FCS Playoffs

[UND08]

3 hours ago, wheelsup said:

The big sky conference rep was clearly the best prepared negotiator in the room.. Im guessing the MVFC rep spent all of his negotiating skills getting the Bison up to the 3rd seed in order to get NDSU and SDSU on opposite sides of the bracket.  I would really like to hear how all of the conversations went..

For what it's worth I had my top 4 seeds as follows:

1 - Sac State

2 - SDSU

3 - Montana State

4 - NDSU (the highest seeded team with an FCS loss).

Only thing that changes from what the committee did here was uniform color in Frisco assuming the higher seeds win.  If a conference is only supposed to get one rep on the committee, then said rep should advocate for what's best for the ENTIRE conference!  In that case Larsen did his job by getting SDSU/NDSU on opposite sides of the bracket.

We are one of the last teams in.  If the selection committee's work was done logically with consistent application of transparent procedures, then this is about the matchup I'd expect for a 7-4 team.  So I'm not going to cry about where UND was placed...because if we'd have just played better against SIU then I think we'd be hosting a game this week instead of travelling (not seeded but not thrown to Weber).  What I am going to complain about is the inconsistency in how procedure is applied...because it makes a mockery of the whole selection process.  NDSU and SDSU fans may laugh at us complaining about this...but one day it could be their program in a similar spot.

That being said, as long as regionalization is a factor and the whole field isn't seeded 1-24...the potential for this will be in play.

[tnt]

Just now, Shawn-O said:

For all we know the guy had to argue his ass off just to get us in over Florida A&M, Rhode Island, and Chattanooga.   Saturday was horrible, and you can bet the committee had ESPN+ piped in.    Or, I could be way off, who knows.   

It was horrible for Montana as well, only they don't have a win against a team with a winning record. 

[Shawn-O]

2 minutes ago, tnt said:

It was horrible for Montana as well, only they don't have a win against a team with a winning record. 

Totally agree, it's inexplicable.  I guess they hung their hat on the injury excuses.  Dumb.    

[gundy1124]

5 minutes ago, tnt said:

It was horrible for Montana as well, only they don't have a win against a team with a winning record. 

Maybe we should wait until Sunday to bitch about Montana.  They lost to Weber by 3.  The Griz also took Sac State, #2 seed, to overtime while both NDSU and SDSU kicked our _ss.

[Big Green]

2 hours ago, nd1sufan said:

Other than the fact that AD’s with teams in the discussion have to leave the room you are 100% correct in your blaming of UND getting screwed and NDSU getting the #3 seed.  

In case you aren’t following along, NDSU lost by 2 to the #1 seed and by a FG to an FBS team that just beat the #9 team in the country and lost by a score to the #10 team in the country. Oh, and they kicked the s%#t out of Montana State in the championship last year. 

This should not matter one bit.  Prior years should not facture into the current year.  New Season, new Teams.  Sadly it does and it should not.

 

[UND1983]

56 minutes ago, gundy1124 said:

Maybe we should wait until Sunday to bitch about Montana.  They lost to Weber by 3.  The Griz also took Sac State, #2 seed, to overtime while both NDSU and SDSU kicked our _ss.

it doesn't matter what they do Saturday.  They shouldn't have been in the field by all metrics.  Alot of teams could win one game this coming Saturday.

[Sioux>Bison]

Don’t get me wrong I like that UND made the playoffs but I rather have so many other past UND teams in the playoffs. This years teams just doesn’t have the feel of a team that could make a run compared to past teams. I would hate to lose a first round game for our future credibility. Matchup is about as tough if a draw as we could get.

Not feeling good about our chances Saturday but anything can happen. Hope they prove me wrong. Need to play perfect so no room for error.

[Sioux>Bison]

1 hour ago, gundy1124 said:

Maybe we should wait until Sunday to bitch about Montana.  They lost to Weber by 3.  The Griz also took Sac State, #2 seed, to overtime while both NDSU and SDSU kicked our _ss.

Redeem the bad losses by winning this game on Saturday. Otherwise the season will still feel like a dud.

[Sioux>Bison]

1 hour ago, Shawn-O said:

For all we know the guy had to argue his ass off just to get us in over Florida A&M, Rhode Island, and Chattanooga.   Saturday was horrible, and you can bet the committee had ESPN+ piped in.    Or, I could be way off, who knows.   

He probably did have to fight hard to get UND in. We were the last 2 in. A bid is a bid though, follow the rule or change it. 

[jdub27]

32 minutes ago, Sioux>Bison said:

He probably did have to fight hard to get UND in. We were the last 2 in. A bid is a bid though, follow the rule or change it. 

From comments in the Montana AD's interview, sounds like it was down to Montana and Chattanooga for the last spot. 

[siouxweet]

I know I am in the extreme minority but when it comes to hosting playoff games it should be based on what you do on the field not how big of a pocket book you have.  As long as a minimum bid has been met the better team should host despite what the past 50 years have shown.  Just go play and win.

[Sioux94]

3 minutes ago, siouxweet said:

I know I am in the extreme minority but when it comes to hosting playoff games it should be based on what you do on the field not how big of a pocket book you have.  As long as a minimum bid has been met the better team should host despite what the past 50 years have shown.  Just go play and win.

I agree....however that is not has how it has been....... until this instance.  But we do need to just go and win. 

[Big Green]

23 minutes ago, siouxweet said:

I know I am in the extreme minority but when it comes to hosting playoff games it should be based on what you do on the field not how big of a pocket book you have.  As long as a minimum bid has been met the better team should host despite what the past 50 years have shown.  Just go play and win.

I don't think you are in the minority on this.  I think the frustration is that the rules always seem to change when it come to UND football and the playoffs.

If home field was based of of performance for all other match ups and was that way going forward I think most people would see that as fair.

 

[rochsioux]

Might as well bring back the Fighting Sioux nickname. 

[nodak651]

Curious, are the guidelines in the FCS Playoff manual optional for the selection committee?  Nowhere in the official playoff manual is there guideline that should have allowed Weber and Idaho to be split up in the first round.  There is a specific formula that dictates where teams will be placed in the bracket - there are some exceptions, but nowhere is there verbiage that should have allowed Idaho and Weber to be split up in the first round.  Below are the guidelines in verbatim:
 

BRACKET PAIRINGS

All pairings will be made by the NCAA Division I Football Championship Committee. The following principles are applied when pairing teams:
 

1. The teams awarded the top eight seeds shall receive a bye in the first round and are placed in the appropriate

positions in the bracket (Nos. 1, 8, 4 and 5 in the upper half; and Nos. 2, 7, 3 and 6 in the lower half);

2. The remaining 16 teams will play first-round games and will be paired according to geographic proximity and then

placed in the bracket according to geographic proximity of the top eight seeds previously placed in the bracket;

3. The NCAA mileage threshold for mandatory team travel via ground is 400 miles (one way);

4. If a conference has four or more teams in the championship, the committee may allow an additional flight in the first

or second round in order to avoid a conference having all of its teams on the same side of the bracket;

5. Regular-season non-conference match-ups in the first round of the championship should be avoided, provided it

does not create an additional flight(s);

6. Teams from the same conference will not be paired for first-round games (except for teams from the same

conference that did not play against each other during the regular season; such teams may play each other in the

first round); and

7. Once the first-round pairings have been determined, there will be no adjustments to the bracket (e.g., a seeded team

may play a conference opponent that advanced out of the first round)

[Shawn-O]

Watching the CFP weekly show. What’s stopping the FCS committee from adopting a similar practice? 

[Hammersmith]

2 hours ago, nodak651 said:

Curious, are the guidelines in the FCS Playoff manual optional for the selection committee?  Nowhere in the official playoff manual is there guideline that should have allowed Weber and Idaho to be split up in the first round.  There is a specific formula that dictates where teams will be placed in the bracket - there are some exceptions, but nowhere is there verbiage that should have allowed Idaho and Weber to be split up in the first round.  Below are the guidelines in verbatim:
 

BRACKET PAIRINGS

All pairings will be made by the NCAA Division I Football Championship Committee. The following principles are applied when pairing teams:
 

1. The teams awarded the top eight seeds shall receive a bye in the first round and are placed in the appropriate

positions in the bracket (Nos. 1, 8, 4 and 5 in the upper half; and Nos. 2, 7, 3 and 6 in the lower half);

2. The remaining 16 teams will play first-round games and will be paired according to geographic proximity and then

placed in the bracket according to geographic proximity of the top eight seeds previously placed in the bracket;

3. The NCAA mileage threshold for mandatory team travel via ground is 400 miles (one way);

4. If a conference has four or more teams in the championship, the committee may allow an additional flight in the first

or second round in order to avoid a conference having all of its teams on the same side of the bracket;

5. Regular-season non-conference match-ups in the first round of the championship should be avoided, provided it

does not create an additional flight(s);

6. Teams from the same conference will not be paired for first-round games (except for teams from the same

conference that did not play against each other during the regular season; such teams may play each other in the

first round); and

7. Once the first-round pairings have been determined, there will be no adjustments to the bracket (e.g., a seeded team

may play a conference opponent that advanced out of the first round)

Moscow, Idaho(University of Idaho) and Ogden, Utah(Weber St) are 900 miles apart by road. Rule 3 says the limit of mandatory travel is 400 miles.

Had it been Weber and Idaho St(125 miles), you would be correct(assuming they hadn't played a conference game this year, of course).

[The Sicatoka]

Google says Moscow to Ogden by car is 600 miles. That would let them fly. 

By the way, Ogden to Grand Forks is double, 1200 miles. Now read Item 2 again. (Rare is the time @Hammersmithis to be corected, but this is one.) 

[bison73]

9 hours ago, jdub27 said:

Probably would have if they would have bothered to put a bid in.

 

This was negotiated before the matchup was even set.

 

Regionalization isn't about spreading games out, its about reducing travel costs and making them bus rides if possible. 

I know that but the committee can do crazy stuff at times to spread things out.

[Hammersmith]

2 hours ago, The Sicatoka said:

Google says Moscow to Ogden by car is 600 miles. That would let them fly. 

By the way, Ogden to Grand Forks is double, 1200 miles. Now read Item 2 again. (Rare is the time @Hammersmithis to be corected, but this is one.) 

You're right, of course. I plugged it into Google and it said 600 and somehow I screwed up between reading it on the screen and typing it into the post. Still, it's 200 miles beyond the maximum bus distance so the point stands even if I f-ed up the details.

[nd1sufan]

9 hours ago, Big Green said:

This should not matter one bit.  Prior years should not facture into the current year.  New Season, new Teams.  Sadly it does and it should not.

 

Again, just going on this year, they lost to a power 5 FBS school and to the #1 FCS seed by 2 points. What else could they have done to improve their seed. If they had scored 3 more points against SDSU they would be. #1 seed. I know UND fans are all about if 5 or 6 plays in 3 or 4 games had gone differently we would be 10-1 or undefeated. Literally if one play had gone differently (the Payton interception when they were driving to go up 4 scores in the SDSU game) NDSU would be looking at a #1 seed.

[UND1983]

5 minutes ago, nd1sufan said:

Again, just going on this year, they lost to a power 5 FBS school and to the #1 FCS seed by 2 points. What else could they have done to improve their seed. If they had scored 3 more points against SDSU they would be. #1 seed. I know UND fans are all about if 5 or 6 plays in 3 or 4 games had gone differently we would be 10-1 or undefeated. Literally if one play had gone differently (the Payton interception when they were driving to go up 4 scores in the SDSU game) NDSU would be looking at a #1 seed.

But it literally didn't.  

[FSSD]

13 hours ago, Nodak78 said:

MVFC didn't negotiate for MVFC.  He neg. For NDSU.

Rankings clearly show MVFC as the best conference FCS this year.  Three teams, CAA - rankings near the WAC.  Five teams.  What was the conference rep doing?

[nodak651]

5 hours ago, Hammersmith said:

Moscow, Idaho(University of Idaho) and Ogden, Utah(Weber St) are 900 miles apart by road. Rule 3 says the limit of mandatory travel is 400 miles.

Had it been Weber and Idaho St(125 miles), you would be correct(assuming they hadn't played a conference game this year, of course).

Mandatory travel by ground.  I see where you're coming from, but I interperate that as a mandate of the mode of travel that will be used - of the teams that are paired, the teams that are 400+ miles away fly.

4 hours ago, The Sicatoka said:

Google says Moscow to Ogden by car is 600 miles. That would let them fly. 

By the way, Ogden to Grand Forks is double, 1200 miles. Now read Item 2 again. (Rare is the time @Hammersmithis to be corected, but this is one.) 

What about item 2?

[Sioux95]

6 hours ago, FSSD said:

Rankings clearly show MVFC as the best conference FCS this year.  Three teams, CAA - rankings near the WAC.  Five teams.  What was the conference rep doing?

Any potential that the MVFC can remove NDSUs AD from the position on the FCS selection committee?  I think it's a multiple year assignment and not looking forward to more of this.