The Cult of I-AA: We're Stuck Here Now, My Flock

[CSN-info]

The Cult of I-AA: We're Stuck Here Now, My Flock
By Scott Garner
As sports fans grow more sick and tired of the antiquated Bowl system, I-AA would be improving by leaps and bounds over the four-year period. ...
http://instituteofhigherthinking.blogspot.com/2007/08/cult-of-i-aa-were-stuck-here-now-my.html

[Retro]

It's FCS! xnonox

[Col Hogan]

I read this when it was first posted...and walked away...

I just re-read it, and you know, this guy makes sence (and he's a GSU grad???) :D :p

I think his ideas and thoughts about the playoffs being moved makes sense...and I am tired of explaining FCS to folks who clearly know what I-AA is...but give me the deer-in-the-headlights look as I try to explain the difference between FCS and FBS...

[bobbythekidd]

I just re-read it, and you know, this guy makes sence (and he's a GSU grad???)
xmadx

:p

[Tod]

Are there three HBCU conferences in FCS, or does this guy not know that the MEAC participates in the playoffs?

Very interesting read, though. xeyebrowx

[kardplayer]

Are there three HBCU conferences in FCS, or does this guy not know that the MEAC participates in the playoffs?

Very interesting read, though. xeyebrowx

I had to re-read this a few times, but I think he meant both conferences the 1 HBCU and the 1 Ivy league. If he had said "both the Ivy League and the HBCU" it would have been clearer...

Or... he meant it would be nice if a MEAC school would win a playoff game, but I think he meant the former ;)

[OL FU]

If the current I-AAs want to make any progress, the subdivision has to hope for scenario two above and three things have got to happen or be in the process of happening by 2011:


(1) The new scholarship maximum for I-AA football must increase to 75.


(2) The I-AA championship game must move to Dec. 30 and the field must include the champions of both HBCU conferences currently not involved in the post season and the Ivy League.


(3) A minimum of 60 scholarships or equivalent grants-in-aid must be issued by any school participating in the I-AA playoffs.

At the risk of calling down the wrath of the I-A wannabe gods and assuming that at some point the moratorium will end (unlike Scott's opinion, I don't know if it will or won't) and the Division will be whatever the BSC decides they will be:

1 & 3) Why? Obviously putting more scholarships on the table will improve the depth and therefore the caliber of football in the division. There is no argument there. More than anything it would help to equalize I-AA with the lower level I-A schools. But I thought the purposes of I-AA football was cost containment while remaining division I. If cost containment was not a goal of a certain school then sorry but you should have moved up a long time ago. ( Ok not all schools - some are new to the possibility of moving up). Also, raising the max and putting a floor on the bottom will eventually shrink the division. That may be fine with some (and I am sure it is) but I don't see the purpose unless you are really interested in creating a third level of Division one football.

2) Adding the SWAC and the Ivies is a great idea. My guess is that the SWAC would participate if the playoffs move to a different date. ( I will not address the issue of how that might impact the desire for others schools to participate or even if other schools ( like mine) would support it). But the Ivies are going to participate when the Ivies decide to participate and I don't think moving the playoffs back is going to change that nor do I think changing the number of grants or scholarships is going to change that.

Isn't the real issue that there may be a handful of schools that want to move to I-A eventually. It seems to me that Scott (who is writing from a GSU perspective) wants to change the I-AA division to make it more I-Aish for those handful of schools.

I may have missed the point but I don't think so.

[carney2]

This guy makes some sense, but I gotta ask

is he off his meds?

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Am I the only one that remembers that Mr. Garner not only was a former I-AA.org columnist, but one of his diary pieces was the inspiration for my "FCS Diaries"?

Interesting piece. Though he makes me look concise by comparison :p

[Saint3333]

At the risk of calling down the wrath of the I-A wannabe gods and assuming that at some point the moratorium will end (unlike Scott's opinion, I don't know if it will or won't) and the Division will be whatever the BSC decides they will be:

1 & 3) Why? Obviously putting more scholarships on the table will improve the depth and therefore the caliber of football in the division. There is no argument there. More than anything it would help to equalize I-AA with the lower level I-A schools. But I thought the purposes of I-AA football was cost containment while remaining division I. If cost containment was not a goal of a certain school then sorry but you should have moved up a long time ago. ( Ok not all schools - some are new to the possibility of moving up). Also, raising the max and putting a floor on the bottom will eventually shrink the division. That may be fine with some (and I am sure it is) but I don't see the purpose unless you are really interested in creating a third level of Division one football.

2) Adding the SWAC and the Ivies is a great idea. My guess is that the SWAC would participate if the playoffs move to a different date. ( I will not address the issue of how that might impact the desire for others schools to participate or even if other schools ( like mine) would support it). But the Ivies are going to participate when the Ivies decide to participate and I don't think moving the playoffs back is going to change that nor do I think changing the number of grants or scholarships is going to change that.

Isn't the real issue that there may be a handful of schools that want to move to I-A eventually. It seems to me that Scott (who is writing from a GSU perspective) wants to change the I-AA division to make it more I-Aish for those handful of schools.

I may have missed the point but I don't think so.

I totally agree with the minimum number of scholarships for FCS football, lumping non-scholly programs with the SoCon, CAA, etc. schools waters down the division. I also think that playoffs teams should be allowed to carry 63 players to the playoff games.

[R.A.]

I had to re-read this a few times, but I think he meant both conferences the 1 HBCU and the 1 Ivy league. If he had said "both the Ivy League and the HBCU" it would have been clearer...

Or... he meant it would be nice if a MEAC school would win a playoff game, but I think he meant the former ;)

Funny.xmadx

[R.A.]

Having read Lainer's piece, allow me to say this.

HBCU Football, has always known... that the FCS needs us more than we need it. The SWAC has shown the FCS this.

So, it would have been great if the FCS was more inclusive to its HBCU Conferences, and made a way for HBCUs to play traditionally rich games such as the Bayou Classic and the Turkey Day Classic, while still allowing us to compete for a National Title... but that wasn't the case. The FCS wouldnt allow that.

You look at Grambling... Grambling's an Icon. What do they need with the FCS??? As if Grambling would somehow fall into obscurity if they didn't compete for a NCAA National Title... HBCUs made our football names during a time when we weren't allowed to compete for a National Title with the rest, so it's not like we need to play with everyone else... we're used to not being able to anyway.

We have and will continue to surpass regardless.

So, now seeing such articles like this one which suggest that the best way for the FCS to continue to compete in the future with the FBS, is to find means to accommodate the tradition rich SWAC... is comical.

People, the FCS has had 40 plus years to be inclusive to us. But only now when threatened financially by the FBS do articles pop up like this. HA!

-This "Pause" on moving up, does not bother us. We still have our big classic, all of our institutions that are capable of moving up divisions are already in the process of doing so, and the others that want to move up will be more than prepared to do so, no matter what rules or when this "Pause" is lifted.

Heck, some of the FCS schools still won't even play our schools on a regular basis... I found it quite funny that some upstart programs seem to have little trouble with out of conference regional scheduling while some MEAC schools have to go down south and to the midwest to find teams to play us... when the one right in their states won't.

--One thing you can count on, with the SWAC especially, money rules the day. If the FCS can't provide enough evidence that competing in the playoffs is more financially viable then the 30,000plus and growing SWAC Championship game... no way they give that up for the FCS Playoffs. They have everything they need without the Playoffs... Tradition, history, exposure, BCF National Title potential, etc...

Black College Football doesn't need the FCS.

If you want a perfect example... just look at what Tavarius Jackson embodies. He never played in the NCAA Playoffs... but he did play in the Turkey Dya Classic and in the SWAC Championship game. And he does have a BCF National Title... now look at him. Starting for the Vikings at Quarterback... go figure.

[TexasTerror]

I totally agree with the minimum number of scholarships for FCS football, lumping non-scholly programs with the SoCon, CAA, etc. schools waters down the division. I also think that playoffs teams should be allowed to carry 63 players to the playoff games.

I agree about the non-scholarships. It really changes things because there's schools that will play these non-schollies to get to those seven Division I wins and those schools are the equivalent, if not lower competition quality than Div III and NAIA in some cases.

Yes, there are Div I full-scholarship FCS schools that fall victim to sub-Div I squads, but I do not think these non-scholarships do any good for Div I football. The reasoning behind them being at our level makes sense, but it still is an issue that needs addressing...

[DFW HOYA]

I totally agree with the minimum number of scholarships for FCS football, lumping non-scholly programs with the SoCon, CAA, etc. schools waters down the division. I also think that playoffs teams should be allowed to carry 63 players to the playoff games.

The Ivy League isn't going away, and they're not adding 63 scholarships. What then?

[OL FU]

If the division goes to 75 scholarshps with a minimum of 60 FCS should go away. You are ten below the I-A so you might as well join I-A (The cost containment factor is over) . Just have the lower tier I-A teams play in a playoff.

If there is a need for a mininum it isn't 60. Three below the max that many schools struggle with now. I don't think Wofford gives 60 sholarships. Furman gives the 63 and while I am sure FU could afford it, I really don't think we would be that interested in stepping up to 75.

In my opinion it goes back to what I said before, If you agree with the minimum 60 and max 75, then you have redefined the purpose of I-AA and your school should have made the jump to I-A along time ago.

[eagle_GT]

I think that a reasonable minimum for scholarships would be around 36, because 36 is the maximum for Division II.

[OL FU]

I think that a reasonable minimum for scholarships would be around 36, because 36 is the maximum for Division II.


That would be much better than 60xnodx

[HIU 93]

I had to re-read this a few times, but I think he meant both conferences the 1 HBCU and the 1 Ivy league. If he had said "both the Ivy League and the HBCU" it would have been clearer...

Or... he meant it would be nice if a MEAC school would win a playoff game, but I think he meant the former ;)

You mean like when FAMU won the firs I-AA National Championship in 1978?

[UAalum72]

You mean like when FAMU won the firs I-AA National Championship in 1978?
He probably means since today's seniors were out of junior high.

[HIU 93]

He probably means since today's seniors were out of junior high.

Today's seniors would have been in junior high (called middle school in most of the country) in 1999, when the MEAC sent two schools to the playoffs, NC A&T and FAMU, and one team to the semifinals (FAMU).

I'm sure you still want to bring up some more negatives about the MEAC. Understand this though, I am a fifth generation Hamptonian who takes pleasure in knowing my school and OUR schools, so you might want to do some research before you attempt to make some more invalid points. Mmmkay? xsmiley_wix

[UAalum72]

Today's seniors would have been in junior high (called middle school in most of the country) in 1999, when the MEAC sent two schools to the playoffs, NC A&T and FAMU, and one team to the semifinals (FAMU).
A senior in 2007 (if he hasn't redshirted) would have been in the eighth grade in the fall of 1999 - not out of junior high (grades 7-9) or middle school (6-8). Mmmmkay?

[BestOfBreed]

It's good to have the "Cult" back!

[AppMan]

If the division goes to 75 scholarshps with a minimum of 60 FCS should go away. You are ten below the I-A so you might as well join I-A (The cost containment factor is over) .

In my opinion it goes back to what I said before, If you agree with the minimum 60 and max 75, then you have redefined the purpose of I-AA and your school should have made the jump to I-A along time ago.

Assuming you actually bought the "cost containment" spin in the first place.

[HIU 93]

A senior in 2007 (if he hasn't redshirted) would have been in the eighth grade in the fall of 1999 - not out of junior high (grades 7-9) or middle school (6-8). Mmmmkay?

Thank you for remaking my point. Oh yeah, I spent several years in public education, including a couple in administration. My father is also a retired junior high and middle school prinicpal. I think I know what grade levels are what.

[UAalum72]

Thank you for remaking my point. Oh yeah, I spent several years in public education, including a couple in administration. My father is also a retired junior high and middle school prinicpal. I think I know what grade levels are what.
Thanks for ignoring the point - the MEAC hasn't won a playoff game in a LONG time. In fact no MEAC team has ever won more than two games in an NCAA Division I playoff - FAMU's championship was a two-game, four-team playoff.

Try refuting a fact instead of trying to imply I don't know them - you brought up the difference between middle and Junior high school, and it's still true that current seniors were still there the last time the MEAC won a playoff game.