JSU football: Could non-scholarship Davidson visit for first-round FCS game?

Mark Edwards, The Anniston Star, Ala.
·2 min read

Apr. 18—Could Jacksonville State host Davidson College in the first round of the FCS playoffs?

Judging by NCAA policy, a JSU-Davidson matchup would make sense.

The FCS playoff field will have 16 teams, including 10 automatic qualifiers. Jacksonville State (9-2) qualified by winning the Ohio Valley Conference, while Davidson (4-2) is the champion of the Pioneer League, which is a non-scholarship, football-only league.

The field is set to be announced Sunday at 10:30 a.m. CT on ESPNU, with first-round games set to start next weekend. JSU will host a watch party at Pete Mathews Coliseum, as the players will be on the floor of the coliseum and the fans must stay in the stands. Admission is free.

Only the top four teams are seeded this year instead of eight as was typical before the pandemic. Based on the most recent STATS FCS rankings, it doesn't seem likely JSU will get a top-four seed. The Gamecocks are ranked ninth, and while the STATS poll isn't a guideline for the playoff selection committee, it is at least some general indicator of where a team stands nationally. Davidson is unranked.

JSU seems likely to host, and the school has made a bid to host a first-round game. The NCAA pays for all playoff travel, and the key to a JSU-Davidson matchup is the distance between the two campuses.

If a school is located more than 400 miles from where it is asked to play its playoff game, it has the option of flying. If it is located 400 miles or less, it must travel by bus. So, the NCAA traditionally prefers to pair teams that are within 400 miles of each other.

According to Google Maps, Davidson's campus in Davidson, N.C., is only 353 miles from JSU's campus. Of the 10 teams that qualified automatically for the playoffs after winning their conferences, Davidson is the only school located fewer than 400 miles from JSU. The next closest is Virginia Military Institute, which is located in Lexington, Va., and is 524 miles from JSU.

Among teams that could receive an at-large berth, 16th-ranked Kennesaw State (4-1) is a possibility, as it is only 87 miles away from JSU.

Even so, No. 2 North Dakota State, No. 6 North Dakota, No. 8 Eastern Washington, No. 10 Villanova, No. 11 Richmond, No. 13 UC Davis and No. 14 Missouri State are hoping for at-large bids as well, and there are only six this year.

The 10 automatic qualifiers:

—Monmouth, Big South

—Davidson , Pioneer League

—Delaware, CAA

—Holy Cross, Patriot League

—Jacksonville State, Ohio Valley

—Sacred Heart, NEC

—Sam Houston, Southland

—South Dakota State, Missouri Valley

—VMI, Southern

—Weber State, Big Sky

Senior Editor Mark Edwards: 256-235-3570. On Twitter: @MarkSportsStar.