Football Oversight Committee Recommends Waiving Requirements for Bowl Eligibility
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Written by Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)
On Thursday night the college football oversight committee recommended that the requirements to reach bowl eligibility be waived. Previously, a team would need at least six wins to become bowl eligible, with a few exceptions if their were not enough six-win teams.
“Providing a more flexible framework for the postseason in this unprecedented time will provide some certainty moving forward,” said Shane Lyons, director of athletics at West Virginia and chair of the oversight committee. “These are important postseason opportunities for our student-athletes, and this will help everyone to prepare.”
This recommendation will need to be approved by the Division I Council who is scheduled to meet on October 13th and 14th.
Nick Carparelli, the executive director of the Football Bowl Association, added: “The Football Bowl Association appreciates the efforts of the Division I Football Oversight Committee in recognizing the need for maximum flexibility this bowl season.”
This is not a free pass to a bowl game for teams, as there are still more teams playing then bowl slots available, but it definitely opens the door wider for teams to reach the postseason.
The release also included recommendations for the FCS Playoffs
The Division I Football Oversight Committee approved a request from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference to be granted an automatic qualifying spot in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision tournament that will be played in the spring of 2021.
The championship, which will have 11 conference automatic qualifiers and five at-large selections, is being conducted in the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The bracket will consist of 16 teams and culminate with a championship game in mid-May.
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football champion usually plays in the Celebration Bowl instead of applying for automatic qualification into the Football Championship Subdivision bracket.