The CSN Way: Four-Year Itch

[CSN-info]

The CSN Way: Four-Year Itch
Charles Burton and Ralph Wallace, CSN Columnists
http://www.collegesportingnews.com/article.asp?articleid=86888

It was a short announcement from the NCAA on August 9th, but a very important one. The brief press release stated: “The Division I Board of Directors has enacted a four-year moratorium on permitting institutions to begin the process of joining the division – an action that among other things will prevent a school from moving from another division into Division I or moving between its subdivisions until August 2011.” Since then, about the only thing people can agree on is that it was important.

READ MORE...
http://www.collegesportingnews.com/article.asp?articleid=86888

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Along with the moratorium, here's the other new proposals mentioned in the article. It spells out strict new standards for membership in FCS...

https://web1.ncaa.org/LSDBi/exec/PDF/propRpt?propRptSubmit=Generate%20POPL&division=1&conventionYear=2008


No. 2007-101
DIVISION MEMBERSHIP — DIVISION I REQUIREMENTS — FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SUBDIVISION REQUIREMENTS — ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL AID REQUIREMENTS

Intent: To specify that an institution classified in NCAA Football Championship Subdivision shall meet the following additional financial aid requirements: (a) Provide an average of at least 50 football grants-in-aid per year over a rolling two-year period; or (b) For an institution that does not award athletics grants-in-aid in football, annually expend a minimum of $1,500,000 in institutional financial aid to football student-athletes that would have been countable if provided to a counter.

Bylaws: Amend 20.9.8, as follows:
[Federated provision, FCS only.]

EXISTING:
20.9.8 Football Championship Subdivision Requirements. An institution classified as a football championship subdivision member shall meet the additional requirements listed below.
[20.9.8.1 through 20.9.8.2 unchanged.]

NEW ADDITION:
20.9.8.3 Additional Financial Aid Requirements. The institution shall satisfy the following additional financial aid requirements:
(a) Provide an average of at least 50 football grants-in-aid (equivalencies) per year over a rolling two-year period; or
(b) For an institution that does not award athletics grants-in-aid in football, annually expend a minimum of $1,500,000 in institutional financial aid to football student-athletes that would have been countable if provided to a counter.

Source: Ohio Valley Conference.
Effective Date: August 01, 2008
Category: Amendment
Topical Area: Division Membership

Rationale: Current legislation governing membership in the NCAA Division I Football Championship does not require conferences to demonstrate a common commitment to their football studentathletes in order to be eligible. In 1978, the football subdivisions were created to facilitate postseason football opportunities for institutions providing similar levels of grants-in-aid. When Division I institutions that had been competing in football at the Division II or Division III level were forced to move to the football championship subdivision, it created a situation in the subdivision in which conferences have markedly disparate financial commitments to the sport. As a result, competitive inequities have occurred and have detracted from the championship subdivision football experience and championship event. This proposal provides a remedy by ensuring that the privilege of automatic qualification for the Division I Football Championship is available to a more homogenous group of conferences.

Estimated Budget Impact: Variable to reach minimum requirements.
Estimated Time Impact: None.
Position Statement(s)
History:
Jul 12, 2007 Submit Submitted for consideration.

------
AND
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No. 2007-108
EXECUTIVE REGULATIONS — SELECTION FOR CHAMPIONSHIPS PARTICIPATION — BALANCE OF CHAMPIONSHIP FIELD — CHAMPIONSHIP SUBDIVISION FOOTBALL

Intent: In championship subdivision football, to specify that an institution shall have won a minimum of six games against qualifying football championship subdivision or football bowl subdivision institutions in order to be selected as part of the balance of the NCAA Division I Football Championship.

Administrative: Amend 31.3.5, as follows:
[Federated provision, FCS only.

EXISTING:
31.3.5 Selection of Balance of Championship Field. Once the official representative(s) of each qualifying conference is determined, the governing sports committee responsible for selection of the balance of the championship field shall consider objectively and without prejudice the competitive records of all other eligible student-athletes and teams (including representatives of the other members of the conferences receiving automatic qualification). To the best of its ability, the committee shall select the most highly qualified individuals and teams to complete the championship field in accordance with the regional structure, if any, approved for the particular championship.

NEW ADDITION:
31.3.5.1 NCAA Division I Football Championship Selections — Six-Win Requirement. In order to be selected as part of the balance of the Division I Football Championship, an institution shall have won a minimum of six games against qualifying football championship subdivision or football bowl subdivision institutions. In cases in which forfeiture of a regular-season football victory is required by the Committee on Infractions or a conference or is self-imposed by an institution as a result of a violation of NCAA rules, neither of the competing institutions may count that contest in satisfying the six-win requirement.

NEW ADDITION:
31.3.5.1.1 Qualifying Institution. A qualifying institution shall be one that has:
(a) Provided an average of at least 50 football grant-in-aids (equivalencies) per year over a rolling two-year period; or
(b) For an institution that does not award athletics grants-in-aid in football, annually expended a minimum of $1,500,000 during the preceding two academic years to football student-athletes in institutional financial aid that would have been countable if provided to a counter.

Source: Ohio Valley Conference.
Effective Date: August 01, 2008
Category: Amendment
Topical Area: Executive Regulations

Rationale: Current legislation governing the NCAA Division I Football Championship does not require conferences to demonstrate a common commitment to their football student-athletes in order to be eligible. In 1978, the football subdivisions were created to facilitate postseason football opportunities for institutions providing similar levels of grants-in-aid. When NCAA Division I institutions that had been competing in football at the Division II or Division III level were forced to move to the football championship subdivision, a situation in the subdivision was created in which conferences have markedly disparate financial commitments to the sport. As a result, competitive inequities have occurred and have detracted from the Division I football experience and championship event. This proposal ensures that the balance of the Division I Football Championship will have met minimum standards of competition.

Estimated Budget Impact: Variable to reach minimum requirements.
Estimated Time Impact: None.
Position Statement(s)
History:
Jul 12, 2007 Submit Submitted for consideration.

[UAalum72]

Same bull**** as when first introduced:


As a result, competitive inequities have occurred and have detracted from the championship subdivision football experience and championship event.
Since none of the 'non-qualifying' FCS schools have ever been invited to the championships, exactly how do they 'detract from the experience and event?

This proposal provides a remedy by ensuring that the privilege of automatic qualification for the Division I Football Championship is available to a more homogenous group of conferences.
In other words, keep the privilege of automatic qualification for the conferences who have it already, even if they're not competitive in the playoffs and haven't been for years, such as:

Source: Ohio Valley Conference. the conference probably most likely to be on the bubble if another conference gets near to qualifying?

And where did they come up with 50 scholarships or $1.5 million? Could it just possibly be that's barely low enough to qualify existing autobid conferences while excluding the current non-qualifiers?

[FCSFAN]

The CSN Way: Four-Year Itch
Charles Burton and Ralph Wallace, CSN Columnists
http://www.collegesportingnews.com/article.asp?articleid=86888

It was a short announcement from the NCAA on August 9th, but a very important one. The brief press release stated: “The Division I Board of Directors has enacted a four-year moratorium on permitting institutions to begin the process of joining the division – an action that among other things will prevent a school from moving from another division into Division I or moving between its subdivisions until August 2011.” Since then, about the only thing people can agree on is that it was important.

READ MORE...
http://www.collegesportingnews.com/article.asp?articleid=86888The FCS rule won't fly and neither will the FCS playoff rule. The NCAA membership won't go for that very easily until the new plan is done.

[aceinthehole]

Same bull**** as when first introduced:


Since none of the 'non-qualifying' FCS schools have ever been invited to the championships, exactly how do they 'detract from the experience and event?

In other words, keep the privilege of automatic qualification for the conferences who have it already, even if they're not competitive in the playoffs and haven't been for years, such as:
the conference probably most likely to be on the bubble if another conference gets near to qualifying?

And where did they come up with 50 scholarships or $1.5 million? Could it just possibly be that's barely low enough to qualify existing autobid conferences while excluding the current non-qualifiers?




UA72 - I agree with your frustration, but at least this is a clear, objective measurement. I would rather see the AQ criteria at 45 schollys or $1.0 million in institutional aid, but at least the NEC now knows what it is up against.

I'm not sure if this specific proposal has any legs, so we shall see. Also, IMO it does not address the more pressing (and controversal) point of playoff expansion. If the NEC meets any new AQ requirements, where is the extra bid coming from? No current AQ is going to be taken away, so we are back to square 1.

[UAalum72]

It would be more logical to set the limit at 56.7, the FBS-bowl-qualifying number. But I suppose a couple of current conferences might not make that, so that's not going to happen. But the real kicker is the $ - private schools might meet the money threshhold but have fewer scholarship players than the NEC, so we know it's not really about competitiveness on the field, is it?

[aceinthehole]

Good points! I agree that this OVC proposal is about politics, more than competativeness.

[walliver]

Exactly what does the NCAA want to do with non-qualifying teams?
Force them to drop football?
Create a new subdivision?

Some of the changes are beneficial, e.g. beating Davidson is about the same as beating a D-III, and less of an achievement than beating a D-II, and shouldn't count as a D-I win; on the other hand, some non/low scholarship schools do field competetive teams.

Overall, however, the effect will be to cause some programs to drop football, make it difficult for D-II football teams to move up (although D-II "basketball schools" will be unaffected, and cause scholarship schools to stop playing non-scholarship schools.

I'm curious, however, about how many schools are spending less than $1.5M on football.

[MarkCCU]

I thought you needed 7000 post before you got a special title.

[lizrdgizrd]

I thought you needed 7000 post before you got a special title.

Not if you know Ralph. xsmiley_wix

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Cross-posting something from the "HBCU's Don't Need FCS" thread since it pertains to this discussion.


Why lobby for complete HBCU inclusion now that the FCS is possibly being threatened by the FBS?


Not sure I agree with this, but perhaps I misunderstand and I hope somebody will clarify. You also have to consider the intra-divisional ban that is being imposed and the probable imposition of a scholarship minimum. When the dust clears, IMO, FCS could be much different - no Ivy League, no Pioneer League, possibly no Patriot League (in whole or part), and likely additions of many members from the present Mountain West, WAC, Big West and Mid-American conferences. Such a result will produce a stronger and deeper FCS. Are you saying that the HBCU's will not want to step up to this? If not, they may end up much like the FCS leagues listed above - either with no place to go or as part of a new division.

I think Go... Gate really does have a good grip on something here. Will there be a scholarship minimum? Are people really ready for an FCS without HBCU's, the Ivy League, the Pioneer League, and possibly the Patriot League - and with conferences like the Mountain West, WAC, Big West, MAC, Sun Belt?

[walliver]

Cross-posting something from the "HBCU's Don't Need FCS" thread since it pertains to this discussion.





I think Go... Gate really does have a good grip on something here. Will there be a scholarship minimum? Are people really ready for an FCS without HBCU's, the Ivy League, the Pioneer League, and possibly the Patriot League - and with conferences like the Mountain West, WAC, Big West, MAC, Sun Belt?


I suspect the HBCU's, the Ivy League, the Pioneer League, and possibly the Patriot League, the Mountain West, WAC, Big West, MAC, and Sun Belt will sue (and probably prevail).

[FCS Go!]

Cross-posting something from the "HBCU's Don't Need FCS" thread since it pertains to this discussion.

I think Go... Gate really does have a good grip on something here. Will there be a scholarship minimum? Are people really ready for an FCS without HBCU's, the Ivy League, the Pioneer League, and possibly the Patriot League - and with conferences like the Mountain West, WAC, Big West, MAC, Sun Belt?

SWAC, Ivy & Pioneer are essentially non-participants at this point anyway, at least for most auto-bid conf. schools.

FBS rejects would strengthen FCS competition... It would all depend on how this played out. There would have to be some major conf. re-alignments in the South, West and probably Northeast.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I suspect the HBCU's, the Ivy League, the Pioneer League, and possibly the Patriot League, the Mountain West, WAC, Big West, MAC, and Sun Belt will sue (and probably prevail).

I agree, and more likely the suit will come from the highlighted conferences.

However, maybe Ivytalk will be representing them :D

[lizrdgizrd]

I agree, and more likely the suit will come from the highlighted conferences.

However, maybe Ivytalk will be representing them :D

I wouldn't be too surprised if the BCS schools just stopped playing NCAA football altogether. Unless the NCAA mandated that schools have to play other NCAA schools, then the BCS guys could play their OOC games against anyone they wanted to anyway.