BCS Schools playing non-BCS Schools in NFL Venues

There is a growing trend in college football these days. BCS conference schools are playing non-BCS conference schools at NFL venues. Northern Illinois hosted Iowa at Solider Field in Chicago on 2007. Eastern Michigan played Northwestern at Detroit's Ford Field. East Carolina has three like games on the books, Virginia Tech in 2009 and South Carolina in 2011 and 2014, all in Charlotte, North Carolina. Illinois recently agreed to play Western Michigan in Detroit for the 2008 season. Toledo will play Ohio State in Cleveland in 2009.

The benefits for the non-BCS schools is obvious. Typically they end up playing their BCS conference neighbors in road games so the neutral site games are welcome. Playing in NFL venues give the smaller schools fantastic exposure and provide a big time feel for their program. Programs like Western Michigan can seem miles away from the NFL, but playing a Big Ten program in an NFL venue helps narrow that gap in perception. These games are a tremendous way for the lower profile schools to attract athletes and students.

The more puzzling question is why the BCS conference teams agree to these match-ups. BCS conference are used to writing checks to visiting non-BCS conference instead of the return trip. However, the neutral site phenominon is a deviation from this philosophy. There are two likely factors driving the trend. One is the added recruiting advantage playing in a major metropolitan area can bring. It appears as if some schools are willing to part with the financial gain of a home game against for the added exposure in recruiting. Through e-mail, Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith wrote, "We have a lot of alumni in Cleveland and probably most important, we recruit Cleveland heavily in football but also other sports. The PR is significant."

The other factor is likely due to the schedule expansion from 11 games to 12 games. This factor is pronounced in the short term due to schools scrambling to add a 12th game to their schedule. Illinois needed to fill a game in 2008 this off season and that urgency likely provided Western Michigan a negotiation edge that landed the Illini in the Motor City. Gene Smith further explained, " When the 119 division 1A schools went to 12 games vs. 11 the inventory became less for 1A home games. That is why you see more of these, 2 for 1's, more 1AA schools on schedules. It is pure supply and demand." Non-BCS schools need to add an additional game to their schedule too, however. Some have opted to played I-AA schools at home, perhaps altering the market for non-return games. Apparently non-BCS schools expect the 12th game to be a home game for them, but if they can get a BCS conference school to play them in a nearby NFL venue, they'll gladly take it.