12 Game Football Season

[Penguin Nation]

Under our current AD, 12 game seasons have resulted in three 1AAA games. Ideally, our 12th game would be the playoffs, but again, we're in the Strollo era.  If the twelfth game was a MAC game, or a second money game, then I'd reluctantly support it.  I'm interested to hear what others thoughts are.

This article touches on the topic:

http://wcfcourier.com/sports/college/uni/football/tough-enough-uni-facing-rugged-schedule/article_a546b54d-74e9-526c-8a7c-0af08b8b0913.html

ST. LOUIS — Mark Farley likes the option play when the subject is scheduling.

The head football coach at Northern Iowa is no stranger to a 12-game regular season. UNI has done it in 2008, 2013 and 2014, for example. Farley would love to have a choice when it comes to expanding the schedule down the road.

“I believe in a 12-game season,” said Farley during Tuesday’s preseason Missouri Valley Football Conference teleconference. “I think it’s good for a lot of reasons for UNI, in my opinion.”

Farley pointed specifically to eight years ago.

In 2008, the Panthers added Nicholls State in the UNI-Dome as a 12th opponent. They won, and then reached the FCS playoff semifinals, losing to eventual champion Richmond.

Adding a home game — that’s one of the advantages, said Farley. Then there’s the possibility of an extra money game by bringing on an FBS school, such as Hawaii in 2014.

“So I think the 12th game is important,” said Farley. “Let the schools make the choice of which is best for them as well as what’s best for the league and the division.”

There is a movement in the FCS to make the 12-game option permanent. The Ohio Valley and Southland conferences have floated that idea, and it’s likely to be a subject of extensive debate among subdivision members and the NCAA.

As the rules stand now, FCS programs may only play a 12th game in years where there are 13 weekends between Labor Day and just prior to Thanksgiving. That will happen next in 2019. Under the Southland/Ohio Valley plan, the regular season could kick off prior to Labor Day, if programs choose to do so. The 12th game would not be mandatory.

What about the MVFC? According to league commissioner Patty Viverito, the 12-game option has been discussed at meetings in February and June, but it hasn’t met with enthusiasm at the conference level.

“At this time, to be quite frank, it’s really a non-starter for our league,” said Viverito Tuesday. “We are not in support of a 12th game, annually.”

Viverito said moving the season up generated no excitement, nor did the possibility of giving up a bye week. She also pointed to safety concerns.

“That’s a lot of games to be played and, quite frankly, our teams are not just playing in the playoffs but deep in the playoffs,” said Viverito. “If you’re talking about a 12-game season and the possibility of adding five playoff games on top of that, that seems to be a health risk, a safety risk, that is not prudent.”

Meanwhile, UNI begins its 11-game 2016 schedule at Iowa State Sept. 3, followed by the Dome opener against Montana Sept. 10 and the West Coast swing to Eastern Washington Sept. 17. Conference play starts with the Oct. 1 homecoming matchup with Southern Illinois.

“It makes for a rugged schedule, a heck of a challenge,” said Farley of the 11-game slate. “We’ve got to learn from last year and we’ve got to keep our players healthy in camp. But I don’t know if it’s any different than playing Iowa and Wisconsin back-to-back when we did that a few years back.

“So tough is tough. It doesn’t matter who you play in this league or other leagues. I think you have to have depth on your team and you’ve got to stay healthy.”

[ScarletRook]

I don't think we need another pansy team if there is a 12 game schedule as I am not convinced they have done anything to help us in the past.  Woody Hayes used to say this about playing Rice - at the time the smallest Div. I college.  "If you beat them like you should, you're a bully.  If you don't beat them by enough, you stink!  Heaven help you if you would ever lose!  The only thing that you have to look forward to in a game like that in injuries!"

[Penguin Nation]

The last two 12 game seasons:

2014:  1AAA games included:  Duquesne, Butler, STFU

           Cumulative margin of victory over these three games:  71 points

2013:   1AAA games included:  Dayton, Morehead State, Dusquesne: 

            Cumulative margin of victory over these three games:  114 points

Scheduling malpractice.

[HappyPenguin]

I have no interest in seeing a third weenie game. Especially when other conference members use that extra game to play someone interesting.

[ysuguins4]

I like how the NCAA does it now.  11 game seasons and allow a 12th in years where there are 13 weekends between Labor Day and just prior to Thanksgiving.   I agree with you folks.  Use the 12th game to play at a MAC school, or for a home and home with a good CAA, OVC or SC team.  If the Guins are going to play 3 scrubs in 2019 like they did in 2013 and 2014, then I would rather they just play 11 games.