Pioneer is losing Campbell

[IndyValpo]

http://www.campbell.edu/news/item/fighting-camels-football-to-join-big-south-in-2018

[VULB#62]

I fervently hope that Campbell will NOT play PFL football in 2017.  And I sincerely hope the PFL draws a line and doesn't allow Campbell to qualify for the league standings and championship.  It would be OK to keep them on the schedule but as an OOC game for all PFL teams.  In  the event a team currently has Campbell on their 2017 schedule, they should be allowed to add another PFL team and go to a 12 game schedule.  The reason I say this is that Minter's next recruiting class will be recruited as football scholarship players (as stated in the article) and I assume that a number of current players will also be converted to full scholarship players. That does not include any transfers who now might see Campbell as attractive where before they didn't.  That would certainly be an unfair advantage in PFL play.  It would basically be the same as when Mercer sandbagged the PFL in their only season by playing with essentially a scholarship team.

[valpotx]

Agreed, it would not be fair to include them in conference play next season.  Good to see them progress, however.  It will now be Austin Peay, Mercer, and Campbell as former PFL teams with FCS scholarship programs.  If we ever join the MVC, maybe we can join those ranks in the future .

[VU2624]

I fervently hope that Campbell will NOT play PFL football in 2017.  And I sincerely hope the PFL draws a line and doesn't allow Campbell to qualify for the league standings and championship.  It would be OK to keep them on the schedule but as an OOC game for all PFL teams.  In  the event a team currently has Campbell on their 2017 schedule, they should be allowed to add another PFL team and go to a 12 game schedule.  The reason I say this is that Minter's next recruiting class will be recruited as football scholarship players (as stated in the article) and I assume that a number of current players will also be converted to full scholarship players. That does not include any transfers who now might see Campbell as attractive where before they didn't.  That would certainly be an unfair advantage in PFL play.  It would basically be the same as when Mercer sandbagged the PFL in their only season by playing with essentially a scholarship team.

Agreed but the PFL leadership has not shown much of a backbone when it comes to standing up to institutions.

[Vinny]

Congratulations to Campbell. It's good to see institutions that take pride in football reach true Division I status.

[VULB#62]

I fervently hope that Campbell will NOT play PFL football in 2017.  And I sincerely hope the PFL draws a line and doesn't allow Campbell to qualify for the league standings and championship.  It would be OK to keep them on the schedule but as an OOC game for all PFL teams.  In  the event a team currently has Campbell on their 2017 schedule, they should be allowed to add another PFL team and go to a 12 game schedule.  The reason I say this is that Minter's next recruiting class will be recruited as football scholarship players (as stated in the article) and I assume that a number of current players will also be converted to full scholarship players. That does not include any transfers who now might see Campbell as attractive where before they didn't.  That would certainly be an unfair advantage in PFL play.  It would basically be the same as when Mercer sandbagged the PFL in their only season by playing with essentially a scholarship team.

Agreed but the PFL leadership has not shown much of a backbone when it comes to standing up to institutions.

I got some more info on the Campbell departure.  They will play their 2017 PFL schedule, count in the standings and they will be eligible for the PFL championship.  BUT..... before anyone gets their knickers in a knot, here is the twist:  They have committed to do so under the following condition -- no scholarship athletes may participate (including freshmen and transfers).  So they remain a true PFL team through the 2017 season.

This seems like a fair solution for both the PFL and for Campbell.  It also lessens the scheduling hassle for everyone.  Kudos to the PFL for arriving at this solution.

Essentially Minter is recruiting an entire class of red shirt freshmen.  That, along with his 2018 freshmen class means he'll have a ton of youth on scholarship going into the 2018 season, but maybe ½ will already have had a year in his system and perhaps some experienced upper class players will be converted to scholarships as well.

[valpotx]

I am sure that the incoming FR won't care about being redshirted, either.  Since they will be on scholarship, they can take their time with classes over 5 years, and not have the same costs that non-scholarship programs would have.  They can get bigger and stronger, and be ready to compete the following season.  Seems fair to me to everyone involved. 

[VULB#62]

Spot on, Tex.

[VU2624]

I fervently hope that Campbell will NOT play PFL football in 2017.  And I sincerely hope the PFL draws a line and doesn't allow Campbell to qualify for the league standings and championship.  It would be OK to keep them on the schedule but as an OOC game for all PFL teams.  In  the event a team currently has Campbell on their 2017 schedule, they should be allowed to add another PFL team and go to a 12 game schedule.  The reason I say this is that Minter's next recruiting class will be recruited as football scholarship players (as stated in the article) and I assume that a number of current players will also be converted to full scholarship players. That does not include any transfers who now might see Campbell as attractive where before they didn't.  That would certainly be an unfair advantage in PFL play.  It would basically be the same as when Mercer sandbagged the PFL in their only season by playing with essentially a scholarship team.

Agreed but the PFL leadership has not shown much of a backbone when it comes to standing up to institutions.

I got some more info on the Campbell departure.  They will play their 2017 PFL schedule, count in the standings and they will be eligible for the PFL championship.  BUT..... before anyone gets their knickers in a knot, here is the twist:  They have committed to do so under the following condition -- no scholarship athletes may participate (including freshmen and transfers).  So they remain a true PFL team through the 2017 season. This seems like a fair solution for both the PFL and for Campbell.  It also lessens the scheduling hassle for everyone.  Kudos to the PFL for arriving at this solution. Essentially Minter is recruiting an entire class of red shirt freshmen.  That, along with his 2018 freshmen class means he'll have a ton of youth on scholarship going into the 2018 season, but maybe ½ will already have had a year in his system and perhaps some experienced upper class players will be converted to scholarships as well.

Awesome on the info VULB. I agree that it seems to be a fair solution for all.

[historyman]

I got some more info on the Campbell departure.  They will play their 2017 PFL schedule, count in the standings and they will be eligible for the PFL championship.  BUT..... before anyone gets their knickers in a knot, here is the twist:  They have committed to do so under the following condition -- no scholarship athletes may participate (including freshmen and transfers).  So they remain a true PFL team through the 2017 season.

This seems like a fair solution for both the PFL and for Campbell.  It also lessens the scheduling hassle for everyone.  Kudos to the PFL for arriving at this solution.

Essentially Minter is recruiting an entire class of red shirt freshmen.  That, along with his 2018 freshmen class means he'll have a ton of youth on scholarship going into the 2018 season, but maybe ½ will already have had a year in his system and perhaps some experienced upper class players will be converted to scholarships as well.

That has to be one of the weirdest situations for a college team. A bunch of non-playing freshmen players, who would normally be better than their playing counterparts, on the sideline watching because their education is getting paid for while the hard working non-scholarship players are giving it their all.