Non-conference requirement?

[Inkblot]

Buried in the February D2 Championships Committee report (https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/com..._FebReport.pdf), I found this:

6. Additional discussion items.

a. In-region, nonconference opponent requirement feedback. The committee reviewed feedback it requested from sport committees and the Division II Athletics Directors Association and the Division II Conference Commissioners Association regarding potential in-region, nonconference opponent requirements. Based on the feedback and after lengthy discussion, the committee agreed that some level of nonconference competition across all sports other than football is important, and that for those sports there should be an in-region component to any nonconference requirement. Accordingly, the committee agreed that in team sports other than football, at least one in-region, nonconference contest must be required to be eligible for at-large selection to the championship. In football, the committee agreed that at least one nonconference contest, without the in-region requirement, is required for at-large selection. The committee is asking sport committees for feedback on their preferred number (at least one) and the date the requirement should be effective (either 2027-28 or 2028-29 academic year) before issuing a final recommendation during a subsequent meeting.

So at some point the GAC may be effectively required to ditch the silo.

[Predatory Primates]

Buried in the February D2 Championships Committee report (https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/com..._FebReport.pdf), I found this:



So at some point the GAC may be effectively required to ditch the silo.

Yay

[Brandon]

this should have always been the rule.

[Divisiontwo]

The likelihood of the GAC champ not being ranked high enough in RR’s is very very slim.

[Inkblot]

The likelihood of the GAC champ not being ranked high enough in RR’s is very very slim.

I'm lost on the connection that has to the topic.

[Tech Boys]

Not just "Yay" but:

YAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!! ABOUT FLIPPIN TIME! END THE SILO!

There have been suggestions on here that the GAC would start non-con games by expanding and creating divisions. That wouldn't stop the silo. If this happened the GAC would just schedule the full division and rotate the other division same as what the Northern Sun did. The GAC can easily do non-con games now by simply rotating a pair of teams off the schedule each season. Every conference surrounding the GAC plays at least 2 non-con games. The GSC needs 8 non-cons now.

For Tech there are plenty of nearby opponents. Tech's longest GAC trip is to NWOSU (384 miles) and there are 12 non-con opportunities shorter than that trip. Another 9 opportunities are within 450 miles with the longest of those being to West Alabama. While 450 miles is not an easy trip, it's not that bad either. I made the trip from ATU to UWA back in 1983 and we got back to campus as the sun was rising.

[Divisiontwo]

I'm lost on the connection that has to the topic.

An at large bid would be someone who gets in without being “ranked.” The only way that comes into play in the GAC is if the highest ranked team isn’t in the top 8.


Thats at least how I read it. I may have their meaning of “at large” bid wrong

[Buffalo/Islander Alum]

For now Harding has proved it outside the GAC and region.

Talk to me if other teams from the GAC (Pre-Harding) get there and get smoked first round of the playoffs as in the past.

[Finchwidget]

An at large bid would be someone who gets in without being “ranked.” The only way that comes into play in the GAC is if the highest ranked team isn’t in the top 8.


Thats at least how I read it. I may have their meaning of “at large” bid wrong

With the changes to playoff selection last season and the addition of autobids, an at-large selection refers to any team that makes the playoffs but doesn't win their conference.

My understanding is that under the proposed change, the GAC champion would still get a bid to the playoffs, but the GAC as a whole would be permanently stuck as a 1-bid conference unless they ditch the silo.

[Mulerider]

buried in the february d2 championships committee report (https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/com..._febreport.pdf), i found this:



So at some point the gac may be effectively required to ditch the silo.

I sure hope so!

[Predatory Primates]

I'm mainly stoked that this will probably keep the miaa from going back to a silo in the future.

If the GAC members want to commit playoff suicide, I'm ok with it. That means an extra playoff berth for one of the other conferences.

As a D2 fan, I would love to see some week 0 or 1 games that had Harding against a potential playoff team from another conference.

Imagine HU against Pitt, Ferris, GV, ASU, NW, PB, WF, VSU, Delta, Duluth, Mankato, etc... It would be fun and worth looking forward to.

[Bisonfan from FLA]

I'm mainly stoked that this will probably keep the miaa from going back to a silo in the future.

If the GAC members want to commit playoff suicide, I'm ok with it. That means an extra playoff berth for one of the other conferences.

As a D2 fan, I would love to see some week 0 or 1 games that had Harding against a potential playoff team from another conference.

Imagine HU against Pitt, Ferris, GV, ASU, NW, PB, WF, VSU, Delta, Duluth, Mankato, etc... It would be fun and worth looking forward to.

Predatory, many GAC fans are right there with you on the desire to see GAC teams playing non-conference games in week 0 or week 1. Maybe this possible new non-conference requirement, along with the implied implosion of the GSC, would make adding Delta State to the GAC a great addition. The unbalanced numbers in a realigned GAC would make the need for a non-conference game a necessity.

[Redwing]

Whoops, read it wrong.

[OldBison]

I doubt anything will change with the GAC silo schedule any time soon. Even if the recommendation is made and approved, requiring a non-conference game would only be needed for an at-large bid, not for the autobid the conference champion would receive. With NPI now being the determining factor no second GAC team is getting in the POs anyway even if they played a non-conference game in zero week. The financial advantage of the silo is too valuable to the school presidents to end it. As far as zero week games, not happening. GAC schools are not adding a 12th game.

[Inkblot]

With NPI now being the determining factor no second GAC team is getting in the POs anyway even if they played a non-conference game in zero week.

Any GAC team would most likely be in by NPI at 10-1 and would have a good chance at 9-2.