SEC announces that FBS Independents will count towards Power 5 scheduling requirement

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TrueOrange

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SEC to count games against independents BYU, Army, Notre Dame toward Power 5 commitment - ESPN

Games against FBS independents BYU, Army and Notre Dame will now count toward the SEC's requirement of playing one nonconference Power 5 team per season, sources told ESPN.com.

Beginning in 2016, the SEC will require its league members to play at least one nonconference Power 5 team. Notre Dame had always been included as a nonconference Power 5 team by the SEC, but the league recently decided to also allow games against BYU and Army to count, sources said.

The SEC and ACC are the only Power 5 leagues that require their league members to play at least one nonconference Power 5 opponent. In January, the ACC changed its stance to allow games against BYU to count toward its requirement. However, games against Army will not count toward the ACC's requirement, a source said.

While the SEC will require its league members to play at least one nonconference Power 5 team starting in 2016, the ACC's requirement doesn't begin until 2017.

Like the ACC, the SEC had a change in philosophy on counting games against BYU toward its nonconference Power 5 commitment.

One reason for the SEC's change was three of the four remaining Power 5 leagues (Big 12, Pac-12 and Big Ten) play nine conference games or will begin to play nine conference games, meaning fewer opportunities outside the league, a source said. The ACC has eight league games but also has five games annually against Notre Dame.

Three SEC schools currently have future games scheduled against BYU: Missouri in 2015 and 2020, Mississippi State in 2016 and 2017 and LSU in 2017. Georgia will play Notre Dame in 2017 and 2019.

No SEC teams currently have any future games scheduled with Army.
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#6
#6
This breaking news has some age on it.
This was announced about a week or so ago in the major media outlets.
 
#7
#7
Now maybe we can make Dave's wish come true and schedule BYU.
 
#12
#12
RiseToTheTop said:
Vanderbilt is probably on the phone with Army's AD right now.
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Vanderbilt, the Mississippi schools...probably going to start seeing Army scheduled a lot among the conference teams.


BYU too.

ainge10heisman said:
That was my first thought, followed by Kentucky.
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Nah, Vanderbilt, followed by the Mississippi schools (especially Ole Miss, since when the scheduling rule was announced the first thing they did was call Wake Forest for games).
 
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#13
#13
Special Ed said:
This breaking news has some age on it.
This was announced about a week or so ago in the major media outlets.
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Eh, three days ago, but I never said it was breaking; just hadn't seen anything about it.

But I mean if there's already a thread on it, I'll be the first to say they should be combined.
 
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#16
#16
I disagree with this move actually. I think these teams (Notre Dame especially) are being rewarded for avoiding a conference. Now we are making that easier. Why make it easier for BYU to put together a decent schedule while making it harder for teams like say MTSU or Memphis?
 
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#17
#17
RiseToTheTop said:
Vanderbilt is probably on the phone with Army's AD right now.
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I hope so. Good for Army, and good for all the Tennessee kids who attend West Point (of which I was one). It's nice to be able to see your family for a weekend going to an away game down south.

Besides, you don't go to West Point to be in the NFL.
 
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#18
#18
volgrad500 said:
I disagree with this move actually. I think these teams (Notre Dame especially) are being rewarded for avoiding a conference. Now we are making that easier. Why make it easier for BYU to put together a decent schedule while making it harder for teams like say MTSU or Memphis?
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I would agree with you if those schools' reasons for avoiding conference affiliation had anything to do with scheduling/schedule difficulty, or anything along those lines. But that's not why those teams are independent.

Each of these colleges sees itself as unique, a national treasure, or at least a national brand and commodity. West Point and Navy are, of course, our military academies... yes, Air Force too, but they're the baby of the bunch, born in the past 75 years, and much less respectful of traditions...the other two academies measure their legacy in centuries, and traditions weigh more heavily on them. Notre Dame stands apart as the flagship Catholic university in the nation, and BYU is the country's Mormon academic bastion. These four institutions all honestly believe that their status makes them nationally significant (and they wouldn't be wrong) and that it would just feel off to be in a conference (on this, they could be in error...but it is how they seem to feel).

It's not about money, well except for ND and their lucrative NBC contract. For that one independent, money is part of the equation.

And it's not about getting easier schedules; all these schools tend to play generally "above their weight class." ND, for instance, plays nine Power 5 schools in 2015: 6 from the ACC with whom they've become affiliated, 2 from the PAC, and 1 from the B12. Not cupcakes, either: the nine include Clemson, USC, Stanford, Ga Tech and a potentially resurgent Texas. Objectively, that's roughly as challenging a schedule as Tennessee's (4+ ranked teams each). One of their three "cupcake" games is Navy (an annual tradition for them, it's a long story), who went 8-5 last year and can be very dangerous if overlooked. BYU's schedule includes Nebraska, Boise State, UCLA, Missouri, and Michigan...not as tough as ND's, but not all cupcakes either. For my alma mater, Army, any schedule is difficult (said with a despairing chuckle). And similar for Navy.

So bottom line: reducing (not eliminating, just reducing) the chances of the SEC schools playing these four will not magically change their minds about being independents, because that's not why they choose to be independent. There's no need to penalize or reward the schools. You don't have to buy into them being national brands, but it is important to understand why they've made the decision not to 'conference up' before making proposals like the one quoted.

Sorry to lecture, just thought the point needed a bit of perspective.


EDIT and p.s.: What the four schools ought to do is get together and form a "national" conference (maybe name it something unique like, idk, The National Conference). With absolutely no pressure to grow beyond 4-6 members (they could certainly invite Air Force to join) ... they'd play each other, but still be free to play the majority of their schedules "independently." No need for a conference champion, even, they could go without if they wanted.
 
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#20
#20
VFL-82-JP said:
I would agree with you if those schools' reason for avoiding conference affiliation had anything to do with scheduling/schedule difficulty, or anything along those lines. But that's not why those teams are independent.

Each of these colleges sees itself as unique, a national treasure, or at least a national brand and commodity. West Point and Navy are, of course, our military academies...yes, Air Force too, but they're the baby of the bunch, born in the past 75 years, and much less respectful of traditions...the other two academies measure their legacy in centuries, and traditions weigh more heavily on them. Notre Dame stands apart as the flagship Catholic university in the nation, and BYU is the country's Mormon academic bastion. These four institutions all honestly believe that their status makes them nationally significant (and they wouldn't be wrong) and that it would just feel wrong to be in a conference (on this, they could be in error...but it is how they feel).

It's not about money, well except for ND and their lucrative NBC contract. For that one independent, money is part of the equation.

And it's not about getting easier schedules; all these schools tend to play generally "above their weight class." ND, for instance, plays nine Power 5 schools in 2015: 6 from the ACC with whom they've become affiliated, 2 from the PAC, and 1 from the B12. Not cupcakes, either: the nine include Clemson, USC, Stanford, Ga Tech and a potentially resurgent Texas. Objectively, that's roughly as challenging a schedule as Tennessee's (4+ ranked teams each). One of their three "cupcake" games is Navy (an annual tradition for them, it's a long story), who went 8-5 last year and can be very dangerous if overlooked. BYU's schedule includes Nebraska, Boise State, UCLA, Missouri, and Michigan...not as tough as ND's, but not all cupcakes either. For my alma mater, Army, any schedule is difficult (said with a despairing chuckle). And similar for Navy.

So bottom line: reducing (not eliminating, just reducing) the chances of the SEC schools playing these four will not magically change their minds about being independents, because that's not why they choose to be independent. There's no need to penalize or reward the schools. You don't have to buy into them being national brands, but it is important to understand why they've made the decision not to 'conference up' before making proposals like the one quoted.

Sorry to lecture, just thought the point needed a bit of perspective.
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I think UT is a unique, national treasure. I'm sure all universities feel this way. How they view themselves doesn't justify them being treated differently. ND has been given a ridiculous amount of freedom and access when compared to other schools. BYU? There only claim is a large religious following. I support giving the military academies enhanced stature, but not ND or BYU. YOu choose to be independent, you should get both the pros and the cons.
 
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#21
#21
I don't think it should be mandated.

I respect the fact that some programs are different than others. If a typically weak football program schedules four chumps out of conference so they can be 6-6 and qualify for a bowl game......let 'em.

They aren't impacting the national title picture. They achieve bowl eligibility which can be a big deal for those programs.
 
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#22
#22
We need to cut a deal with ND! I HATE Notre Dame and would love for TN to beat up on them!!! :rock::rock::rock:



.
 
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#25
#25
99gator said:
I don't think it should be mandated.

I respect the fact that some programs are different than others. If a typically weak football program schedules four chumps out of conference so they can be 6-6 and qualify for a bowl game......let 'em.

They aren't impacting the national title picture. They achieve bowl eligibility which can be a big deal for those programs.
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Yankee_Vol said:
They should count, they are after all FBS teams.
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I agree. ND, Army, and BYU should count towards the requirement. As for the lower tiered conf. teams such as Vandy they can still schedule the lower teams from the Big 5 such as Wake, Indiana, etc. I know Indiana beat Mizzou last season, but they're still near the bottom of the B1G.
 
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