A Division II conference has come up with a smart idea to boost its playoff chances
FootballScoop.com • • sports
Key Points:
- The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) has introduced the Friday Night Blitz Game, an additional matchup between the conference's third- and fourth-place teams, played the night before the CIAA championship in Durham, N.C.
- This new game aims to generate extra revenue and become a significant event for CIAA fans and Division II football enthusiasts in the Carolinas.
- The concept is inspired by the Big Ten's 2020 "Champions Week," which featured extra games between equivalent division teams during a COVID-impacted season, although that idea was short-lived.
- The CIAA hopes this additional game will boost the chances of its third- or fourth-place teams earning one of the 16 at-large spots in the Division II playoffs, building on recent successes where the league's top teams hosted playoff games for the first time.
- Meanwhile, at the FBS level, there is ongoing debate about the relevance of conference championship games amid the expansion of the playoff system to 12 or potentially 24 teams.
