Absolutely great news for the SB. HUGE news that it is approved with the six highest conference champions being autobids.

The series of events that have unfolded over the last 10 months have gone from FCS to "we have a non-zero chance of making the CFP by 2026". Jeff Bourne is slowly slipping some bourbon somewhere.

I don’t want to get ahead of myself but we need to dig up any posts about “I’ll do ____ if JMU makes the playoffs in the next 15 years.”

ESPN is reporting that while they have voted to put this in place for 2026, they actually want to get it going for 2024. I am guessing they have to renegotiate the TV deal - which everyone will be happy to do.

Quote:This 12-team playoff format also basically eliminates the concept of the Group of 5 as a term. Every conference is technically equal.

This part is huge for the SBC.

Everything is falling into place perfectly for us with this move.

Really good chance this expands to something like 8+8 format within 5 years too.

And this is where scheduling comes into play. JMU will need to win the Sun Belt championship #1, but then also have a strength of schedule good enough to be rated higher than other conferences.
We’ll see if the P5 remains 5 or if it becomes P4 with the reorg. Those teams will always have better SOS because of their demanding conference schedule. The question is.. can JMU have a great season and also be better than the MWC champ, the AAC champ, the MAC champ, and the CUSA champ.

I think we will hear some people, and hopefully the administration, change their tune about FCS games. There would be nothing worse than having a great season and being left out of the playoff because of a weak schedule. We knew this was coming and only the exact timing is still in question.

The autobids for 6 is what makes this great news IMO. We know how this works, if there were 12 slots and all were at-larges (or say only 4) it would still be nearly impossible for SB teams to get selected. The new SEC/Big10 will get the lion share of subjectively selected slot. The 6 autos ensures some significant access to schools outside of the two big boys.

(09-02-2022 02:53 PM)JMURocks Wrote:  

Quote:This 12-team playoff format also basically eliminates the concept of the Group of 5 as a term. Every conference is technically equal.

This part is huge for the SBC.

Everything is falling into place perfectly for us with this move.

Really good chance this expands to something like 8+8 format within 5 years too.

Correct, while one would assume most P5 champs would be rated higher than our own, if there was a year where the PAC 12 had a very weak champ (possible without USC/UCLA) they could easily not take a spot.

The divide is there, but its mainly set aside by money now.

(09-02-2022 02:54 PM)Hart Foundation Wrote:  And this is where scheduling comes into play. JMU will need to win the Sun Belt championship #1, but then also have a strength of schedule good enough to be rated higher than other conferences.
We’ll see if the P5 remains 5 or if it becomes P4 with the reorg. Those teams will always have better SOS because of their demanding conference schedule. The question is.. can JMU have a great season and also be better than the MWC champ, the AAC champ, the MAC champ, and the CUSA champ.

I think we will hear some people, and hopefully the administration, change their tune about FCS games. There would be nothing worse than having a great season and being left out of the playoff because of a weak schedule. We knew this was coming and only the exact timing is still in question.

THe difference is, unlike basketball where the SBC is seen as a weak league and it would take crazy scheduling by a champ to break that, the SBC is already seen as a strong G5 probram.

An undefeated champ likely makes said playoff barring Boise having an amazing year. A one loss champ probably challenges as well with the right OOC wins.

(09-02-2022 03:06 PM)chiefsfan Wrote:  

(09-02-2022 02:54 PM)Hart Foundation Wrote:  And this is where scheduling comes into play. JMU will need to win the Sun Belt championship #1, but then also have a strength of schedule good enough to be rated higher than other conferences.
We’ll see if the P5 remains 5 or if it becomes P4 with the reorg. Those teams will always have better SOS because of their demanding conference schedule. The question is.. can JMU have a great season and also be better than the MWC champ, the AAC champ, the MAC champ, and the CUSA champ.

I think we will hear some people, and hopefully the administration, change their tune about FCS games. There would be nothing worse than having a great season and being left out of the playoff because of a weak schedule. We knew this was coming and only the exact timing is still in question.

THe difference is, unlike basketball where the SBC is seen as a weak league and it would take crazy scheduling by a champ to break that, the SBC is already seen as a strong G5 probram.

An undefeated champ likely makes said playoff barring Boise having an amazing year. A one loss champ probably challenges as well with the right OOC wins.

Kind of hoping the PAC12 snags SDSU and/or Boise. May be a stretch but that would certainly help the odds for the SB.

(09-02-2022 02:33 PM)Anders Wrote:  I don’t want to get ahead of myself but we need to dig up any posts about “I’ll do ____ if JMU makes the playoffs in the next 15 years.”

Haha..yes. and where is that $500k FBS pledge thread?

(09-02-2022 03:06 PM)chiefsfan Wrote:  

(09-02-2022 02:54 PM)Hart Foundation Wrote:  And this is where scheduling comes into play. JMU will need to win the Sun Belt championship #1, but then also have a strength of schedule good enough to be rated higher than other conferences.
We’ll see if the P5 remains 5 or if it becomes P4 with the reorg. Those teams will always have better SOS because of their demanding conference schedule. The question is.. can JMU have a great season and also be better than the MWC champ, the AAC champ, the MAC champ, and the CUSA champ.

I think we will hear some people, and hopefully the administration, change their tune about FCS games. There would be nothing worse than having a great season and being left out of the playoff because of a weak schedule. We knew this was coming and only the exact timing is still in question.

THe difference is, unlike basketball where the SBC is seen as a weak league and it would take crazy scheduling by a champ to break that, the SBC is already seen as a strong G5 probram.

An undefeated champ likely makes said playoff barring Boise having an amazing year. A one loss champ probably challenges as well with the right OOC wins.

ESPN did a great simulation of who would have made it the past 8 years. Undefeated G5 champ is going to be in. It is the one loss champ that is iffy based on the other G5 champs. Each year had one of the 12 teams from the G5, except 2020 when both Cincinnati and Coastal Carolina were undefeated in the regular season.

As of now, the Sun Belt is behind the MWC and the AAC on an annual basis. We’ll see if the continued realignment shakes out favorably and other G5 conferences weaken.

C'mon...we know AAC is gonna drop... Their good teams will just be beating down the likes of Rice and Charlotte...

I assume this will come with a fatter payout for all schools too

(09-02-2022 02:33 PM)Anders Wrote:  I don’t want to get ahead of myself but we need to dig up any posts about “I’ll do ____ if JMU makes the playoffs in the next 15 years.”

Haha some people should probably be sweating now!

Not going to lie, in my decade and a half of JMU fandom, I have never been more excited for JMU football than this moment.

(09-02-2022 03:24 PM)bcp_jmu Wrote:  C'mon...we know AAC is gonna drop... Their good teams will just be beating down the likes of Rice and Charlotte...

I assume this will come with a fatter payout for all schools too

You are basing this on what we know now. What if other conferences lose teams and some P5 schools get squeezed out, then join the AAC. As we have seen, anything is possible as the schools chase the money.

Totally...it's just lining up really nicely for JMU and SBC...now just gotta win and develop year over year