As college football fans check schedules for the upcoming season, there will be head-scratching among those following programs in the Football Championship Subdivision, formerly Division I-AA.

Three of the seven FCS programs in Virginia (Richmond, Liberty and Norfolk State) play 12 games in 2008. The other four (William and Mary, James Madison, VMI and Hampton) play 11.

So what's up? In 2008, there are 13 Saturday playing dates that fall between the allowable NCAA kickoff time of Labor Day weekend and the NCAA close of regular-season business on Thanksgiving. Usually, there are 12.

With the extra available date, the NCAA permits FCS schools to play 12 games rather than maintaining the ordinary 11-game maximum. This was also the case in 2002 and 2003. After this year, 12-game schedules will again be allowed in 2013, 2014 and 2019.

Not all FCS programs want a dozen games, the norm in the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A). Here are the reasons state FCS programs scheduled as they did:

Ex-Spiders coach Dave Clawson, who became Tennessee's offensive coordinator after last season, had a strong influence on the formulation of the first 12-game schedule in Richmond history.

"I'm not saying it was exclusively Dave's decision, but we pretty much went along with what he wanted to do," said Jim Miller, Richmond's athletic director.

It was Clawson's viewpoint that, with 16 starters back from the 2007 team that shared the Colonial Athletic Association championship and made it to the FCS semifinals, 12 opportunities for wins beat 11 when the goal is reaching the 16-team FCS tournament (eight at-large bids).

"We weighed the pros and cons of playing 11 or 12 and I think it really came down in [Clawson's] mind to, when it's time to potentially get invited to the playoffs, 9-3 is better than 8-3," Miller said. "We just decided that in terms of trying to get into the playoffs, it would be better to play 12."

WILLIAM AND MARY (11)

In explaining his preference for 11 games, Tribe coach Jimmye Laycock cited "the student-athlete's well-being."

With the FCS ceiling of 63 scholarships, Laycock is concerned about injuries, depth, and the possibility of advancing in the playoffs and playing as many as 16 games (12 regular-season, four postseason).

Because of injuries that accumulate toward the end of a 12-game schedule, Laycock said he may be required to activate true freshmen he wanted to redshirt. He doesn't believe that's in their best interests, or in the best long-term interest of W&M's program.

"We play in what I think is the toughest league in our division in the country [the CAA], plus we want to give [W&M players] the experience of playing a I-A game," Laycock said. "Adding a game would just wear you down. It's a long season anyway."

Laycock, entering his 29th season at W&M, concedes that a 12th game may fortify the Tribe's chances of making the playoffs. But he also recognizes a 12th game could diminish the chances, depending on the outcome.

"I don't think I would look at it as saying 'Well, just schedule another game against somebody who's not very good and try to get another win,'" Laycock said. "I guess you could look at it and maybe try to do that, but that's not our thing.

"I'm fine with 11, and our administration feels the same way."

JAMES MADISON (11)

Dukes coach Mickey Matthews scheduled 12 games in 2002 and 2003, and likes the idea. For 2008, he originally had Liberty in Harrisonburg on Oct. 18, but that turned out to be part of Madison's fall break.

Matthews said because there would be virtually no students on campus for the Flames' visit, he decided to move the Liberty game to 2009, and play 11 in 2008. "If we had enough notice, I would have scheduled a 12th game, but it was too late to schedule a 12th game," Matthews said.

He doesn't worry much about the Dukes' 2008 playoff opportunity being diminished by an 11-game schedule. JMU faces FBS member Duke as well as Appalachian State, which has won three straight FCS titles since Madison beat Montana for the 2004 championship.

"I guess our nonconference schedule, it will be so hard this year, this particular year, strength of schedule certainly won't be a problem," Matthews said.

VMI (11)

The timing of a matriculation process for VMI freshmen affected the decision of Keydets Athletic Director Donny White to stick with 11 games. White didn't want to lose a bye weekend in the middle of the season. VMI's first-year players would have been required to miss at least two days of school indoctrination if the Keydets used the first allowable playing date, Aug. 30.

"We just didn't think that was a smart thing to do because of the structure of our school," White said.

HAMPTON (11)

After last season, former NFL cornerback Jerry Holmes replaced longtime Hampton coach Joe Taylor, who moved to Florida A&M. The schedule was already set for 11 games, Holmes said.

"I don't mind having 11 games, but I don't like having those two byes," he said.

According to Holmes, who was one of Taylor's assistants, Taylor was trying to get a 12th game but the dates with desired competition didn't match.

LIBERTY (12)

Coach Danny Rocco said "without sounding like a simpleton, one of the reasons [LU scheduled a 12th game] was because we could."

A 12-game schedule allows Liberty to play seven home games, which is very unusual in the FCS. Having that situation benefits Liberty three ways, in Rocco's view: financially (seven home gates), in exposure (seven opportunities for game coverage) and competitively (Liberty goes into 2008 with an eight-game winning streak at home).

"I think it's all part of us wanting to continue to build momentum for our program," Rocco said.

NORFOLK STATE (12)

Kentucky invited the Spartans to visit in what became the 12th game on NSU's schedule. That was an opportunity Athletic Director Marty Miller said he didn't want to skip because it translates into a six-figure windfall for Norfolk State.

The Spartans made $275,000 playing at Rutgers last season. That money went to the athletic department's general fund. It will help pay for football plane trips rather than bus trips to Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference games in Florida (Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman), as well as summer school for some of the football players.

Contact John O'Connor at (804) 649-6233 or joconnor@timesdispatch.com.

Staff writer John Packett contributed to this report.