That’s why I struggle with how FCS is put together. They can get an auto bid and I guess they spend half the money and have a High school stadium. Makes no sense
I could be wrong but once upon a time some of these leagues did not get an auto bid, correct? Only when the field was expanded. I guess it is smart of some of these teams/leagues to spend so little but still have the excitement of making the play-offs. But the reality is that they have very little chance of winning it all.
According to the NCAA bylaws for FCS, the number of auto bids can never exceed the number of at-large bids. So when the NCAA granted auto bids to teams from the Pioneer League and the NEC, they also increased the number of at-large spots. That is the main reason the tournament has now grown to 24. So having these teams from the weak conferences participate is actually good for us and other members of the power conferences. The MVFC, CAA, and Big Sky almost always gobble up the extra bids.