Getting into a better conference?

[Dianwei32]

Is it even possible to get invited into a better conference in NCAA 11? I'm playing as Rice in my offline dynasty, and I'm entering the 2018 season. I've won the C-USA title 7 times in 8 seasons, gone 5-2 in Bowl games, and finished 5 seasons ranked in the Top 25. I've improved Rice from a 2* program up to a 6* program, just had the best recruiting class in the nation, and have just been dominating for the past 5 years, but I'm still stuck in C-USA.

I've tried scheduling opponents from a specific conference (spent 5 seasons playing only Big XII teams in my OoC games, went 11-1 in those games), and I've tried scheduling the top ranked teams (I've played teams all rated in the top 5 in preseason polls), but nothing. Over the 8 years, I've gone 76-20 and been offered jobs at the top schools (Texas, OU, Alabama, Ohio State). It's really frustrating to have an elite team stuck in a poor conference like C-USA and be shunned from getting into the BCS National Championship.

[AubOrange]

Re: Getting into a better conference?

So you haven't won the national title yet?

Maybe that's the last hurdle, and you have to have one before getting an invite. Although I couldn't tell you how you could get into the title game, if, as you say, you keep getting snubbed because of your conference.

That's tricky. That's weird that it would let you become a six star without winning the national championship, but won't let you get a conference invite without one.

Maybe towards the end of the season if you're #3 or something like that, you could take control of the teams playing against #1 and #2 and knock them off? That's about all I can think of.

[boritter]

Re: Getting into a better conference?

I don't have any advice regarding conference invites. (I'm still waiting on 1 in my dynasty).

But if you want to get into the title game you should schedule games against the top 2-3 ranked teams in the preseason polls. Also be sure to schedule games against any non-BCS teams who are ranked above you.

For example, Boise St and Utah are usually ranked ahead of my TeamBuilder MWC school so I schedule games with them. That way if I beat them I'm the top non-BCS team in the country.

[thedudedominick]

Re: Getting into a better conference?

After year 1 with FAU going 10-3, 7-1 in conference but finishing behind troy in conference. I get invited to replace Duke in the ACC. I'm declining as I just don't have the talent or prestige compete or recruit against these teams.

[qwikphaze01]

Re: Getting into a better conference?

i play as houston and i am in the same boat. i have scheduled the top teams in the nation which has been consistently sec teams. i destroyed those teams for 6 years playing most of my games away. i have 6 national titles, i have been in the top 5 in recruiting maybe 2. i rank as the 11 toughest places to play and still no invite. for some reason i'm starting to think that it is certain teams that are programmed only to get invites. after this season if i don't get an invite i will except another job offer in a better conference.

[tlef316]

Re: Getting into a better conference?

i went 8-5, 7-6 and 11-2 in 3 seasons with San Jose St. (all American with sliders, all American recruiting) and got an invite to the Pac-10 to replace Washington State.

I don't know what triggered it. The highest i finished was 22nd (obviously year 3).

I was helped tremendously by getting a transfer RB from Cal after season 1 (Isi Sofele). He went for 1500 yards in one year at SJSU and them jumped to the NFL. (despite me spending 2 hours of recruiting time trying to get him back).

Year 4 has started out well. I won against Fresno State and Miami of Ohio to start the year. Won at UCLA and home against Arizona. But last night i dropped 2 heartbreakers at Oregon State (had a hail mary at the end to win it and failed) and home against Cal (tackled at the 1 yard line Kevin Dyson style for the winning TD and then stuffed on the goal line on a sweep as time expired).

Still, 4-2 (2-2 vs the PAc 10) isn't bad considering i lost my stud RB and am starting a 3* frosh QB. The problem is i get #3 oregon this week and still have matchups with 3 other ranked Pac-10 teams upcoming. The conference is very good and I'm undermanned on the offensive side of the ball.

[pdaj]

Re: Getting into a better conference?

After year 1 with FAU going 10-3, 7-1 in conference but finishing behind troy in conference. I get invited to replace Duke in the ACC. I'm declining as I just don't have the talent or prestige compete or recruit against these teams.

IMO, I think you take an invite to a major conference ANY time it happens and worry about competing later (It may not come again!). The conference prestige boost alone should help you with recruiting, and a soft OOC schedule can save you early on as you get your self established. Show some balls and make the jump!

I won back-to-back NC with Wyoming and never got an invite in my 10 years there.

[johntom2000]

Re: Getting into a better conference?

IMO, I think you take an invite to a major conference ANY time it happens and worry about competing later (It may not come again!). The conference prestige boost alone should help you with recruiting, and a soft OOC schedule can save you early on as you get your self established. Show some balls and make the jump!

I won back-to-back NC with Wyoming and never got an invite in my 10 years there.

Ya what he said, SHOW SOME BALLS AND JUMP BOY!

[Dianwei32]

Re: Getting into a better conference?

I've gotten close to the title game a few times. One season (2015) I was ranked #2 for the last 5 weeks of the season, so I figured I was a lock for the title game, but after the Conference Championships I randomly dropped to #3 and Alabama (who I had beaten back in week 3) jumped ahead of me to play in the title game against Ohio State, while I got to play USC in the Rose Bowl. I won the Rose Bowl and finished the season ranked at #2, but it made me so angry that I got cheated out of a title game.

In my current season, I started the season ranked #19 (2nd time I've started ranked in the top 25, the other was 2016 I was #24), and scheduled my OoC games against #1 Alabama, #3 Penn State, #8 OU, and #9 Texas. Unfortunately, I've been neglecting my OL in my last few years of recruiting and now it's coming back to bite me. I just played week 1 vs. #9 Texas and my star HB couldn't get going because the entire UT DL got off of their blocks before I could even hand the ball off. I managed to pull out a win 24-22 by making a 34 yard FG as time expired.

As for getting to be a 6* school, you gain progam stars by completing your season goals, and all of my goals up until now have been things like "beat rival- HOU", "play in a bowl game", "win C-USA", and lots of other things that have been pretty easy to complete. However, this year I have "win a BCS title" as one of my goals, so it looks like it's now or never.

[Dianwei32]

Re: Getting into a better conference?

Ok, they now officially have no excuse for not inviting me into a better conference. I just took Rice to the BCS Championship and won it all. I played against Penn State and actually had a fairly easy game. The final score was 35-31, but they scored 21 points in the last quarter (6:00 quarters) to recover from a 35-10 deficit. After 9 seasons of struggling, building up a good team, and dominating C-USA, I finally managed to win the big game, and I'm still stuck in C-USA.

I have Rice up to a 6* program, and the next highest ranked programs are only 3*'s.

[Scur2D2]

Re: Getting into a better conference?

uh oh.. based on how this thread is going .. i may never get invited out of the sun belt conference with FIU..

[dmick4324]

Re: Getting into a better conference?

That's very strange to hear some guys aren't getting conference invites. In 3 out of 4 years with Arkansas State (Sun Belt) I got invited to a bigger conference. The SEC (declined twice in a row), didn't get an invite the next year but the year after that I got invited to the Big Ten and accepted. The highest I've ever finished was 15th in the country.

[JJT]

Re: Getting into a better conference?

teambuilder team, wanted to see what would happen....

98-0 2 national championships, won the wac or whatever every year, never have gotten an invite out.

[AubOrange]

Re: Getting into a better conference?

Ok, they now officially have no excuse for not inviting me into a better conference. I just took Rice to the BCS Championship and won it all. I played against Penn State and actually had a fairly easy game. The final score was 35-31, but they scored 21 points in the last quarter (6:00 quarters) to recover from a 35-10 deficit. After 9 seasons of struggling, building up a good team, and dominating C-USA, I finally managed to win the big game, and I'm still stuck in C-USA.

I have Rice up to a 6* program, and the next highest ranked programs are only 3*'s.

Are you by chance simulating any of the offseason or anything like that where the invite might happen?

[dshill]

Re: Getting into a better conference?

there's still a random aspect to conference invites -- you could be doing awesome and meet all the requirements for an invite to be possible, but there's no automatic guarantee that you'll get invited. If you really want the invite bad, save before the NC. Sim into the offseason. If you don't get the invite, reload. You should get an invite eventually, assuming you meet the requirements.