Parity in I-AA

[GeauxColonels]

OK, several of yesterday's games got me thinking hard about this:

It seems as though more parody has set in for I-AA football. Look at North Dakota State all over Georgia Southern....Coastal Carolina shocking Furman....South Dakota State taking a comanding lead in the SLC by beating their THIRD Southland opponent in as many weeks (2 on the road way down south in Louisiana)....Sam Houston State handily beating Northwestern State in Natchitoches....Stephen F. Austin getting their first win of the season over Texas State (defending SLC co-champs and 2005 I-AA semifinalist).

Look at Albany and Central Connecticut pulling off 2 big wins over auto-bid opponents in Delaware and Georgia Southern, respectively....the SWAC is WILD this year....even Southern Utah is playing good ball.

Here's the question: Are we seeing the beginning of MUCH more parity in I-AA WITHIN the autobid conferences as well as between the autobid conferences and the non-autobids?

[GeauxColonels]

Or not? :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:

[kats89]

Good question. I think the Southland has always had parity to an extent. Anyone can beat you and any time. As far as the rest of the country, I just think you are seeing some other programs get better and some of the top 25 mainstays are going through some rebuilding. I still think the I-AA powers are the same. My question is will New Hampshire get a dose of reality when Ball and Santos are gone? Tx State is with Nealy gone, E. Washington is with Meyer gone.

[89Hen]

Here's the question: Are we seeing the beginning of MUCH more parity in I-AA WITHIN the autobid conferences as well as between the autobid conferences and the non-autobids?
Some of the autobids have always had parity, some haven't. Montana has shared or won the Big Sky title I think 14 years running. The SoCon has been won by GSU, FU or ASU every year but one since Marshall left and most years they were 1, 2, 3. Both of those look like they'll hold true this year too. I don't see more parity in either of those conferences.

Similarly, there doesn't seem to be anyone ready to challenge Hampton in the MEAC.

The OVC is a little more interesting with the apparent turn-around of UT-Martin, but EIU and JSU are still right there, so even that's not a big change.

The A10 and Gateway have a little more parity, but there aren't really any shockers in either top halves of those conferences this year.

The Patriot is having easily their worst year in many, but it will probably still be Lehigh and Colgate battling for the title.

The Southland is a mess, but that too is normal.

All in all, I don't see any parity change within the autobid conferences.

As for between autobid and non-auto... I think the only real change this year is the NEC. We knew that the GWFC had some very good teams since they formed. This could be just an odd year or cycle or it could be that teams like Albany, CCSU and Stony are improving. I think it is the latter.

[NSUDemon98]

OK, several of yesterday's games got me thinking hard about this:

It seems as though more parody has set in for I-AA football. Look at North Dakota State all over Georgia Southern....Coastal Carolina shocking Furman....South Dakota State taking a comanding lead in the SLC by beating their THIRD Southland opponent in as many weeks (2 on the road way down south in Louisiana)....Sam Houston State handily beating Northwestern State in Natchitoches....Stephen F. Austin getting their first win of the season over Texas State (defending SLC co-champs and 2005 I-AA semifinalist).

Look at Albany and Central Connecticut pulling off 2 big wins over auto-bid opponents in Delaware and Georgia Southern, respectively....the SWAC is WILD this year....even Southern Utah is playing good ball.

Here's the question: Are we seeing the beginning of MUCH more parity in I-AA WITHIN the autobid conferences as well as between the autobid conferences and the non-autobids?

SHSU didn't handily beat NSU.