What's Next For Division I?

[CSN-info]

What's Next For Division I?
Inside Higher Ed - Washington,DC,USA
... Selig, of Western Kentucky, said there “probably are too many teams” in Division I. He wants the NCAA to focus on setting minimum standards for areas such as financial scholarships, number of programs fielded and overall operating budget.
“Let’s make sure people are competing on an equitable basis,” he said. “In some cases, you have institutions with a shell of an athletics department who are competing at a higher level in men’s basketball. That, to me, isn’t what D-I athletics is about.” ...
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2007/08/15/ncaa

[Mr. C]

Funny that someone from Western Kentucky would be complaining about TOO MANY teams in Division I, right after they make the move from FCS to FBS. Interesting too that Wood Selig sites the problems with men's basketball. We have always known where his concerns lie.

[bandit]

I can't imagine why anyone in the BCS conferences would care about teams making the transition from D2 to D1.

After all, its not like they are taking NCAA tourney spots. There are no new leagues being created, no new auto-bids to sap away spots by the high-majors.

Why should the Big East care if the Atlantic Sun is 8 teams, 10 teams, 12 or 14? Why should the Pac-10 care about what's going on in the Big West?

These leagues are going to get 1 auto-bid regardless. Another 20 teams coming into the low-major ranks isn't going to change that. Even if a new league was created tomorrow because of the influx, it would be a number of years before the NCAA would award an auto-bid to the tournament.

Likewise, more FCS football programs would not seem to have any impact on the BCS leagues in FBS.

I'm surprised to hear WKU's stance on this. I wonder if the Sun Belt as a conference agrees. They are one ripple away in conference realignment from being short a couple schools, and if they don't have the ability to bring in replacements from FCS it could impact their viability as a conference.

One interesting note from the article: it states that the NCAA anticipated a great deal of additional movement beyond the 20 already in process. I wonder, other than W. Georgia who was mentioned in the article, what other schools are putting themselves in position to make a move?

[bluehenbillk]

One interesting note from the article: it states that the NCAA anticipated a great deal of additional movement beyond the 20 already in process. I wonder, other than W. Georgia who was mentioned in the article, what other schools are putting themselves in position to make a move?

Here they are:

*Exploratory year: University of New Haven (Conn.), Houston Baptist, Bryant University (R.I.), South Dakota, North Dakota, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, and Seattle.

Year One: Florida Gulf Coast, North Carolina Central, Presbyterian, South Carolina Upstate.

Year Two: Cal State-Bakersfield, Central Arkansas, Winston-Salem State.

Year Three: Kenesaw State, New Jersey Institute of Technology, North Florida.

Year Four: North Dakota State, South Dakota State.

Year Five: Longwood, California-Davis, Northern Colorado.

[bandit]

Here they are:

*Exploratory year: University of New Haven (Conn.), Houston Baptist, Bryant University (R.I.), South Dakota, North Dakota, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, and Seattle.

Year One: Florida Gulf Coast, North Carolina Central, Presbyterian, South Carolina Upstate.

Year Two: Cal State-Bakersfield, Central Arkansas, Winston-Salem State.

Year Three: Kenesaw State, New Jersey Institute of Technology, North Florida.

Year Four: North Dakota State, South Dakota State.

Year Five: Longwood, California-Davis, Northern Colorado.

Yeah, the article mentions 20 already in the pipeline, but I read the article to say that the NCAA anticipates more movement beyond those that are already in the process, and that was the reason for the moratorium. I was just wondering what additional schools - beyond those already on the move - were pondering joining them prior to the moratorium being put in place.

It's possible I read the article incorrectly, but it seems like the NCAA was bracing for additional movement.

[Fresno St. Alum]

Others

Oklahoma City
W.Georgia
Tarleton St.
Wayne St.(MI)
N.Kentucky
Bellarmine
S.Indiana

those are the other rumors

[furman94]

Ist Campbell College coming to D1 in 08?

[bkrownd]

If we just went back to real 1-platoon football and cut back to 35 scholarships we could do away with this division bullpuckey. Oh wait, I forgot how it's all about the $$$ money now....silly me...

[Fresno St. Alum]

Ist Campbell College coming to D1 in 08?

Campbell University is starting football in 08 but they have been D-I for a while. They are in the A-Sun for all sports except football.

[walliver]

Maybe there should just be one division.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I have to say, I see some awfully interesting stuff in this article.


But Selig, of Western Kentucky, said there “probably are too many teams” in Division I. He wants the NCAA to focus on setting minimum standards for areas such as financial scholarships, number of programs fielded and overall operating budget.

“Let’s make sure people are competing on an equitable basis,” he said. “In some cases, you have institutions with a shell of an athletics department who are competing at a higher level in men’s basketball. That, to me, isn’t what D-I athletics is about.”

To me this means:
* he doesn't want non-scholarship programs in D-I
* he doesn't want Gonzaga/G'Town type schools that fund basically only basketball
* he wants schools that have robust non-revenue programs.

He doesn't know it, but he *could* be talking about privates vs. publics... I mean, all the "low-funding" schools are probably high-cost privates.

But where this is interesting. The Daytons, the Drakes, that want cost-containment football - will they be forced to have what he's saying? Minimum spending/scholarships for ALL sports (like football)? Will cost-containment even still be allowed?

This only isn't a new AD that wants to ingratiate himself to his new conference. NCAA people are also talking about this:


S. David Berst, a longtime NCAA staff member who is closely involved in Division I issues, said that while he hasn’t heard any talk of reclassifying current members out of Division I, “everything will be on the table” during discussions, including whether there are too many teams and whether standards should be increased. When considering new members, the NCAA takes into account, among other things, a college’s ability to support an entire athletics program (including the so called “non-revenue” sports), field a full slate of teams and run what it deems a functional academic support program, Berst said.

This has huge consequences. What does the A-10 do? What happens to the Big East? Are those FCS football teams going to be forced to pick "FBS, switch conferences or D-II"? Does a school like Georgetown or Villanova choose to "downsize" to (say) the Patriot League? What about affiliates in FBS/FCS football?

Although it says the main thrust is men's b-ball, I think it could have HUGE ramifications for Division I football.

[DFW HOYA]

To me this means:
* he doesn't want non-scholarship programs in D-I
* he doesn't want Gonzaga/G'Town type schools that fund basically only basketball
* he wants schools that have robust non-revenue programs.


A phrase like "Georgetown-type schools that fund basically only basketball" is a misnomer at best. That's certainly not Georgetown--and about the only thing Georgetown and Gonzaga share in this discussion is their place in alphabetical order.

Georgetown's athletic budget is 81st of 331 Division I schools ($23.6 milion), placing it between #80 UNLV and #82 Hawaii. While it is certainly underfunded in football, note well that Georgetown sponsors more sports (27) than any other Big East school, and thus spreads out its non-basketball spending ($19 million) across a much wider array of sports. In fact, Georgetown has the largest overall athletic budget of any I-AA/FCS school.

Gonzaga's athletic budget is 217st of 331 Division I schools ($8.8 milion), placing it between #216 LaSalle and #218 Siena. It sponsors just 16 sports, two over the NCAA minimum, and scored in just one sport (basketball) in the NACDA Cup standings, tied for 213th.

http://www.midmajority.com/info.php?a=schools-budget