Interesting New York Post story about the infamous "College of Faith".

[Go...gate]

http://nypost.com/2015/11/29/the-shady-college-football-team-that-gets-paid-to-lose-games/

[DFW HOYA]

Quote:

"Thomas’s football teams — called, variously, the Mighty Believers, the Wildcats and the Saints and decked out in uniform colors ranging from lime green to maroon to tangerine orange — have scored just once in their 19 games against NCAA and NAIA opponents, most of them Division I or II schools, losing by a combined 1,159-6."

[BisonFan02]

Quote:

"Thomas’s football teams — called, variously, the Mighty Believers, the Wildcats and the Saints and decked out in uniform colors ranging from lime green to maroon to tangerine orange — have scored just once in their 19 games against NCAA and NAIA opponents, most of them Division I or II schools, losing by a combined 1,159-6."

Soooooooo......what's their attendance like? Are they Sunbelt ready? :D

[aceinthehole]

The whole thing is a sham - it is an athletic club, not an institute of higher education.


Despite tuition and fees ranging from $350 to $6,000, no student has earned a degree or a single transferrable credit. Even the online courses in “sports ministry” promised by Thomas, who has no formal theological education or seminary training and who once declared personal bankruptcy, never materialized.

The founder conceded at the end of 2012 that he hadn’t actually set up any Internet classes because some students didn’t have online accessibility, and not much has changed over the last three years. Instruction is limited to homework that Thomas hands out on the field.“I’ll give them some assignments before practice. If they don’t do it, they get an F. If they do it, they get a grade,” he said.

The one classroom space is an office of about 1,000 square feet that the college rents on the third floor of the Mid-Continent commercial building off Interstate 30 across from Memphis. The room, which last year was used sporadically for Bible and football instruction, sat empty this August, a layer of dust covering the floor and one small table. “I’ve never seen anyone go in there,” said the receptionist at Cereal Byproducts Co., which occupies the office next door.

None of the dozen players interviewed for this story cited the College of Faith’s curriculum. They said they gather occasionally for informal study groups, but no one recalled having sat for an exam. Some do attend classes — at other schools, mostly local junior colleges or vocational institutes. Carr says he took one class at Faith, a Bible study course that involved “minimal homework.” His education, he said, occurs at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College in Salisbury, North Carolina, where credits can be purchased by the hour.

He and others said they joined College of Faith for one reason only. They want to play football.

[mvemjsunpx]

This sounds like that King of the Hill episode where Peggy was labeled a "genius." xchinscratchx

[UNI Pike]

The entire thing is a scam, and someone is going to be permanently injured (if it already hasn't happened).

From my NSA monitored nexus 5

[bonarae]

As I have said before, it's much like a semipro team, but it doesn't even have the criteria to be one. What shall we call them?

Regulation is one thing the NCAA needs to strictly enforce on its own terms.

[hebmskebm]

I think 2015 will have been the high point for actual schools scheduling these...whatever they ares. The fact the games will no longer count and the bad publicity that has started to come for scheduling these games in the first place (thanks to articles like this one) will ward off most schools from scheduling these guys in the future.

[Sycamore62]

The entire thing is a scam, and someone is going to be permanently injured (if it already hasn't happened).

From my NSA monitored nexus 5

Guys are already getting permanently injured arent they?

[DFW HOYA]

I think 2015 will have been the high point for actual schools scheduling these...whatever they ares. The fact the games will no longer count and the bad publicity that has started to come for scheduling these games in the first place (thanks to articles like this one) will ward off most schools from scheduling these guys in the future.

The Faith schools have an loophole if they are organized enough to pursue it: join the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) where games against NCAA schools are sanctioned.

This year's NCCAA bowl winner: Southwestern Assemblies of God University (NAIA), which defeated a school called "University of Northwestern", a D-III school in Minnesota.

http://www.thenccaa.org/news/2015/11/21/FB_1121150409.aspx

[BEAR]

For a minute there I thought this article was about Arkansas State...xnodx

[F'N Hawks]

What's really funny is 5dimes was putting out lines for their games this year. xlolx Anywhere from 45 to 63 point dogs from what I remember and they never covered once.

[hebmskebm]

The Faith schools have an loophole if they are organized enough to pursue it: join the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) where games against NCAA schools are sanctioned.

This year's NCCAA bowl winner: Southwestern Assemblies of God University (NAIA), which defeated a school called "University of Northwestern", a D-III school in Minnesota.

http://www.thenccaa.org/news/2015/11/21/FB_1121150409.aspx

There's still a mountain of space between those kind of schools and what the CoF's are doing. Most of the NCCAA schools are legit, accredited institutions of higher learning (and hold dual affiliations with D2, D3, and NAIA). No way they would even accept them as members.

As a funny aside, the Northwestern in Minnesota is notable for being the only team in the modern era to play two football games in one day (winning both) back in 2005. xrotatehx

http://espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2185866

[Catsfan90]

There's still a mountain of space between those kind of schools and what the CoF's are doing. Most of the NCCAA schools are legit, accredited institutions of higher learning (and hold dual affiliations with D2, D3, and NAIA). No way they would even accept them as members.

As a funny aside, the Northwestern in Minnesota is notable for being the only team in the modern era to play two football games in one day (winning both) back in 2005. xrotatehx

http://espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2185866
Yah I was thinking that. One thing the article fails to discern is that these cof's are not legitimate bible colleges.

[dgtw]

The government needs to step in and shut these guys down.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Milktruck74]

There's still a mountain of space between those kind of schools and what the CoF's are doing. Most of the NCCAA schools are legit, accredited institutions of higher learning (and hold dual affiliations with D2, D3, and NAIA). No way they would even accept them as members.

As a funny aside, the Northwestern in Minnesota is notable for being the only team in the modern era to play two football games in one day (winning both) back in 2005. xrotatehx

http://espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2185866

I played 3 games in 8 days at prep school and it was ROUGH!!!!! I can't imagine what a body feels like after 2 in a day!!!!

[PAllen]

The government needs to step in and shut these guys down.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Why? So a bunch of guys want to get together and play football. They found a way to play against some low level (although not low enough apparently) college teams. The players are having fun. The colleges are getting what they want out of it. Why should the gov't. get involved at all.

[bonarae]

The government needs to step in and shut these guys down.

I agree.


Why? So a bunch of guys want to get together and play football. They found a way to play against some low level (although not low enough apparently) college teams. The players are having fun. The colleges are getting what they want out of it. Why should the gov't. get involved at all.

They are like fulfilling a Machiavellian-type approach with "college" football, going through the loophole. The NCAA is exerting too little of an effort to close it... xsmhx But, it looks more like a modern-day version of semi-pro football teams....

[Da Coach]

Valparaiso (PL) was listed as a team that played them lately. Their alumni must be proud.


Why? So a bunch of guys want to get together and play football. They found a way to play against some low level (although not low enough apparently) college teams. The players are having fun. The colleges are getting what they want out of it. Why should the gov't. get involved at all.

[DFW HOYA]

The NCAA is exerting too little of an effort to close it...

The NCAA cannot control college athletics, even if we sometimes think they do. That's why there's an NAIA, NCCAA, NJCAA, USCAA, and perhaps a P5 association at some point.

[UNIFanSince1983]

Before the NCAA everything was AAU. There will always be some other options for schools, and loopholes to go through.

[walliver]

The government needs to step in and shut these guys down.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Why should the government intervene? It's really just a bunch of guys who want to play football. They aren't harming the public. They aren't getting federal student loans.

The real offenders are the clowns at Davidson who scheduled them last year. For a school which brags about its academic prowess, the College of Faith should never have been on their radar, much less their schedule.

[BEAR]

Why should the government intervene? It's really just a bunch of guys who want to play football. They aren't harming the public. They aren't getting federal student loans.

The real offenders are the clowns at Davidson who scheduled them last year. For a school which brags about its academic prowess, the College of Faith should never have been on their radar, much less their schedule.

I'll add to that most likely if those kids weren't in club football that they would be on the streets. Isn't that the YMCA way? xthumbsupx

[blackbeard]

School administrators need to look inward at their own potential liability for scheduling a "school" like this. With what is known about the group, I think schools are accepting a fair about of liability scheduling such a "school". May find themselves paying for a lot more after someone gets injured.

[BisonFan02]

I've never understood the (in this case, nouveau riche) teams at the top of the division clamoring to eject teams from the subdivision. What does it matter to you what the PFL or Ivy League or SWAC or MEAC does? You still get to play for your JV championship, you still get to play a full MVFC slate, you still get to play home playoff games. If a team you are never going to play chooses not to play in the playoffs, what skin is it off your back? Or even if the team is in the playoffs (like the PFL champ), so what? Do you not get a championship trophy if Dayton is in the playoffs and North Dakota isn't?

Pulling this in from the Jacksonville U crossroads thread.....I guess we can add all of these Faith schools huh? Why should I care what the image of FCS football is when schools like Davidson play these guys? :D Not that a lot of the FCS has an image problem or anything... xthumbsupx

[hebmskebm]

I certainly have no problem with these guys organizing traveling football teams for kids who just want to play ball. What I have a problem with is 1) Actual schools scheduling these games against opponents that are dangerously ill-equipped to compete (figuratively and literally) and 2) The pretense of being actual educational institutions.

I'd prefer the gov't not have to get involved, but it needs to be made clear that these are not real colleges, and they should not be playing real colleges.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I mean, these guys even need to borrow pads and jerseys, according to the article.

What the NCAA could do, IMO, is set up certain min requirements to be considered official competition, for example, each team to provide a medically-trained professional to administer injury assessment and treatment. That alone would shut these turkeys down.

[BEAR]

I mean, these guys even need to borrow pads and jerseys, according to the article.

What the NCAA could do, IMO, is set up certain min requirements to be considered official competition, for example, each team to provide a medically-trained professional to administer injury assessment and treatment. That alone would shut these turkeys down.

Hey it wasn't a couple of decades ago that UCA was NAIA and fell into that category... I can imagine most small schools are that way at the lower levels of athletics. But I agree we shouldn't call them institutions of education rather athletics schools.

I actually remember UAPB coming to play baseball at UCA in the mid 90s and having on green shirts they had bought at walmart...none of them matched exactly and the team wore black sweat pants.

[aceinthehole]

I certainly have no problem with these guys organizing traveling football teams for kids who just want to play ball. What I have a problem with is 1) Actual schools scheduling these games against opponents that are dangerously ill-equipped to compete (figuratively and literally) and 2) The pretense of being actual educational institutions.

I'd prefer the gov't not have to get involved, but it needs to be made clear that these are not real colleges, and they should not be playing real colleges.

Agree 100%. This is an amateur club team, YMCA-like team. Good for getting these kids off the streets, no harm there.

But NCAA schools at any level can't schedule this team as a game - the NCAA has said these games don't count - but I would like to see an outright ban.

Second, stop calling it a college or university. It is a football club and any attempts to try to link this program with higher education is a fraud and the State education oversight boards need to step in and make that distinction clear to the kids - this is not a college.

[BEAR]

Sadly many for-profit online college and university classes won't transfer to brick and mortar colleges.

You oughta see the looks on kids faces when they show up with 60+ hours of online school courses and get shut out by them. Talk about defeated.

Plus the ones that show up with online high school diplomas.... never given a second look. Talk about worthless.

[BisonFan02]

http://espn.go.com/ncf/recap?id=332642449
http://espn.go.com/ncf/recap?id=322662449
http://espn.go.com/ncf/boxscore?id=400557462

and http://espn.go.com/college-football/game?gameId=400799043

and then this.... http://espn.go.com/ncf/boxscore?id=400559257

Some schools get to pretend they play DI football... ??

[PantherRob82]

I was involved with "semi-pro" football for 6 years. These guys would be considered a laughing stock even by that standard.

[Sycamore62]

I was involved with "semi-pro" football for 6 years. These guys would be considered a laughing stock even by that standard.

I had some friends (none played college football) that talked about playing semi-pro ball. After they explained it for a little while I kind of thought they meant "semi-amateur" ball

closer to travel ball that kids play.

[JayJ79]

School administrators need to look inward at their own potential liability for scheduling a "school" like this. With what is known about the group, I think schools are accepting a fair about of liability scheduling such a "school". May find themselves paying for a lot more after someone gets injured.

It would make sense for any game contracts for ANY contest (vs. legitimate collegiate athletic programs or not) to include clauses waiving liability of the host school for injuries sustained by the visiting team.

[PantherRob82]

I had some friends (none played college football) that talked about playing semi-pro ball. After they explained it for a little while I kind of thought they meant "semi-amateur" ball

closer to travel ball that kids play.

It varies from team to team and league to league. Lack of consistency doesn't help. I prefer the term adult amateur.

[JayJ79]

It varies from team to team and league to league. Lack of consistency doesn't help. I prefer the term adult amateur.

sounds like a phrase Cap'n Cat would use in a web search ;op

[Go Green]

I think most people object to the word "College" here. If they just called themselves the "Faith Club," there wouldn't be an outcry over scheduling.

Walter Reed Army Hospital in DC fields a football team that plays area colleges. Nobody objects, as far as I can tell.

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/2522/weekend-warriors/

[catamount man]

I'll put it to you this way. Brevard College in Brevard, NC is leaving Division II for Division III starting in 2017 because they cannot compete at the d2 level consistently. In 2014 and 2015, their record is 1-21. That ONE win was against Cof Faith, the CHARLOTTE, NC bunch. The score 66-0. The CofF players were wearing pants with the NC State logo on them, borrowed from the Wolfpack. Now that is sad. Just some perspective on how poorly contrived these "schools" are.

[bonarae]

I certainly have no problem with these guys organizing traveling football teams for kids who just want to play ball. What I have a problem with is 1) Actual schools scheduling these games against opponents that are dangerously ill-equipped to compete (figuratively and literally) and 2) The pretense of being actual educational institutions.

I'd prefer the gov't not have to get involved, but it needs to be made clear that these are not real colleges, and they should not be playing real colleges.

I agree with this sentiment.


Agree 100%. This is an amateur club team, YMCA-like team. Good for getting these kids off the streets, no harm there.

But NCAA schools at any level can't schedule this team as a game - the NCAA has said these games don't count - but I would like to see an outright ban.

Second, stop calling it a college or university. It is a football club and any attempts to try to link this program with higher education is a fraud and the State education oversight boards need to step in and make that distinction clear to the kids - this is not a college.

Yes, this madness needs to be stopped at all costs. But it is a matter of when...

[Bisonoline]

I was involved with "semi-pro" football for 6 years. These guys would be considered a laughing stock even by that standard.

Since over half of the team I played for in the Cental States Football League (semi-pro ball) back in the 70s had been cut by the NFL or WFL we would have killed those guys.

[Missingnumber7]

The Faith schools have an loophole if they are organized enough to pursue it: join the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) where games against NCAA schools are sanctioned.

This year's NCCAA bowl winner: Southwestern Assemblies of God University (NAIA), which defeated a school called "University of Northwestern", a D-III school in Minnesota.

http://www.thenccaa.org/news/2015/11/21/FB_1121150409.aspx

The University of Northwestern is a legit school. I played for their coach at the school he coached at prior to that. All in all most NCCAA members are NAIA or DIII members. There are a few that aren't, but it is getting fewer and further between. A few NDSU fans may know of Trinity Bible, a school who once lost to Rockford college 105 to 0. There are small schools like this all around the country that have other purposes than sports, but use sports as an opportunity to lure students. They are there to provide ministers and missionary's to their perspective religious sects. And are mostly legitimate schools and accredited, unlike Faith.

[dgtw]

Thanks to those who got my point about the government shutting them down. I have no problem if someone wants to start a club football team and travel around playing games and charge people whatever they want for participating. But to say this is a college is fraud if there is no teaching going on and they do not receive any credits worth anything at another school.

Yes, College of Faith sounds like a nice, Christian school. But if a potential employer has never heard of it and decides to Google it, he'll get a bunch of stories about a sham football team. That won't advance your application very far.