NCAA will be forced to adjust college football bowl eligibility standards if games are played in 2020

Faculty soccer picked a negative yr to incorporate to its at any time-increasing record of bowl video games, but of system, no one predicted a throughout the world pandemic would affect the 2020 year at the time. If bowl video games are to be played further than those controlled by the Faculty Football Playoff, the NCAA will have to make an adjustment to the eligibility expectations for participating in those video games.

There are 41 bowl video games scheduled for this year, up a single from previous yr, next the cancellation of the RedBox Bowl. Assuming they can properly be played amid the coronavirus — yeah, I know about the risk of assumptions — that suggests 82 groups will be participating.

The existing minimum amount expectations for eligibility are a .500 record and six wins. 

The Big 10, Pac-twelve and SEC have already done absent with nonconference engage in, leaving every single of their groups at present scheduled to engage in 10 video games or much less.  The ACC is heading to engage in 10 meeting video games and a single nonconference sport, 11 whole.  The Big twelve and Group of 5 leagues have yet to announce any program adjustments.

It is not tricky to see that there will not be approximately adequate groups to fill 41 bowl video games primarily based on the existing minimum amount expectations.

The only adjustment the NCAA has announced so much is that groups may possibly rely two wins over FCS groups for bowl eligibility rather of the regular a single. That does absolutely nothing for the 4 Energy 5 conferences that have already adjusted their schedules.

The rational issue to do in a condition the place groups are neither enjoying adequate video games for the existing normal to be achieved nor the exact quantity of video games they ordinarily do is to fall the win whole necessity and say any person .500 or much better is qualified.

It is still unlikely that will outcome in 82 bowl-qualified groups, but they can continue on to fill in slots with sub-.500 groups as they have in the previous, most likely working with winning percentage rather of win totals to decide the contributors whilst breaking ties by APR as has constantly been the circumstance.

This is not an concern the place the NCAA is dragging its toes. There seriously is no hurry to set a normal until eventually schedules become remaining. The bowl video games are not played until eventually late December.

The NCAA will get there, and when they do, this will be the rational way to go.