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Word on the street is that we will have an opponent for Oct 27

FCS teams with open dates Oct. 27 are:
  • Tennessee State from Nashville and the Ohio Valley Conference (two cancellations have left them with a 9-game schedule)
  • North Alabama (just transitioned from Div. II to FCS Division I; lost a Nov. 15 game with Incarnate Word when IWU scheduled Dec. 1 game with Iowa State)
FBS teams include:
  • Marshall
  • East Carolina
  • UCF (ain't gonna happen)
  • Liberty
 
Makes sense to play on October 27.

We won't be able to schedule Akron. One of us will be in ccg
 
Will a win vs an FCS opponent count toward bowl eligibility though? Last I remember they don't anymore.
 
I’m pretty sure that the rule is that one win for every few seasons… Not sure exactly how many seasons but as long as they’re not back to back. If I’m wrong, someone will correct me
That is correct, but I don't recall the window of use, either.
 
The only FCS teams that wouldn't count as victories toward a bowl bid would be Pioneer League and Ivy League schools. Those are two FCS conferences that don't award football scholarships, but play in Division I for their other sports. ISU wanted to play Drake, but Drake is in the Pioneer League.
 
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Abilene Christian and Samford may also be free that day.
Abilene Christian and Samford already have 11 games, which is the most games allowed for FCS schools, unless the season includes 13 weeks between Labor Day and Thanksgiving. This is not one of those seasons. The Ohio Valley and the Southland petitioned the NCAA last year to allow for 12 games every year, but they were rejected. Of course, either could also back out of an already scheduled game, as Incarnate Word did in order to play ISU. Thanks for the original post. I'm happy we'll be playing a winnable game in late October.
 
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The only FCS teams that wouldn't count as victories toward a bowl bid would be Pioneer League and Ivy League schools. Those are two FCS conferences that don't award football scholarships, but play in Division I for their other sports. ISU wanted to play Drake, but Drake is in the Pioneer League.
If folks recall, FSU scheduled a lower division team last year (Delaware State) to ensure they would keep their bowl streak alive. All looked great until some internet sleuths did some digging on the amount of scholarships that Delaware State actually gave out, found some good information, and argued that the game shouldn't count.

After a fair bit of controversy, FSU said that Delaware State confirmed they did in fact give out enough scholarships to qualify but gave no further comment and did not address any of the specifics.

EDIT: The NCAA bylaw states teams must use at least 90 percent of it scholarships or aid allotments.. not that 90% of the team must be one scholarship
 
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90?. We don’t even have 50% on scholarship.
It edited the post. It was that 90% of the allotted scholarships needed to be used.. not that 90% of the team needed to be on scholarship.

Heck, if it wasn't for so many walkons getting put on scholarship I don't think Bo and Riley would have used 90% of the scholarships
 
It edited the post. It was that 90% of the allotted scholarships needed to be used.. not that 90% of the team needed to be on scholarship.

Heck, if it wasn't for so many walkons getting put on scholarship I don't think Bo and Riley would have used 90% of the scholarships
The FCS scholarship limit is 63, so that means at least 57 have to be filled for those that play in scholarship leagues.
 
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My son is a sports reporter for FOX TV in Abilene and covers Abilene Christian’s games so I follow them a bit...I’ll see what if he has any info
Again, they'd have to cancel another game or petition the NCAA for a 12th game. The FCS division limits teams to 11 games unless the season includes 13 weeks between Labor Day and Thanksgiving.
 
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Another note on Abilene Christian and Samford:

All of Abilene Christian's remaining games are Southland Conference games, so the likelihood of their canceling a game in order to go to Nebraska seems remote, if not impossible.

Samford has one non-conference game left on its schedule, Sept. 29 against Kennesaw State. Samford could be available if it cancels that game.

Otherwise, as I noted earlier, there are two programs with Oct. 27 open who have had at least one game canceled. They are Tennessee State (staring at a nine-game schedule), and North Alabama, and with North Alabama in its first year in FCS, it may not satisfy that 90-percent scholarship rule regarding bowl eligibility for FBS teams. Division II schools allow only 36 scholarships, so UNA may not be up to 57 scholarships this year. I don't know that.

All that being what it is, if @Tuco Salamanca is correct, and it's an FCS team, I'd think Tennessee State is the most likely opponent, with Samford next (if it cancels a game), followed by North Alabama (if they've ratcheted up their scholarship numbers). Abilene Christian seems least likely, given its conference commitment.
 
Sam McKewon is reporting that NU is seeking to get a waiver for the FCS opponent to play a 12th game. That opens more possibilities, of course, including Abilene Christian, Samford, Bethune-Cookman and Elon, in addition to Tennessee State. If we play Bethune or Tennessee State, it would Nebraska's first game against an HBCU squad.
 
Of the available teams they should contract with one that also has almost no chance of a bowl and schedule the game in late December. That way they both get the added practice and we get a game to watch during bowl season. Of course there is probably some goofy rule that won’t allow it.
 
Sam McKewon is reporting that NU is seeking to get a waiver for the FCS opponent to play a 12th game. That opens more possibilities, of course, including Abilene Christian, Samford, Bethune-Cookman and Elon, in addition to Tennessee State. If we play Bethune or Tennessee State, it would Nebraska's first game against an HBCU squad.
Kugler dropped a hint on Big Red WrapUp that it could be Bethune-Cookman.
 
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Is it me, or do you also find this embarrassing? Adding an FCS team in October to get an easy win? Bethune-Cookman has an enrollment about the size of Wayne State.
 
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Is it me, or do you also find this embarrassing? Adding an FCS team in October to get an easy win? Bethune-Cookman has an enrollment about the size of Wayne State.
Not really. In recent years, they have played Miami, UCF, Florida St, and FIU. I wouldn't be embarrassed one bit.

Besides. SEC still plays FCS on OOC.
 
Frost said yesterday that they prefer Oct 27th (even though it means playing 12 straight) because they are still planning to be in the CCG on 12/1. I admit I had to laugh. Just a little.
 
Is it me, or do you also find this embarrassing? Adding an FCS team in October to get an easy win? Bethune-Cookman has an enrollment about the size of Wayne State.
It's a private school, so it's better to compare to Wake Forest and Duke, in terms of enrollment size. BCU would be just fine. It would be a chance for UNL to host its first historically black college or university and open some opportunities for partnerships and goodwill. Oh, and HBCUs are historically underfunded, so they'd love to take home a cool million or so.
 
Similar to Wake Forest and Duke, as well. BCU would be just fine. It would be a chance for UNL to host its first historically black college or university and open some opportunities for partnerships and goodwill. Oh, and HBCUs are historically underfunded, so they'd love to take home a cool million or so.

You think we would pay a FCS school as much as we payed Akron?

Are we still paying Akron 1.13 million in February.
 
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