[SumItUp]

While the timing is not clear, Liberty has made it's intentions known that we are aggressively moving forward. It is not known which conference or what year it will take place. It could be soon or it could be years away. My questions are not specific to Liberty and what they will do, but an understanding of the transition process.

Regardless of the year that it happens, what triggers FCS playoff ineligibility for a transitioning team? Is it only an acceptance into a FBS conference? Does the date of acceptance or number of scholarships granted make a difference? For example, if an announcement is made during a current season, does it immediately cause a team to withdraw its chances for a playoff spot? If a team announces acceptance into a FBS conference in the spring, but elects to play the following season with 63 or less scholarships, do they remain eligible?

Mods, please do not merge this with the megathread.

[BJWilliams]

from what I can understand from the UMass and TSU-San Marcos situations, if you announce a move to an FBS conference prior to the season, if your move to that conference would take place the following season, you would be ineligible for the upcoming season's conference championship but you would play out your conference schedule and none of your games would actually count. If you announce it mid-season,you would still be eligible for that season but the next season you would not be eligible. The big lynchpin would be how soon the team would begin play in the new conference I would think

[jcmanson]

It's typically a full 2 year transition phase.

First full season after announcing: begin increasing scholly numbers, still play FCS schedule, still compete in FCS conference, ineligible for playoffs

2nd full season after announcing: begin playing FBS schedule, begin competing in FBS conference, ineligible for playoffs, ineligible for bowls

3rd full season after announcing: full FBS member

That's the typical timeline, but of course this could be different based on each individual timeline.