Campus Commuter

   Wofford is a victim of the sagging economy.
   That’s all I can figure.
   The Terriers were dogged again by the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision selection committee, which paired them up in the first round with James Madison, the No. 1 team in the country. Getting dogged has become almost an annual event for the Terriers. They were left out in 2002 with a 9-3 record and a loss to Maryland. They were shipped off to No. 2 Montana last year after winning the Southern Conference.
   At 9-2 this year with losses to South Carolina and Appalachian State, you’d think Wofford would get a better matchup or even a home game. Like everybody else, I just shook my head in disbelief.
   But this time, I really want to believe, it was not because the selection committee disrespected Wofford. This time, I really want to believe, it was due to regionalization.
   The problem is not that the Terriers were seeded last out of 16 teams. The problem is that they weren’t seeded. The committee seeds only four teams and everybody else is basically thrown into a hat. From there, teams are paired up regionally as much as possible (for fans’ convenience and to make money while saving on the NCAA's travel expenses). This year, the committee stretched the radius from 300 miles to 400 miles.
   That was enough to pair Spartanburg with Harrisonburg, Va.
   Bids from the schools and attendance records are also considered by the committee. My understanding is that Wofford poured most of its bid money into a possible second round like last year when the Terriers played host to Richmond. Gibbs Stadium attendance figures aren’t going to blow anybody away, either – especially considering there is a game Saturday between South Carolina and Clemson.
   South Carolina State would have been a good fit, but the Bulldogs were the obvious connection for No. 2 seed Appalachian State, falling inside the mileage meter. Wofford and ASU couldn’t be paired up because they are from the same conference. There are five teams from Colonial Athletic Association, so that took away some potential partners with JMU.
   The thing that really sealed Wofford’s unfortunate fate was the 26-3 loss by Elon in its final game against Liberty. If the Phoenix had won that game, they would have made the playoffs and been sent to James Madison. Liberty, meanwhile, from the Big South, was left out despite a 10-2 record (two Division II wins) or that would have been JMU’s opponent. Maine, at 8-4, apparently took the final position.
   So instead of facing the top overall seed, the Terriers might have taken Maine’s place and traveled by trains, planes and automobiles on Thanksgiving to third overall seed Northern Iowa.
   Is that much better?
   If the Terriers’ goal was to win a playoff game, they would be more upset. But their goal is to win the whole thing, so it really doesn’t appear to matter to them.
   And, sure, the FCS playoff system is far from perfect.
   At least it’s not the bowl system.