Kirby Smart shares why he thinks it's important for Georgia, other SEC teams to schedule FCS teams
With only eight conference games, SEC teams turn to FCS programs to fill out the 12-game schedule. Critics of the SEC frequently call out Alabama, Georgia and others for playing FCS teams. Georgia coach Kirby Smart is a big supporter of the Bulldogs and others playing FCS teams.
With Georgia set to take on Murray State this Saturday, the FCS topic came up at Smart’s Tuesday press conference. The Racers are an FCS program in the Ohio Valley Conference.
“Well, I mean I think it’s the lifeblood of a program. If you went and poll them, they would tell you without some of the bigger schools, they wouldn’t have a program,” Smart said. “It’s their opportunity to fund their program. I have been a huge salesman in the game and sport of football. I hope one day my son that plays football will have an opportunity to go play somewhere and the more opportunities they have I think it gives kids a wonderful chance to get a free education. If we don’t play FCS teams, there’s probably going to be some of them flip and go under especially the way television is today and attendance has dwindled. That’s the lifeblood of our program. I certainly want to try help support them, not at the cost of our fanbase not getting what they want. There’s a medium in there.”
Georgia is paying Murray State $500,000 to play Saturday in Athens.
Exactly
Kirby makes a good point. However, before Kirby, we fans got abused for several years. It wasn’t unusual for most of the SEC and Little-Tenth powerhouse programs to scheduled 3-4 creampuffs a year as home games. So, at best, we got to watch 2 quarters of our first string running vanilla plays. If Smart and McGarity will continue to schedule a balance of quality P5 non-conference opponents at home along with 1-2 FCS schools, I’d be satisfied.
We’re covered in that area most of the next 10-12 years. Of the 4 annual non-cons, Tech and a high-caliber P5 opponent will take two of the games. A G5 and an FCS will likely be the other two, except 2028 when FSU and Texas are both on the schedule.
Just looking at the early games this year, no one has room to criticize. The FBS P5 schedule is littered with FCS opponents. The few P5 schools that don’t play an FCS team have often lightened their schedule other ways (Ohio State is a perfect example with all G5 non-cons).
You would think, by now, someone would’ve come up with a way to help support the FCS programs without having to play these senseless games. Fans aren’t interested. The television ratings don’t justify them. And it’s just a glorified scrimmage that could result in more injuries to key players. I mean, I don’t personally have the answer. I’m also not paid the big bucks to sit and come up with one either. But they’re just such a complete waste of time.
The only way to do it without playing these games is to make them so popular that major-non-ESPN networks put them on during prime time. That way they get the viewership, fill larger stadiums, grow larger fanbases, generate more ad revenue, and etc. But that won’t ever happen.
One thing I’d love to see happen is the idea of a relegation system. Make a three tiered system where SEC teams that finish in the bottom 2 or 4 get sent down to the sun belt conference, and the top 2 or 4 from the Sun Belt move up into the SEC. Those fanbases would grow in the SEC and then travel back down. And do the same with and FCS conference and the Sunbelt. It works pretty well for European Soccer Leagues.
Would this be for all sports or just football. If it’s for all sports can you have different teams at different levels?
Two FCS games each year is not a big deal. It is what you do with the other two non-conference games that really matter. You have to build the game at every level, not just at the top.
Who plays two FCS games a season?
Trolling LeghumperU articles again? (:
Not at all. I’ll leave the trolling to you. It was a question since he said two FCS games is no big deal…
Who plays two FCS games a season?
But it’s your rule that you shouldn’t comment on other team’s articles…not mine. I love sharing my comments with all my SDS friends. You should try it…
Commenting and trolling is two different things… You’re a troll that just follows me around it seems…