https://www.ncaa.org/news/2023/10/4/medi...ndows.aspx

Excerpts from the press release:

The Division I Council on Wednesday approved changes to notification-of-transfer windows across all sports, including a reduction from 60 to 45 total days in both FCS and FBS football and a reduction from 60 to 45 consecutive days for men's and women's basketball.

The Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee supported 45-day windows as preferable to previously introduced 30-day windows.

...

New transfer windows for Football Bowl Subdivision and Football Championship Subdivision football will include a 30-day window beginning the Monday after FBS conference championship games. For student-athletes on teams that compete in the College Football Playoff, there will be an additional five-day transfer window in January. A second transfer window of 15 days would occur during the second half of April.

In men's and women's basketball, the windows will open for 45 days the Monday after Selection Sunday.

...

The council voted to eliminate the annual limit on initial counters in both FBS and FCS (previously 25 and 30 per year, respectively, per program). Limits on initial counters had been suspended by the council in 2021 as a result of uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of the one-time transfer exception.

...

The council also adopted changes to membership requirements for Football Bowl Subdivision schools that:

- Eliminate attendance requirements at FBS schools (effective immediately).
- Increase the application fee for transitioning from FCS to FBS from $5,000 to $5 million (effective immediately).
- Require all FBS programs to provide 90% of the total number of allowable scholarships over a two-year rolling period across 16 sports, including football. FBS schools will also be required to fund 210 scholarships each year, amounting to no less than $6 million annually (effective August 2027).
- For schools that begin transitioning to FBS in 2024-25 or later, requirements must be met by the conclusion of the transition process.

There is now a minimum FBS scholarship requirement, specifically:

“Require all FBS programs to provide 90% of the total number of allowable scholarships over a two-year rolling period across 16 sports, including football. FBS schools will also be required to fund 210 scholarships each year, amounting to no less than $6 million annually (effective August 2027).”

FBS athletics departments have to spend more on athletes…although $6M per year on athletes is really small for P4 programs with budgets of $100M to $200M.

(10-04-2023 01:21 PM)Wahoowa84 Wrote:  There is now a minimum FBS scholarship requirement, specifically:

“Require all FBS programs to provide 90% of the total number of allowable scholarships over a two-year rolling period across 16 sports, including football. FBS schools will also be required to fund 210 scholarships each year, amounting to no less than $6 million annually (effective August 2027).”

FBS athletics departments have to spend more on athletes…although $6M per year on athletes is really small for P4 programs with budgets of $100M to $200M.

It's not aimed at the P4, it's aimed at new FBS applicants. A $5m fee and minimum of $6m per year in scholarships across 16 sports (with minimum 210 total scholarships too) is a whole lot easier to enforce than "just tell us you get 15k per game even though we know it's more like 1500". That won't dissuade a school like Liberty that had the funds and was serious about making the jump, but perhaps some other FCS programs will hesitate a bit, or at least ensure that they're adequately funded before they make the leap.

(10-04-2023 01:09 PM)HawaiiMongoose Wrote:  https://www.ncaa.org/news/2023/10/4/medi...ndows.aspx

Excerpts from the press release:

The Division I Council on Wednesday approved changes to notification-of-transfer windows across all sports, including a reduction from 60 to 45 total days in both FCS and FBS football and a reduction from 60 to 45 consecutive days for men's and women's basketball.

The Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee supported 45-day windows as preferable to previously introduced 30-day windows.

...

New transfer windows for Football Bowl Subdivision and Football Championship Subdivision football will include a 30-day window beginning the Monday after FBS conference championship games. For student-athletes on teams that compete in the College Football Playoff, there will be an additional five-day transfer window in January. A second transfer window of 15 days would occur during the second half of April.

In men's and women's basketball, the windows will open for 45 days the Monday after Selection Sunday.

...

The council voted to eliminate the annual limit on initial counters in both FBS and FCS (previously 25 and 30 per year, respectively, per program). Limits on initial counters had been suspended by the council in 2021 as a result of uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of the one-time transfer exception.

...

The council also adopted changes to membership requirements for Football Bowl Subdivision schools that:

- Eliminate attendance requirements at FBS schools (effective immediately).
- Increase the application fee for transitioning from FCS to FBS from $5,000 to $5 million (effective immediately).
- Require all FBS programs to provide 90% of the total number of allowable scholarships over a two-year rolling period across 16 sports, including football. FBS schools will also be required to fund 210 scholarships each year, amounting to no less than $6 million annually (effective August 2027).
- For schools that begin transitioning to FBS in 2024-25 or later, requirements must be met by the conclusion of the transition process.

Does this mean that Kennesaw State may have to reevaluate their move up beginning next year? Or does it mean that they will be able to break up the $5M cost over the transition period?

(10-04-2023 01:28 PM)bryanw1995 Wrote:  

(10-04-2023 01:21 PM)Wahoowa84 Wrote:  There is now a minimum FBS scholarship requirement, specifically:

“Require all FBS programs to provide 90% of the total number of allowable scholarships over a two-year rolling period across 16 sports, including football. FBS schools will also be required to fund 210 scholarships each year, amounting to no less than $6 million annually (effective August 2027).”

FBS athletics departments have to spend more on athletes…although $6M per year on athletes is really small for P4 programs with budgets of $100M to $200M.

It's not aimed at the P4, it's aimed at new FBS applicants. A $5m fee and minimum of $6m per year in scholarships across 16 sports (with minimum 210 total scholarships too) is a whole lot easier to enforce than "just tell us you get 15k per game even though we know it's more like 1500". That won't dissuade a school like Liberty that had the funds and was serious about making the jump, but perhaps some other FCS programs will hesitate a bit, or at least ensure that they're adequately funded before they make the leap.

Correct, here is the the part on Division I membership requirements as written in the news release:

Division I membership requirements
The council also adopted changes to membership requirements for Football Bowl Subdivision schools that:

Eliminate attendance requirements at FBS schools (effective immediately).
Increase the application fee for transitioning from FCS to FBS from $5,000 to $5 million (effective immediately).
Require all FBS programs to provide 90% of the total number of allowable scholarships over a two-year rolling period across 16 sports, including football. FBS schools will also be required to fund 210 scholarships each year, amounting to no less than $6 million annually (effective August 2027).
For schools that begin transitioning to FBS in 2024-25 or later, requirements must be met by the conclusion of the transition process.

So yes, the new $5 million application fee for transitioning from FCS to FBS will have an effect on FCS schools like Delaware, Missouri State, EKU, SFA, Tarleton, NDSU and SDSU that could be interested in moving up to the FBS.

For a school like North Dakota, Alerus Center capacity (12,400 for football) is no longer an issue. Otherwise UND is right now doing 90% grants across 16 sports, and $6M in grants. Going FBS would mean 22 more FB grants (63 -> 85) and that would put over 210 grants. Yeah, effectively "there" as of today. However ...

... the $5 million sounds predatory. (UND's total Athletics annual budget is about $30M.)

(10-04-2023 01:54 PM)The Sicatoka Wrote:  ... the $5 million sounds predatory. (UND's total Athletics annual budget is about $30M.)

Some friction probably isn't a bad thing. That is quite a bit of money for any FCS program. I assume if a program is really motivated to make the change, it will find a way.

Is it a safe bet that the scholarship money in question is in the "Athletic Student Aid" portion of "Where the Money Goes" on the Knight Commission Database?

https://knightnewhousedata.org/

If so, it seems that most current FBS programs already adhere to this. I wonder how strictly it will be enforced.

I see the revised FBS membership requirements as potentially lowering the obstacles to more FCS programs moving up to FBS. The biggest financial consideration for schools considering the move will no longer be whether they can raise huge sums of money for football stadium expansion. Instead it will be whether they're prepared to grow their overall athletic budgets to meet the new ongoing sports sponsorship and scholarship requirements, which IMHO is really where the emphasis should be. As for the one-time FCS-to-FBS move-up fee, while $5 million is a lot more than $5,000, it's way less than the cost of expanding a stadium.

Also with respect to future new stadium design, I think eliminating the attendance requirement will further change the perception of what constitutes an "FBS-caliber facility" and further accelerate the trend toward emphasizing game-day experience over capacity. Schools may find they can generate more revenue by charging higher ticket prices to attend games at a small stadium with lots of premium seating and dining/socializing options than at a big stadium with lots of bleacher seating. In Hawaii's case, there's no way we're going to remain satisfied with our current 15K-seat makeshift stadium just because of the NCAA's action, but now I think it's a little more likely that our future permanent stadium will have 20-25K comfortable seats with lots of other bells and whistles than 30-35K pack-em-in seats that mostly sell at a discount.

(10-04-2023 01:33 PM)BlueBird10 Wrote:  

(10-04-2023 01:09 PM)HawaiiMongoose Wrote:  https://www.ncaa.org/news/2023/10/4/medi...ndows.aspx

Excerpts from the press release:

The Division I Council on Wednesday approved changes to notification-of-transfer windows across all sports, including a reduction from 60 to 45 total days in both FCS and FBS football and a reduction from 60 to 45 consecutive days for men's and women's basketball.

The Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee supported 45-day windows as preferable to previously introduced 30-day windows.

...

New transfer windows for Football Bowl Subdivision and Football Championship Subdivision football will include a 30-day window beginning the Monday after FBS conference championship games. For student-athletes on teams that compete in the College Football Playoff, there will be an additional five-day transfer window in January. A second transfer window of 15 days would occur during the second half of April.

In men's and women's basketball, the windows will open for 45 days the Monday after Selection Sunday.

...

The council voted to eliminate the annual limit on initial counters in both FBS and FCS (previously 25 and 30 per year, respectively, per program). Limits on initial counters had been suspended by the council in 2021 as a result of uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of the one-time transfer exception.

...

The council also adopted changes to membership requirements for Football Bowl Subdivision schools that:

- Eliminate attendance requirements at FBS schools (effective immediately).
- Increase the application fee for transitioning from FCS to FBS from $5,000 to $5 million (effective immediately).
- Require all FBS programs to provide 90% of the total number of allowable scholarships over a two-year rolling period across 16 sports, including football. FBS schools will also be required to fund 210 scholarships each year, amounting to no less than $6 million annually (effective August 2027).
- For schools that begin transitioning to FBS in 2024-25 or later, requirements must be met by the conclusion of the transition process.

Does this mean that Kennesaw State may have to reevaluate their move up beginning next year? Or does it mean that they will be able to break up the $5M cost over the transition period?

My understanding is Kennesaw got in with the old fee. Our transition began this year. And no longer having the 15k seat minimum should help us financially. We don't have to do a big stadium expansion unless the department actually believes there will be demand for those seats.

(10-04-2023 02:01 PM)HawaiiMongoose Wrote:  In Hawaii's case, there's no way we're going to remain satisfied with our current 15K-seat makeshift stadium just because of the NCAA's action

Has Hawaii given any thought to just either 1) continuing to upgrade the temporary stadium, or 2) build an OCS where the temp stadium is.

It would seem a 25K or 30K stadium, designed right, could easily fit where your current stadium is now.

I wonder if this will deter Delaware if they are indeed part of a move with UMass?

Sent from my SM-G988U using Tapatalk

(10-04-2023 02:14 PM)hburg Wrote:  I wonder if this will deter Delaware if they are indeed part of a move with UMass?

Sent from my SM-G988U using Tapatalk

I doubt it. I am guessing they or any other FCS->FBS aspirant can come up with a 1 time $5mil payment. If they can't, then they probably can't properly fund an FBS program and shouldn't be moving up anyway.

(10-04-2023 02:01 PM)HawaiiMongoose Wrote:  I see the revised FBS membership requirements as potentially lowering the obstacles to more FCS programs moving up to FBS. The biggest financial consideration for schools considering the move will no longer be whether they can raise huge sums of money for football stadium expansion. Instead it will be whether they're prepared to grow their overall athletic budgets to meet the new ongoing sports sponsorship and scholarship requirements, which IMHO is really where the emphasis should be. As for the one-time FCS-to-FBS move-up fee, while $5 million is a lot more than $5,000, it's way less than the cost of expanding a stadium.

Also with respect to future new stadium design, I think eliminating the attendance requirement will further change the perception of what constitutes an "FBS-caliber facility" and further accelerate the trend toward emphasizing game-day experience over capacity. Schools may find they can generate more revenue by charging higher ticket fees to attend games at a small stadium with lots of premium seating and dining/socializing options than at a big stadium with lots of bleacher seating. In Hawaii's case, there's no way we're going to remain satisfied with our current 15K-seat makeshift stadium just because of the NCAA's action, but now I think it's a little more likely that our future permanent stadium will have 20-25K comfortable seats with lots of other bells and whistles than 30-35K pack-em-in seats that mostly sell at a discount.

All it means is they didn't have the courage to enforce the 15k limit. They had already dumped the 30k stadium requirement.

I guess it makes sense to get rid of the counter and leave it up to the schools on how they get to the 85 scholarship limit. With the transfer portal, it made things much more complicated with that 25 scholarship limit.

Of course, it also makes it easier for coaches to Prime Time players and force them out.

(10-04-2023 01:09 PM)HawaiiMongoose Wrote:  https://www.ncaa.org/news/2023/10/4/medi...ndows.aspx

Excerpts from the press release:

- Increase the application fee for transitioning from FCS to FBS from $5,000 to $5 million (effective immediately).

That's insane when the majority of G5 schools make less than $5M/year from TV deals.

When the Southern Conference increased their exit fee to $2M, people saw that as a sign of stability, because that's a ton of money at the FCS level. That's not even close to $5M.

Delaware and Missouri State might've missed their shot. I am interested in what Matt Brown thinks about it.

Does the 90% and 6 million in aid rule apply to current FBS schools too?

Like is anyone at risk of getting kicked out?

The $5M entry fee ... sure would be a good time to have a FB alumnus that owned gold mines.

(10-04-2023 02:24 PM)TallTexan Wrote:  Does the 90% and 6 million in aid rule apply to current FBS schools too?

Like is anyone at risk of getting kicked out?

Existing FBS have to August 2027 to comply. There are some schools in the south only doing $3M-ish in grant dollars today.

The "no minimum attendance" rule isn't so much for move-ups needing stadiums but for the MAC (and their sketch numbers at times).

(10-04-2023 02:12 PM)BullsFanInTX Wrote:  

(10-04-2023 02:01 PM)HawaiiMongoose Wrote:  In Hawaii's case, there's no way we're going to remain satisfied with our current 15K-seat makeshift stadium just because of the NCAA's action

Has Hawaii given any thought to just either 1) continuing to upgrade the temporary stadium, or 2) build an OCS where the temp stadium is.

It would seem a 25K or 30K stadium, designed right, could easily fit where your current stadium is now.

The short answer is yes, but there are complications.

The long answer is here, if you want to know the full story in all its gory detail:

https://www.mwcboard.com/index.php?/topi...nt-3372964

Missouri State isn't exactly financially loaded and they don't have many big pocket donors since John Q Hammons died.