The Big Ten is again "giving its 14 teams the option" of scheduling FCS teams for football games after ending the practice before last season, according to Mike Carmin of the Lafayette JOURNAL & COURIER. Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany said that schools "will have the opportunity to schedule an FCS team in seasons they play four Big Ten home games." Delany: "A number of schools indicated they won't be taking advantage of that opportunity, but I expect we'll have three or four." Carmin notes scheduling all FBS programs has "become problematic for some Big Ten schools, especially those in the middle or the bottom of the league." The FCS ban was "put in place to enhance the upcoming Big Ten television contract, create more appealing matchups for season ticket holders and impress" the CFP Selection Committee. Delany: "When we went to nine games, we did not anticipate the problems that some of our schools would have in years that they only had four conference home games. It was very difficult for them to get three FBS opponents on to their schedules if they were looking for seven home games" (Lafayette JOURNAL & COURIER, 7/25).
