Spring Football: Who's in, who's out, who cares?

[BamaDude]

The FCS Spring 2021 football season is upon us (it actually started with a couple of games last weekend). Here are the conferences & schools that are playing:

The Big Sky Conference will have 8 of its 13 members playing a 6-game conference schedule beginning February 27 and running through April 10. March 20 & April 17 will serve as make-up dates for any postponed games. Schools participating include Eastern Washington, Idaho, Idaho St., Weber St., Southern Utah, Northern Arizona, Cal Poly & UC-Davis. Sacramento St. opted out of Spring football. Montana, Montana St., Northern Colorado & Portland St. announced plans to play a shorter schedule made up of non-conference opponents. Of those four, only Montana has announced a game, so far, and it's against Div. II Central Washington. No Big Sky teams played during the Fall.

Big South Conference will have 5 teams playing 4 conference games, with the possibility of scheduling up to 4 non-conference opponents, as well. Participating teams include Gardner-Webb, Kennesaw St., Charleston Southern and Monmouth, along with newcomer Robert Morris, which was originally set to join the conference this Fall after leaving the NEC. The league slate starts March 13. Campbell & North Alabama, which both went 0-4 during the Fall, will sit out the Spring; as will Hampton, which did not play during the Fall.

Colonial Athletic Association will have 11 members playing this Spring, starting March 6 & running through April 17. Towson elected to sit out the Fall & Spring seasons. The league will divide into North & South divisions, with Albany, Delaware, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Stony Brook and Villanova comprising the North; and the South made up of James Madison, Richmond, William & Mary, and Elon. Each North Division school will play a single game against its division opponents, while the South Division schools will play a double-round robin division schedule. Each team will haven open dates & can schedule up to two non-conference opponents (including other CAA schools). No Colonial teams played in the Fall.

The Ivy League and the Mideast Athletic Conference chose to cancel both their Fall & Spring schedules. However, at least 3 MEAC schools have decided to play at limited Spring schedule. Those schools include Delaware St., Howard, and South Carolina St. The conference will lose 3 teams next Fall, as Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M switch to the SWAC and North Carolina A&T moves to the Big South.

-more to come-

 

[BamaDude]

The Missouri Valley Football Conference will have all 11 members in action, playing an 8-game conference slate that runs from February 19 to April 10, with April 17 serving as a make-up date. North Dakota St. & Southern Illinois both went 1-0 during the Fall, while Missouri St. was 0-3. The rest of the league includes North Dakota, South Dakota, South Dakota St., Northern Iowa, Western Illinois, Illinois St., Indiana St., and Youngstown St.

The Northeast Conference will have 6 teams playing 4 conference games between March 7 & March 28, with up to two weeks available for make-up games. The top two teams will play for the conference championship on April 16 or 17. Non-conference games must be played prior to March 1. St. Francis (PA) and Central Connecticut St. are sitting out the Spring, so that leaves Bryant, Duquesne, Long Island, Merrimack, Sacred Heart and Wagner to contend for the league title. Merrimack is in the midst of upgrading from Div. II & is ineligible for postseason play.

Ohio Valley Conference will feature 8 teams playing a 7-game conference slate. Eastern Kentucky, which went 3-6 in the Fall, will be sitting out this Spring. Games will run from February 11 to April 11 - mostly on Sunday, except for Easter weekend (April 3rd-4th) when they will be on Saturday. There will be no games the weekend of March 7 due to the OVC basketball tournament. Non-conference games can be played February 13-14. Participating teams (and their Fall records) include Austin Peay (0-3), Tennessee Tech, Eastern Illinois, UT-Martin, Jacksonville St. (3-1), Tennessee St., Murray St., and Southeast Missouri St. (0-1). Jacksonville St. & Eastern Kentucky will both leave the OVC this Fall for the Atlantic Sun Conference.

Patriot League will feature 6 teams playing 4 conference games starting March 6 and running through 3. Competing teams are Colgate, Lafayette, Lehigh, Holy Cross, Bucknell and Fordham. None of these teams played in the Fall, and neither did Georgetown, which elected to sit out the Spring.

-more to come-

 

[BamaDude]

Pioneer Football League will consist of 7 conference teams playing a 6-game league schedule, along with Presbyterian, which will become an official member this Fall. The 7 teams competing for the conference championship include Butler, Davidson, Valparaiso, San Diego, Stetson, Drake & Morehead St. Dayton & Marist will be sitting out the season. St. Thomas (MN), which is upgrading from Div. III, will be joining the conference this Fall. None of these teams played last Fall. The league season will run March 13 - April 17. Non-conference games can be scheduled prior to March 13.

The Southern Conference will feature all 9 teams playing an 8-game league schedule from February 20 to April 17. The schools (and their Fall records) are VMI, Mercer (0-3), Samford, Western Carolina (0-3), Chattanooga (0-1), Wofford, East Tennessee St., Furman, and The Citadel (0-4).

The Southland Conference will only include 7 of its 11 members playing a 6-game league schedule. Fall participants Abilene Christian (1-5), Stephen F. Austin (1-4), Houston Baptist (1-3), and Central Arkansas (5-4) elected not to play this Spring. The league schedule will run February 20 to April 10. There will only be one game played on Saturday, March 27, and Thursday, April 1. Multiple games will be played on other dates. Participating Spring teams & their Fall records include Incarnate Word, Lamar, McNeese St. (1-0), Nicholls St. (1-0), Northwestern St., Sam Houston St., and Southeast Louisiana. Central Arkansas will be leaving the league this Fall for the A-Sun, while Abilene Christian, Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston & Lamar will depart the following year for the Western Athletic Conference.

Southwestern Athletic Conference will have all 10 teams aboard for a 6 game league season that's set to start February 26 and run through April 17. April 24 will be an open date, with the SWAC championship game set for May 1. Each team is allowed to schedule up to one non-conference football game. The SWAC does not participate in the FCS playoffs.

Independents: In addition to the above-mentioned leagues, two FCS newcomers, Tarleton St. & Dixie St., will compete as independents this Spring & next Fall before becoming members of newly-reconstituted WAC football conference in 2022.

FBS competition: New Mexico St. - which set out the Fall - will play two football games this Spring vs FCS opponents. The games will be played at Sun Bowl stadium in El Paso, Texas.

 

[BamaDude]

The FCS Playoffs will begin on April 24 & run for 4 weeks. The champions of the Big Sky, Big South, Colonial, Missouri Valley, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Pioneer, Southern and Southland conferences will receive automatic bids; with 6 at-large bids also being given out. Teams that elected to play in the Fall will also be given consideration for the playoffs.

Here's a list of the known non-conference games for this Spring:

Feb. 13
McNeese St. 40, Tarleton St.* 37 (2 OT)

Feb. 19-21
Nicholls St. 87, Lincoln, MO (D-2) 3
Morehead St. at James Madison
Edward Waters (NAIA) at Jackson St.
Tarleton St.* vs New Mexico St. (FBS) at El Paso

Feb. 27
Robert Morris at James Madison
Shorter (D-2) at Kennesaw St.
Dixie St. at Tarleton St.*
Rhode Island at Bryant

Mar. 6-7
Presbyterian at Gardner-Webb
Mississippi College (D-2) at Tarleton St.
Dixie St.* vs New Mexico St. (FBS) at El Paso

Mar. 13-14
Tarleton St.* at Dixie St.*
Delaware St. at South Carolina St. #

Mar. 19-20
Dixie St.* at Kennesaw St.
Midwestern St. (D-2) at Tarleton St.*

March 26-27
Northeastern St. (D-2) at Tarleton St.*
Ft. Lewis (D-2) at Dixie St.*
Delaware St. at Howard #

Apr. 1-3
East Central (D-2) at Tarleton St.*
South Carolina St. at Delaware ST. #
New Mexico Highlands (D-2) at Dixie St.*

Apr. 9-10
Central Washington (D-2) at Montana
Delaware St. at Delaware

NOTE: Montana St., Northern Colorado, and Portland St. all announced intentions of playing an abbreviated Spring schedule but have not announced any games as yet.

* Tarleton St. and Dixie St. are both in their first year of transition from Division II.

# Games between Delaware St., Howard, and South Carolina St. would normally count as conference games in the MEAC, but they are playing a limited season as independents this season with permission from their conference.

 

[NolePride]

I don't understand why nobody has put any on TV.

 

[Boglodyte]

The bigger question is will Bama claim another championship?

 

[broncosmitty]

Hoping to get to go to an MIAA game or two. But not sure if there will be non family allowed in the stands or not.

 

[Diego Roll Tide]

The bigger question is will Bama claim another championship?

Even we take a few months off. Geez, don’t you think we deserve our rest!

 

[cclxxxvdicere]

I don't understand why nobody has put any on TV.

Probably for the same reason they don’t put minor league baseball on tv.

 

[BigDGarciaFan]

Tomorrow my UIW Cards play at McNeese at Noon on ESPN+

 

[RaZon]

I don't think most get just how many great NFL players have come from the HBCU and RinkyDinky U.

Coe
Blufton
Furman
UOP
NWLa
Eastern Illinois
Delaware
Northern Missouri State
Kutztown State

.....a 1000 yard rusher or wide receiver came from those schools.

 

[NolePride]

I don't think most get just how many great NFL players have come from the HBCU and RinkyDinky U.

Coe
Blufton
Furman
UOP
NWLa
Eastern Illinois
Delaware
Northern Missouri State
Kutztown State

.....a 1000 yard rusher or wide receiver came from those schools.

The players that they got out of the HBCU were from 60 years ago, before full blown integration. The players that dot the HBCU
landscape nowadays could barely play for a good High School team.

 

[broncosmitty]

The players that they got out of the HBCU were from 60 years ago, before full blown integration. The players that dot the HBCU
landscape nowadays could barely play for a good High School team.

There were 30 former HBCU guys in the NFL last year.

You need to get out from under your rock.

NFL players from historically black colleges

www.nfl.com

 

[RaZon]

The players that they got out of the HBCU were from 60 years ago, before full blown integration. The players that dot the HBCU
landscape nowadays could barely play for a good High School team.

Educate yourself son....

North Carolina A&T alum

 

[RaZon]

Remember the name Bryan Mills out of NCC.

Where ya got the only HBCUers were long ago???????????


DURHAM, N.C. – Shortly after North Carolina Central University senior cornerback Bryan Mills recorded four tackles and a pass breakup in the Reese’s Senior Bowl on Saturday, he earned an invitation to the NFL Combine.

After receiving word of his invite, Mills tweeted out, “Blessed to be invited to the 2021 NFL Combine. A lifelong dream of mine!”

 

[RaZon]

There were 30 former HBCU guys in the NFL last year.

You need to get out from under your rock.

NFL players from historically black colleges

www.nfl.com

A man who knows his stuff.


BY KEVIN PARRISH JR.
April 30, 2020
There was only one player from a historically black college and university (HBCU) selected in last week’s NFL draft, a surprising result for anyone who knows the caliber of the football talent on those campuses.

Last season, four players were taken in the draft, including first-rounder Tytus Howard, an offensive tackle from Alabama State University. In 2018, three players were selected, including linebacker Darius Leonard from South Carolina State University, who went on to become the AFC Rookie of the Year.