05 Football Schedule

Robcat · Post by **Robcat** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 12:13 pm

Looking at next years schedule, I see an open date on 10/22. Any speculation whom might fill that void, and would it be a home game? Would homecoming be on 10/01 against Idaho State or would it be on 10/22 the open date? Would Kramer stick with another D1 school? Maybe UNC? We played them 2 years ago.

WYCAT · Post by **WYCAT** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 12:20 pm

My guess is the open date will remain just that. I don't see us adding a 12th game. Last season we had a bye week in week 1 and that was terrible.

Post by **kmax** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 12:26 pm

Pretty sure that per NCAA rules again next year we can only have 11 regular season games. There was talk of moving back to 12 the following year, but haven't heard if it will happen or even if it applies to I-AA or just I-A.

Robcat · Post by **Robcat** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 12:26 pm

Wycat, are you refering to the 03 season? As we did not have an open date in the 04 schedule?

Robcat · Post by **Robcat** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 12:30 pm

Kmax, on the 03 schedule we had 12 games. Did the rules change after the 03 season?

BozoneCat · Post by **BozoneCat** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 12:32 pm

I think it is something like every four years, schools are allowed to schedule 12 games, but only 11 the rest of the years.

Robcat · Post by **Robcat** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 12:38 pm

The MSU site adds to my confusion. Why not just call it it a bye week, rather than an open date? To me an open date is something you want to fill. Oh well, looks like from the posts that its 11 games next year. I was hoping for another home game. Just wishfull thinking.

Post by **SonomaCat** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 12:45 pm

Robcat wrote:The MSU site adds to my confusion. Why not just call it it a bye week, rather than an open date? To me an open date is something you want to fill. Oh well, looks like from the posts that its 11 games next year. I was hoping for another home game. Just wishfull thinking.

Maybe MSU was trying to ease some confusion (and created more in the process) by using the term "open" instead of "bye." I know that doesn't make sense, but bear with me... it reminded me of a funny story. I can't remember what school this related to, or what player in particular, but I remember reading a story about some player's mother scratching her head and asking the coach where the hell BYE was located, and whether that was a home game or a road game.

Robcat · Post by **Robcat** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 1:01 pm

Makes sense to me, but now I am wondering where BYE is as well. An extension of BYU?

Post by **kmax** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 1:42 pm

Applicable NCAA bylaws for Div I football:

17.11.3 First Contest

A member institution shall not play its first contest (game or scrimmage) with outside competition in football prior to the Thursday preceding Labor Day except when selected to participate in a preseason game approved by the Championships/Competition Cabinet (see Bylaw 30.10). (Revised: 1/11/89, 1/9/96 effective 8/1/96, 1/14/97)

17.11.4 End of Playing Season

A member institution's last contest (game or scrimmage) with outside competition in football shall not be played after the second Saturday or Sunday in December, except for the following: (Revised: 1/11/89)

(a) Spring Practice Scrimmage. One scrimmage or contest at the conclusion of spring practice, provided the game is with a team composed of bona fide alumni or students or both; and (Revised: 1/10/90)

(b) Bowl Games, NCAA and NAIA Championships, International Competition, Heritage Bowl and Pioneer Bowl. One postseason game approved by the Championships/Competition Cabinet or those games played in the National Collegiate Division I-AA Football Championship; football contests played on a foreign tour certified by the member institution, or the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics football championships. In Division I-AA only, a member institution's last contest also may include participation in the Heritage Bowl to be held between representatives of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and the Southwestern Athletic Conference. (Revised: 1/10/90, 1/10/91, 1/10/92, 1/16/93, 1/14/97 effective 8/1/97, 8/5/99)

17.11.5.1 Maximum Limitations -- Institutional I-A/I-AA

In Divisions I-A and I-AA, a member institution shall limit its total regular-season playing schedule with outside competition in the sport of football during the permissible football playing season in any one year to 11 contests (games or scrimmages), except as provided for member institutions located in Alaska and Hawaii, under Bylaw 17.30.2, and except as provided for all members under Bylaw 17.11.5.2. Twelve football contests shall be permissible during those years in which there are 14 Saturdays from the first permissible playing date through the last playing date in November (2002, 2003, 2008, 2013, 2014 and 2019). (Revised: 1/12/99 effective 8/1/02, 8/5/99 effective 8/1/02)

So as you can see, yes we were allowed 12 in '02 and '03, but won't be again until '08 unless rules are modified. There is a proposal up currently to change this to allow a 12 game season during all years starting in '06, but the 12th game would have to be during what would have been a bye week in years that normally would have been 11 game years. It appears that originally it was only for I-A, but I-AA has been added recently to the wording of the proposal. Here is some info from the proposal:

Source: NCAA Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet [Football Issues Committee (Subcommittee on Playing and Practice Seasons Subcommittee) (Big 12 Conference and Big East Conference)].
Effective Date: August 1, 2006
Proposal Category: Amendment
Topical Area: Playing and Practice Seasons
Rationale: Allowing 12 regular-season games each year will permit flexibility in scheduling, without lengthening the season, which is important to Division I-A institutions in meeting the new Division I-A membership criteria. For both Division I-A and I-AA institutions, It will establish consistency in the number of games each team plays every year instead of the current situation of having 12 games in some years and 11 in others only because of the number of weeks of the calendar. A survey conducted by a Division I-A conference after the 2002 football season revealed that the majority of that conference's football student-athlete respondents preferred a 12-game season. An annual 12-game regular season likely is contingent on postseason opportunities remaining at a maximum of two (including the conference championship, if applicable, and one bowl game) so that a team could only participate in a total of 14 games in any one season. This proposal does not expand the season by adding any dates on the front or back end of the season. If an institution chooses to participate in a 12th game, it can only be scheduled on what otherwise would have been a "bye" date. Second, NCAA research on the previous 12 game seasons (2002 and 2003), indicates that the injury rates in those seasons were in the same range as the injury rates in the previous 11-game seasons. (GAME Injury Rates/1,000 Athletic Events from 1986-2001 ranged between 30.5 and 44.9, compared to 36.5 and 41.9 in 2002 and 2003, respectively. PRACTICE Injury Rates/1,000 Athletic Events from 1986-2001 ranged between 3.0 and 4.4, compared to 4.0 and 4.3 in 2002 and 2003, respectively.)
Estimated Budget Impact: Varied possible positive impact.
Impact on Student Athlete's Time: None.
Position Statement(s)
Championships/Competition Cabinet: Based on a recommendation from the Playing and Practice Seasons Subcommittee, the cabinet agreed to support the proposal and its rationale as drafted.
Football Issues Committee: (Division I-A) The committee supports the proposal. The committee recommends, however, that the proposal apply only to Division I-A football. The committee noted that an additional annual contest provides a direct benefit to student-athletes and the greater campus community. (Division I-AA) The committee does not support the proposal. The committee noted that an additional annual contest creates unnecessary logistical problems relative to the Division I-AA championship. There was no committee support for moving the championship back one week later or beginning the football season one week earlier to accommodate the additional contest.

Note the last part of the position statements concerning I-AA not being supported for this change due to logistical problems with the playoffs. I have to say I somewhat agree, while I would love to have that extra home game to watch, would be tough for a team to play the 12 straight games with no bye and then still be strong and fresh for a long playoff run.

Robcat · Post by **Robcat** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 3:20 pm

Kmax, thanks for all the info. I can see the rhyme and reason. Thanks again.

catatac · Post by **catatac** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 6:44 pm

Although I love watching the Cats play as many games as possible, I think 11 is enough. Haven't totalled it up yet but I would venture to guess we lost almost 11 players due to injury. That's one a game.