Nebraska coach Matt Rhule advocates for big schools to continue playing FCS teams, emphasizing the financial benefits for smaller programs and criticizing proposals to ban such matchups, highlighting their strategic and economic importance in college football.
The FBS Oversight Committee proposed changes to the football recruiting calendar, including a new 10-day transfer notification window from Jan. 2-11, a December recruiting dead period, and a later start date for receiving written offers of financial aid, aiming to streamline transfer and recruitment processes. The recommendations await approval from the Division I Administrative Committee.
Athlon Sports ranks all 136 college football starting quarterbacks for the 2025 season, highlighting key players like Arch Manning, Cade Klubnik, and LaNorris Sellers, considering talent, supporting cast, and projected development amid significant turnover at the position.
A bettor lost $100 on a 10,000-1 odds wager for Kent State to win the College Football Playoff, as the team ended their season winless at 0-12, marking them as the worst in the FBS this year.
Kennesaw State is set to fire head coach Brian Bohannon after a challenging transition to the FBS level, where the team has struggled with a 1-8 record this season. Bohannon, who was instrumental in establishing the football program and led the Owls to multiple FCS playoff appearances, will be replaced by co-offensive coordinator Chandler Burks as interim head coach. The decision comes as the school aims to compete more effectively at the FBS level, with a search firm hired to find a new head coach. Bohannon's tenure ends with a 72-37 overall record and a $605,333 buyout.
A group of college presidents, known as "College Sports Tomorrow," has proposed a two-tiered structure for college football, with the top 70 programs as permanent members and an eighth division for promoted teams. This proposal aims to address the increasing concentration of power and revenue disparity among FBS schools. It also includes streamlining player movement and compensation rules. However, the idea faces challenges in terms of logistics and existing media rights deals, with some major conferences showing reluctance to engage in discussions.
The College Football Playoff is expected to approve a 14-team field and updated revenue model starting in 2026, benefiting the Big Ten and SEC significantly. The new contract will pay the Big Ten and SEC 29% of the upcoming contract, while the ACC will receive 17% and the Big 12 around 15%. The Group of Five will split 9% of the contract, and the independent schools will split 1%, with Notre Dame receiving the bulk. The 14-team playoff represents a departure from the 12-team field, and discussions around the format are ongoing.
The College Football Playoff management committee is meeting to discuss the implementation of a 12-team playoff, but questions about the future of the postseason loom large due to conference realignment. With the Big Ten and SEC expanding, discussions about money, access, and the playoff field's size are intensifying. The 12-team model is expected to be in place for the next eight years, but there are debates about potential format changes, revenue distribution, and the influence of the Power 5 conferences.
Bob Chesney has been selected as the new head coach of the James Madison University (JMU) football program. Chesney brings 14 years of head coaching experience and a record of 111-46. He takes over a JMU program that recently transitioned from the Football Championship Subdivision to the Football Bowl Subdivision and has had success in recent seasons. Chesney previously coached at Holy Cross, where he led the team to five consecutive Patriot League Championships. He has also coached at Assumption College and Salve Regina. Chesney's appointment comes as JMU prepares to compete as a full-fledged member in the FBS.
Bob Chesney has been selected as the new head coach of the James Madison University (JMU) football program. Chesney brings 14 years of head coaching experience and a record of 111-46. He takes over a JMU program that recently transitioned from the Football Championship Subdivision to the Football Bowl Subdivision and has had success in recent seasons. Chesney previously coached at Holy Cross, where he led the team to five consecutive Patriot League Championships. He has also coached at Assumption College and Salve Regina. Chesney's appointment comes as JMU prepares to compete as a full-fledged member in the FBS.
Holy Cross coach Bob Chesney is reportedly the top target for the head coaching vacancy at James Madison University, following the departure of Curt Cignetti. Chesney has had success at Holy Cross, leading the program to 44 wins and four playoff appearances. He fits the profile of JMU's previous coaching hires, with experience at multiple head coaching jobs. While JMU is not a rebuilding job, Chesney's history of turnarounds makes him a strong candidate to continue the program's momentum.
Delaware is expected to join Conference USA as its 11th member in football for the 2025-26 season, as part of its transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The move will see Delaware leave the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) in the FCS and join a league that includes Liberty, Sam Houston State, and New Mexico State. Delaware's two-year transition to the FBS is set to begin in 2024, and if they play the 2024 football season in the CAA, they would not be eligible for the FCS playoffs.
James Madison's football team, in the second year of transitioning from FCS to FBS, secured a bowl bid after not enough FBS programs reached six wins, activating an NCAA bylaw that allows transitioning programs to become eligible for the postseason. The Dukes received the news from Bowl Season, a collective association of all bowl games, after ending their regular season with a 56-14 victory over Coastal Carolina. Another transitioning program, Jacksonville State, can also be invited to a bowl, while Minnesota and Navy may still have a chance at a bowl bid.
James Madison University (JMU) officials have appealed to the NCAA Division I board of directors to reduce the football program's transition period from FCS to FBS from two years to one. The undefeated Dukes are seeking eligibility to compete in a postseason bowl game this season. JMU argues that they have followed the transition rules diligently and their student-athletes have achieved exceptional success. Currently, the Dukes are ineligible for the postseason, but if granted relief, they could potentially participate in a New Year's Six bowl game. JMU's appeal comes after the NCAA denied their previous request to complete the transition in one year.