Pat McAfee calls NCAA's recent decision "stupid" as James Madison University's postseason waiver request gets rejected
Pat McAfee didn't like the NCAA decision on James Madison University and its postseason waiver request. The Dukes are transitioning up the FBS from the FCS Sun Belt conference and are ranked No. 18 in the latest AP polls. But their season might be over without getting a bowl game due to an NCAA ruling.
JMU's bid for a postseason waiver has been denied by the NCAA. The Dukes had asked the NCAA to shorten their transition time from two to one year, allowing them to compete in the postseason this year. However, this is not happening, and McAfee has spoken out against this decision.
Here is what Pat McAfee had to say about the NCAA rejecting James Madison University's postseason waiver request.
“The NCAA does another stupid thing," McAfee said. "So dumb, dumb decision, no reason for it. Hey, could be a baby face one time just like a reasonable institution, just like Tez Walker could have been with North Carolina at the beginning of the season which inevitably ended up happening anyway."
"It's like, you were wrong, you were so far behind everybody else's decision,” McAfee added.
“This is the same exact thing for James Maddison and Jacksonville State. We are in a much different time now than whenever this rule was put in. It's an archaic rule where you have to have two years of transition from FCS to FBS, formerly D1 AA to D1,” he added.
The NCAA has also denied similar waivers to Jacksonville State and Tarleton State, further irking Pat McAfee. James Madison University has performed brilliantly in the Sun Belt and would have been eligible for a postseason run if they had gotten the waiver.
James Madison University post-season waiver rejection and aftermath
The JMU Dukes are unbeaten in the Sun Belt Conference, winning against everybody by huge margins. But as they are transitioning out of the FCS, they won't be able to play in the SBC championship game this year. And with the postseason waiver rejection, their hopes of an FBS Bowl game have diminished too.
The Dukes might still be able to get a bowl game if there aren't enough teams with a .500 record at the end of the regular season to fill the 82 bowl-game spots for 41 ties. If not, their season ends with the game against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers in Week 13.
Should the 10-0 JMU have gotten the postseason waiver as Pat McAfee suggested, or is the NCAA right to deny it?