I am enough of a football fanatic that it is good to have football in the Spring, even if it is D1 FCS. I have enjoyed watching multiple FCS matchups on ESPN+ this year. It would be good if we could do this every year, but I know that is not going to happen. It's good to see the different conferences, and the different facilities and compare them with your own region. In the fall we will be back to FBS and just a few games each week that really matter. Our priorities will be focused on certain teams and conferences, and the rest will matter less.

(04-13-2021 08:35 AM)SMUstang Wrote:  I am enough of a football fanatic that it is good to have football in the Spring, even if it is D1 FCS. I have enjoyed watching multiple FCS matchups on ESPN+ this year. It would be good if we could do this every year, but I know that is not going to happen. It's good to see the different conferences, and the different facilities and compare them with your own region. In the fall we will be back to FBS and just a few games each week that really matter. Our priorities will be focused on certain teams and conferences, and the rest will matter less.

I like it too. Heck, I wish FCS would just move its whole operation to the Spring. That's better "spring football" IMO than all the various XFL-type operations that have sprung up over the years. And I bet FCS would get more exposure playing in the spring. I for one have watched more FCS the past two months than I ever have in the fall. ESPN has televised multiple SWAC games on its cable channels. That would never happen in the fall.

I have seen at least one FCS game a week since they started playing. It has been a lot of fun, and as you say ESPN+ has been big in giving us these opportunities to watch.

The biggest problem I see with moving FCS football to Spring (which I would like to see also) is that many of these schools rely on the big paydays they get from body bag games against FBS schools.

Maybe we could combine the start of a Spring FCS season with an end of FBS Spring practice exhibition game, with the ticket revenues going to the FCS team. That also frees up one OOC game in which the P5 schools could have one more G5 buy game in the regular season instead of an FCS buy game.

(04-13-2021 08:43 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(04-13-2021 08:35 AM)SMUstang Wrote:  I am enough of a football fanatic that it is good to have football in the Spring, even if it is D1 FCS. I have enjoyed watching multiple FCS matchups on ESPN+ this year. It would be good if we could do this every year, but I know that is not going to happen. It's good to see the different conferences, and the different facilities and compare them with your own region. In the fall we will be back to FBS and just a few games each week that really matter. Our priorities will be focused on certain teams and conferences, and the rest will matter less.

I like it too. Heck, I wish FCS would just move its whole operation to the Spring. That's better "spring football" IMO than all the various XFL-type operations that have sprung up over the years. And I bet FCS would get more exposure playing in the spring. I for one have watched more FCS the past two months than I ever have in the fall. ESPN has televised multiple SWAC games on its cable channels. That would never happen in the fall.

I have seen at least one FCS game a week since they started playing. It has been a lot of fun, and as you say ESPN+ has been big in giving us these opportunities to watch.

Idk man I thought the XFL from last year was pretty entertaining, but that's just me. I've said it on another thread but ESPN televises a few SWAC games in the fall in regular years too.

(04-13-2021 08:51 AM)ken d Wrote:  The biggest problem I see with moving FCS football to Spring (which I would like to see also) is that many of these schools rely on the big paydays they get from body bag games against FBS schools.

Maybe we could combine the start of a Spring FCS season with an end of FBS Spring practice exhibition game, with the ticket revenues going to the FCS team. That also frees up one OOC game in which the P5 schools could have one more G5 buy game in the regular season instead on an FCS buy game.

While playing in spring has given FCS a lot more exposure, the vast majority of FCS prefer to play in the fall, because of the NFL draft, course work gets harder, etc. The NFL might have to move its draft if FCS did decide to move its games to spring.

(04-13-2021 09:29 AM)DawgNBama Wrote:  

(04-13-2021 08:51 AM)ken d Wrote:  The biggest problem I see with moving FCS football to Spring (which I would like to see also) is that many of these schools rely on the big paydays they get from body bag games against FBS schools.

Maybe we could combine the start of a Spring FCS season with an end of FBS Spring practice exhibition game, with the ticket revenues going to the FCS team. That also frees up one OOC game in which the P5 schools could have one more G5 buy game in the regular season instead on an FCS buy game.

While playing in spring has given FCS a lot more exposure, the vast majority of FCS prefer to play in the fall, because of the NFL draft, course work gets harder, etc. The NFL might have to move its draft if FCS did decide to move its games to spring.

I think the more likely outcome would be that any FCS players that are serious NFL prospects would just sit out a la Trey Lance. The NFL wouldn't move the draft for a few prospects.

I think most FCS conferences would like to play in-conference games only. The problem is the size of each conference varies quite a bit and the number of Saturdays in the Spring is limited. The FCS teams need to find another way to finance their programs other than "body bag games" with FBS opponents.

(04-13-2021 08:51 AM)ken d Wrote:  The biggest problem I see with moving FCS football to Spring (which I would like to see also) is that many of these schools rely on the big paydays they get from body bag games against FBS schools.

Maybe we could combine the start of a Spring FCS season with an end of FBS Spring practice exhibition game, with the ticket revenues going to the FCS team. That also frees up one OOC game in which the P5 schools could have one more G5 buy game in the regular season instead of an FCS buy game.

IIRC, a few FCS teams actually did play a game or two in the 2020 Fall, and now are playing their conference schedules in the Spring. So if body bags are important, play an OOC body bag game as a one-off in the Fall, then play in the Spring.

I know, it's unrealistic to expect FCS to go to spring to make me happy, LOL, but we can hope.

(04-13-2021 05:27 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(04-13-2021 08:51 AM)ken d Wrote:  The biggest problem I see with moving FCS football to Spring (which I would like to see also) is that many of these schools rely on the big paydays they get from body bag games against FBS schools.

Maybe we could combine the start of a Spring FCS season with an end of FBS Spring practice exhibition game, with the ticket revenues going to the FCS team. That also frees up one OOC game in which the P5 schools could have one more G5 buy game in the regular season instead of an FCS buy game.

IIRC, a few FCS teams actually did play a game or two in the 2020 Fall, and now are playing their conference schedules in the Spring. So if body bags are important, play an OOC body bag game as a one-off in the Fall, then play in the Spring.

I know, it's unrealistic to expect FCS to go to spring to make me happy, LOL, but we can hope.

And the games they played in the fall count for the spring season as well.