarleton State (WAC)
• Austin Peay (Atlantic Sun)
• Eastern Kentucky (Atlantic Sun)
• Central Arkansas (Atlantic Sun)
• North Alabama (Atlantic Sun)

Ill look forward to watching Tarelton State against Austin Peay in the Neuvo Laredo Bowl.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Just what the world needs. More crap D1 teams.

Lol exactly

[CHIP72]

This may be of interest to some of you who have interest in college football across all classifications. There isn't a great place to put the following, so I'll post it here.

Here's the full (DI-A/FBS + DI-AA/FCS + D2 + NAIA + D3) college football schedule with TV information for Friday 12/16 and Saturday 12/17 (all times Eastern):

*DI-A/FBS games are in red
*DI-AA/FCS games are in blue
*D2 games are in black and bolded
*NAIA games are in orange
*D3 games are in purple

Friday 12/16
Miami (OH) vs Alabama-Birmingham (at Nassau, Bahamas), 11:30 AM (ESPN)
Texas-San Antonio vs Troy (at Orlando, FL), 3:00 PM (ESPN)
Incarnate Word at North Dakota State, 7:00 PM (ESPN2)
Mount Union vs North Central (IL) (at Annapolis, MD), 7:00 PM (ESPNU)

Saturday 12/17
Cincinnati vs Louisville (at Boston, MA), 11:00 AM (ESPN)
Jackson State vs North Carolina Central (at Atlanta, GA), 12:00 PM (ABC)
Keiser vs Northwestern (IA) (at Durham, NC), 12:00 PM (ESPN3)
Colorado School of Mines vs Ferris State (at McKinney, TX), 1:00 PM (ESPNU)
Florida vs Oregon State (at Las Vegas, NV), 2:30 PM (ESPN)
Washington State vs Fresno State (at Inglewood, CA), 3:30 PM (ABC)
Montana State at South Dakota State, 4:00 PM (ESPN2)
Rice vs Southern Mississippi (at Mobile, AL), 5:45 PM (ESPN)
Southern Methodist vs Brigham Young (at Albuquerque, NM), 7:30 PM (ABC)
North Texas vs Boise State (at Frisco, TX), 9:15 PM (ESPN)

[Fightingscot82]

West Florida's coach is the new coach at Towson.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

West Florida's coach is the new coach at Towson.

That's ..... interesting.

His old team may beat his new team.