Editorial on Xavier Getting Football

[TexasTerror]

Xavier would be a nice non-scholarship entry into the world of I-AA. It'd be consistent with some of the mid-major BKB powers that have a non-scholarship football entry (Dayton, Valpo, etc).
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As a kid growing up in Price Hill on Cincinnati's West Side, I was a member of the Musketeer Club. Five bucks got me a season pass and the honor of watching Xavier beat Dayton once upon a time, with 12 Musketeers on the field.

I remember two great coaches, the Flyers' John McVey and the Muskies' Ed Biles, going to battle. And who can forget those Saturday night games against the Quantico Marines?

Now that was fun. And the names — wide receiver Danny Abramowicz, tailback Billy Waller, right guard John Shinners, quarterbacks Carroll Williams and Jerry Buckmaster, and offensive tackle Ken Blackwell (the Republican gubernatorial nominee) — will always be magic to me.

I envision the day when Xavier resurrects football as an NCAA Division I-AA nonscholarship sport.

It doesn't cost a dime to dream.

http://www.daytondailynews.com/sports/content/sports/daily/0612audible.html

[Paladin1aa]

Xavier grad ( Masters) here. Ain't going to happen. Priests are dead set against it and money is tight there. Besides , the article sites small NAIA or D-III programs in Ohio and misses the expense of running a I-AA program. I-A Cincy is in town and I-A Ohio St just an hour and a half away. Eight I-A FB programs and a true I-AA ( YSU) compete in Ohio now and the state is a hot bed for major college recruiting by all the I-A conferences.

Pipe dream.

[EKU05]

I don't think it will happen either, but it is non-scholarship football he's talking about. My guess would be that most 1AA non-scholarship programs do, in fact, spend more on part with D3/NAIA than they do with 1AA scholarship teams. Afterall, most of them (e.g. Dayton) used to play football at the D3 level when that was still allowed by NCAA rules.

I agree that it won't happen, but I think it's more feasible than meets the eye. The biggest question might be in terms of where they would play.

[DetroitFlyer]

One more time, Dayton is I-AA period!
http://ope.ed.gov/athletics/InstDetail.asp?CRITERIA=3

According to the information found in the above link, Dayton spent $940,461 on football, while Division III "superpower" Mount Union spent $359,010. After 13 seasons with number 14 coming up, it is well past time to stop confusing the Daytons of I-AA with Division III. It is also time to get past the "non-scholarship" nonsense as to why the Daytons of I-AA are somehow not worthy.... The last I checked, the NCAA does not specifiy a minimum amount of spending to be in I-AA. Schools like Dayton do play "cost containment" football, but so does all of I-AA otherwise the division would not exist, all teams would be I-A! Dayton is not a Division III program in any way, and I am fed up with the "stuff" casually thrown out all the time alleging otherwise.... As far as Xavier, they would have to raise a bunch of money to join I-AA. I would like to see it as Dayton has an all time losing record to Xavier in football.... I want to get even and then pull ahead.

[DUPFLFan]

Go get'em Detroit...

[Maroons]

Thanks for clearing that up.

I'd like to see Xavier return to football and I'm not convinced that it is such an impossibility. They run a first-class basketball program and I find it hard to believe that can't capitalize on that interest.

I'd like to see Northern Kentucky University go Division 1 and do the same thing. The high school football played in greater Cincinnati is of pretty high quality and I think these schools could do fine feeding off that talent pool.

[midwestgold]

I played with all the gentleman in the article.(1967-1971)Bo Schembechler was at Miami of Ohio,Don Nehlen was at Bowling Green,Homer Rice was at Cincinnati,Lou Holtz was at William and Mary.Eddie Biles left after my Soph year to go to the Saints along with John Shinners(1st round draft pick)Greg Cook/Jim O'Brien were top passing combo in nation(Cincinnati)Don Nottingham was running back at kent State,Mike Siani,wide receiver at Villanova(all pro with the Raiders)Bob Babich was an all american linebacker at Miami.Toledo had the longest winning streak in college football at that time.Ohio U. had one of the top passing combos in the country(Cleve Bryant/Todd Snyder)Marshall played us at our place and there was a huge brawl(they all perished in that horrible crash 2 weeks later)Just a few factoids for anybody or everybody out there

[Paladin1aa]

To complete the Priests arguement, facilities are lacking and would be expensive, Title IX would have to be addressed and then the aid packages would be extra. Coaching salaries, equipment and travel expenses,etc,etc,etc.

X at one time was a I-A program and lost their butt financially. There are some hard core alumni that want FB back and it has been discussed for years. Every time, the Priests pull out the balance sheets and everyone shuts up.

Nice dream, but just that !!

[EKU05]

I was using Dayton as an example of a school that ONCE UPON A TIME played D3 football. Clearly they are one of (if not the) best of the non-scholarship programs. I'd be willing to bet NEC/MAAC schools, and probably other pioneer schools, don't spend nearly that amount on football. No one was implying that Dayton is not currently 1AA...don't read what isn't there.

[midwestgold]

to add to that,Dayton was a division 1 program alot longer than it was a D-3 program.And it is a legitimate 1AA program,whether you want to use the symantics of non-scholarship or not.I was told this year's recruiting class was the best they have had since Coach Kelly has been a coach there.There is much parity in college football today.If you throw out the first 40 to 50 top D-1 programs,from that point all the D-1 and D-1AA have some very good athletes,some very good football players.ALL the D-1AA rosters are filled with tweeners that did not quite fit the "profile"that many D-1 programs were looking for.The difference between the elite and the rest has always been and always will be depth.The first strings are solid,but if there are injuries to any of the starters,the second stringers are just that.At the top programs,the 3rd stringers are just about as good as the starters,that is not true at the lesser programs.