College Football Season Expands to 12 Games

James Joyner · Tuesday, April 12, 2005 · 1 comment

The NCAA will allow Division I-A schools to schedule a 12th regular season game starting with the 2006 season.

NCAA panel OK with 12th night (or day) game

The NCAA Division I Management Council has backed legislation that would allow Division I-A and I-AA schools to add a 12th football game starting with the 2006 season. The plan was given tentative approval by the council during its meeting Monday, but still must be approved by the NCAA Board of Directors when it meets April 28.

Division I vice president David Berst said Tuesday he didn’t know whether the NCAA board would give final approval for a 12th football game. Only the Atlantic Coast Conference was opposed to the proposal.
“I would expect there will be more discussion,” he said. “The board should have the freedom to make its own decision.”

There was no discussion of the issue at the council’s meeting.

Given that only the ACC has voiced any opposition, consider this one a done deal. After all, there’s plenty of money in it for everyone.

Somehow, though, this seems inconsistent with the long-proclaimed idea that a playoff for college football would interfere too much with the student athletes’ studies.