Division II moves to protect itself from potential flood of DI schools dropping down

[hebmskebm]

http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/ncaa-schools-looking-reclassify-division-ii-could-soon-see-new-membership-requirements

It looks as if DII is making plans to make sure that if a large number of schools currently in DI decide they can no longer compete at that level and choose to drop down, that they don't immediately overpower the schools currently in DII.

Thought experiment: If all current FCS schools were forced to either fund at FBS levels (without having to join FBS) or drop to DII (with the scholarship drop that would entail), how many would choose DII?

[taper]

Are they allowed to drop only football to D2 or the entire athletic program? I see more schools eliminating football to keep others in DI if not.

[hebmskebm]

Are they allowed to drop only football to D2 or the entire athletic program? I see more schools eliminating football to keep others in DI if not.

Entire athletic program.

[bonarae]

Is FCS or even FBS a dead end for many struggling football programs in D-I? Or just a roadblock? xsmhx

If a program with football plans to drop to D-II, it will affect the entire athletic program. So many athletic programs have a long-standing tradition in D-I and do not choose to back down from it if they put it in the context of lower divisions, hence they may have to end football to keep the other sports.

D-III? Not an option for many programs in D-I.

Just wondering: Why is NAIA not so attractive to schools anymore? Some programs are leaving that association to join NCAA D-II.

[DFW HOYA]

It looks as if DII is making plans to make sure that if a large number of schools currently in DI decide they can no longer compete at that level and choose to drop down, that they don't immediately overpower the schools currently in DII.


The article contradicts this. In fact, I can only think of three teams have dropped down in the past 40 years: Tampa (when it had I-A football), West Texas State, and Winston-Salem State.

To your question--how many schools are funding department at a major college level (ether >$30 million athletic budget, or among the top 100 in Division I)?

James Madison
Villanova
Georgetown
Pennsylvania
Yale
Delaware
Lehigh

[Hammerhead]

USA Today has a list of athletic department budgets at http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/schools/finances/. What's crazy that the biggest budget (Texas) is double that of the 30th highest. Then the budgets drop by about half again in the next 30 schools before they start leveling out.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

What specific schools, publicly or privately, have said anything about moving down to D-II?

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

What specific schools, publicly or privately, have said anything about moving down to D-II?

None yet but as I said last week, a lot of states would be wise to take a few notes from PA and NY when it came to funding their schools athletic departments. While schools like IUP, West Chester and Bloomsburg could be serious players in FCS, financially it makes more sense for them to remain at the D2 level.

[Pards Rule]

What specific schools, publicly or privately, have said anything about moving down to D-II?


15 years ago the Pards publicly revealed (during prime recruiting season) they were considering D3!

[catamount man]

FUND OR DIE! That is pretty much going to be ESPN and the P5 conferences message to all FCS teams. They will get their wish. It's not popular but if that happened, I would hope WCU drop down and keep all sports alive. The SAC would love to have us and travel costs would be nothing seeing as Mars Hill, Brevard and Tusculum are all within a two hour drive. I suspect Furman and Wofford would drop to a newly formed non-scholly league with Davidson, Jacksonville, etc.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Let's summarize:

* Big Sky, MVFC, Southland, CAA consider themselves FBS lite already and would never consider dropping.
* Ivy League/PL fund (in many cases) more sports than a significant number of FBS schools, they wouldn't drop down
* Any FB only A-10 or Big East school wouldn't dream of dropping to D-II, which covers many CAA, PFL, teams and the remainder of the PL. Same probably applies to the MAAC (Monmouth).
* OVC would never drop down because basketball. Same with SoCon, and most likely Big South, and most likely MEAC.

That leaves the NEC and the SWAC. I find it highly unlikely that either will want to forego NCAA Tournament money, and the NEC has had some tourney success in the past. That leaves the SWAC.

[skinny_uncle]

Some schools would drop football rather than reclassify so they could stay D1 for basketball.

[BucBisonAtLarge]

Some schools would drop football rather than reclassify so they could stay D1 for basketball.
Although Bucknell has obviously chosen scholarship football to this point, I can imagine seeing all of the scholarship dollars being allocated to other men's sports and otherwise reabsorbed by the University. There is a persistent low grumble from the other men's sports without scholarships. Women's programs, sitting pretty now, would take a hit if scholarship football would disappear.