South
Alabama is having a good week this week with the opening of it preseason
practice, FBS expectations and the news that they may be in for a real bowl
game if the NCAA move to allow the transitioning FBS teams to play in post
season games this season.
South
Alabama is the newest team in football to the Sun Belt Conference, and one of
the four newest FBS teams. The jaguars not able to compete for the conference
title or bowl games as it stands right now, but the bowl game eligibility may
change on Thursday.
The
South Alabama jaguars will be reclassifying their program this fall from FCS to
FBS.
This
is what’s happening right now; Central
Florida was just hit with a bowl ban Tuesday. The whole college football post
season landscape fell apart a bit in terms on Tuesday when the NCAA hit UCF
with the one-year ban. That is now four teams that are unable to go to a bowl
in 2012 – Central Florida, Ohio State, North Carolina and Penn State.
This
also puts conferences and the bowl system on notice. The postseason expanded to
35 bowls in 2010, and there may be fewer teams that are bowl eligible in 2012
season. Some call this a crisis that could get worse, and some cases we are
looking at many as six teams being ban from post season play if Oregon and
Miami penalties are handed down during this 2012 season.
Our
former commissioner of the Sun Belt Conference told CBSsports.com yesterday
that “It's an issue that we're monitoring closely and working with NCAA to develop
a backup plan,” said Wright Waters, executive director of the Football Bowl
Association.
South
Alabama, Texas-San Antonio, Texas State and UMass which is all new FBS
teams could go bowling this season if the NCAA rules in their favor on
Thursday.
Here
are some possibilities the board will consider that put’s these four teams into
play.
- Allowing a 6-6 team bowl eligibility with a win over an FCS team (Division I-AA) that does not meet scholarship/financial requirements. FBS teams can count FCS opponent toward bowl eligibility (six wins), but only if that opponent sponsors an average of 90 percent of the 63 scholarships allowed in FCS (56.7 scholarships).
- Allowing in a 6-6 team that had beaten two FCS teams.
- Allowing in a 6-7 team that had lost its seventh game in a conference championship game.
- · Allowing in a 6-7 team that played 13 regular-season games.
- · Allowing 5-7 teams ranked by APR.
- · Allow in a team that is reclassifying (This is where the four newest teams come into play.)
If
such move is approved by the NCAA to allow these four new FBS teams to play in
post season play in 2012; South Alabama will face a possible 14 game schedule
if it reaches six wins or more.
This
will give the South Alabama jaguars a new excitement and goal to try and achieve
during their first full FBS and Sun Belt Conference season.
