2019 Playoffs

[Total Red]

Fourth - The people within Ivy League universities that are concerned about young men exposed to too much football contact are not big (read knowledgeable) football fans (Presidents, other Admins, Faculty, Board members). You can say it would one be one team playing 1 or 2 games but I'm sure they begin by asking how many games the student-athletes could "potentially" be exposed to if they agree to play in the FCS playoffs. The correct answer would come back as 5. That's a huge increase over a 10 game season. One or two more games is more likely but it's hard to judge the strength of the Ivy because they don't play a lot of OOC games. I can tell you that Patriot League member Holy Cross did make the playoffs this year. Holy Cross had a 5-1 record in the Patriot conference and a 0-2 record against the Ivy.
But again, they see a possible 5 games and the answer has been "no way."

 

[MadBird]

Well, just to circle back, the original claim was that the Ivy didn't participate in the playoffs due to the lack of money in FCS football. Whatever the reason, it doesn't seem logical that the Ivy choice is due to money. Misguided opinions and/or hypocrisy about academics, brain trauma, whatever, its not likely money has anything to do with the policy. IMHO.

 

[TIMMY]

Well, just to circle back, the original claim was that the Ivy didn't participate in the playoffs due to the lack of money in FCS football. Whatever the reason, it doesn't seem logical that the Ivy choice is due to money. Misguided opinions and/or hypocrisy about academics, brain trauma, whatever, its not likely money has anything to do with the policy. IMHO.

With combined endowments of $135 Billion I would agree. :snooty:

 

[Virginia Redbird]

Well, just to circle back, the original claim was that the Ivy didn't participate in the playoffs due to the lack of money in FCS football. Whatever the reason, it doesn't seem logical that the Ivy choice is due to money. Misguided opinions and/or hypocrisy about academics, brain trauma, whatever, its not likely money has anything to do with the policy. IMHO.

I tend to agree with you MadBird. The Ivy League's alumni base is littered with people that have very deep pockets. I don't have any numbers to back that up and it is just my best guess. Still, I don't think money is a real problem with the Ivy League schools.

 

[BallwinBird2012]

From what I've heard from Ivy League commish, they also didn't like that (assuming their schools made a deep run) playing into November/December would run into finals and potentially impact finals, exams, etc...Academics....pffff...

 

[fourthandshort]

From what I've heard from Ivy League commish, they also didn't like that (assuming their schools made a deep run) playing into November/December would run into finals and potentially impact finals, exams, etc...Academics....pffff...

well the first game is thanksgiving weekend. The last game is right after the Christmas/New Years the weekend before most schools come back from break. So were talking about rounds of 16, 8, and 4 only .. if they made it past playin game the weekend before Thanksgiving.

Checked Harvards calendar:

- Fall session ends Dec 3rd, with final exams between Dec 10th and 19th. There's a "reading period" in that week in between.

- Winter session begins Jan 17th

So this confirms there is no conflict for today's Nov 30th playin round and absolutely no conflict for Jan 11th championship round.. The next 3 rounds are Dec 7th, 14th, and 21st this year.

So the only conflict occurs for the Dec 7th round of 16 and Dec 14th round of 8, if they made it that far.

Check March Madness, and it does confirm there are no finals conflicts from March 17th thru April 6th. So that aspect of their excuses does hold up.

But again, were talking about round of 16 and round of 8 games only. How many Ivy teams would still be playing the round of 16 on Dec 7th, much less round of 8 on Dec 14th ... possibly 0, probably 1, or an unlikely 2 at most.

And many other academically focused programs do same.

 

[BallwinBird2012]

From what I've heard from Ivy League commish, they also didn't like that (assuming their schools made a deep run) playing into November/December would run into finals and potentially impact finals, exams, etc...Academics....pffff...

well the first game is thanksgiving weekend. The last game is right after the Christmas/New Years the weekend before most schools come back from break. So were talking about rounds of 16, 8, and 4 only .. if they made it past playin game the weekend before Thanksgiving.

Checked Harvards calendar:

- Fall session ends Dec 3rd, with final exams between Dec 10th and 19th. There's a "reading period" in that week in between.

- Winter session begins Jan 17th

So this confirms there is no conflict for today's Nov 30th playin round and absolutely no conflict for Jan 11th championship round.. The next 3 rounds are Dec 7th, 14th, and 21st this year.

So the only conflict occurs for the Dec 7th round of 16 and Dec 14th round of 8, if they made it that far.

Check March Madness, and it does confirm there are no finals conflicts from March 17th thru April 6th. So that aspect of their excuses does hold up.

But again, were talking about round of 16 and round of 8 games only. How many Ivy teams would still be playing the round of 16 on Dec 7th, much less round of 8 on Dec 14th ... possibly 0, probably 1, or an unlikely 2 at most.

And many other academically focused programs do same.

Oh I don't disagree with you at all. I just specifically remember watching part of the Ivy League preseason presser (don't ask me why), and their commissioner was asked about the issue several times and that was (at least part) of her response.