Is It Time To Bring Back I-AA?

[Cooper]

Part of a longer opinion piece on the Dartmouth Big Green Alert Blog (http://biggreenalertblog.blogspot.com/):

"The NCAA made the change largely because while Ivy and Patriot and CAA and other schools played I-AA football, they played Division I basketball with no letters attached. But because they played I-AA football, their hoop (and some other) programs were often considered as, and described as, I-AA. The NCAA got that one fixed. Rest assured, no one refers to Montana or Appalachian State as playing FCS basketball.

But at at what cost did the fix come? Now Ivy-bound football players in central PA and writers at their local newspapers no longer refer to Penn or Lafayette or Dartmouth as Division I of any flavor."

...

Link: Big Green Alert blog (http://biggreenalertblog.blogspot.com/).

[Col Hogan]

As is pointed out, the change from IAA to FCS was not the brain child of the football establishment. It was created to satisfy the basketball powers...

So, I don't see any retreat to IAA because of issues that football writers have with the name...

Any change will have to keep the basketball powers within the NCAA happy...too much $$$ involved...

[DFW HOYA]

As is pointed out, the change from IAA to FCS was not the brain child of the football establishment. It was created to satisfy the basketball powers...

"Basketball powers", well, who? No one in the Big East was pushing for this.

[OB55]

The whole football classification system is dumb. Just as dumb as the bowl system. xcoffeex

[bluedog]

It had nothing to do with any basketball powers. Football coaches across the country were complaining that the D-1AA tag stymie their recruiting efforts where as a lot of D1 schools referred to them as D2 schools and use the ignorance of most kids about the difference against them.

[Seahawks Fan]

FCS is silly.

Sportwriters around here refer to it as: "I-AA (now referred to as FCS)".

[89Hen]

Bring back? I never left. FBS/FCS was a complete failure IMO. Announcers and media refused to make the change most of the time. The explainations were too long winded and made I-AA seem LESS attractive IMO. The NCAA went back on the rule changes from last year... not too late to go back on this one either. xtwocentsx xpeacex

[yorkcountyUNHfan]

Bring back? I never left. FBS/FCS was a complete failure IMO. Announcers and media refused to make the change most of the time. The explainations were too long winded and made I-AA seem LESS attractive IMO. The NCAA went back on the rule changes from last year... not too late to go back on this one either. xtwocentsx xpeacex

Announcers and media....My word players and coaches got it wrong (or right depending where you stand on this) most of the time.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I read the blog posting, but it begs to be said: how much of this is due to the "name change" and how much of this have to do with the Ivy League sequestering themselves from the rest of Division I - FCS and FBS alike?

My response would be: Convince the Ivy League presidents to participate in the playoffs and knock off a Delaware or Appalachian State. Nobody will ever confuse you for sub-D-I athletics again.

I think placing the blame on the nomenclature change is faulty logic. It's not like central PA reporters were always getting this right when the subdivision was called I-AA rather than FCS. I'd bet they always got it wrong anyway. The problem is that the Ivy League is perceived as a planet all its own - certainly not FBS, and not a full-fledged member of FCS either.

[89Hen]

I think placing the blame on the nomenclature change is faulty logic. It's not like central PA reporters were always getting this right when the subdivision was called I-AA rather than FCS. I'd bet they always got it wrong anyway.
That's true, but IMO this change has made it far worse. We've had the Divvy Award here for years, so we know people will always mess it up no matter what we call it, but now you have people who DID get it right before now screwing it up. xpeacex

[Appaholic]

Yes.....FCS is stupid and makes us sound like whiners......it sounds better when Div 1AA App St defeated Div IA Michigan

[Homegrown Hillbilly]

It had nothing to do with any basketball powers. Football coaches across the country were complaining that the D-1AA tag stymie their recruiting efforts where as a lot of D1 schools referred to them as D2 schools and use the ignorance of most kids about the difference against them.

I def see what your are saying, and I do not know the correct answer to the question, but I would like to think that a recruit would know the difference before signing. Especially regarding a decision as important as his college education. I would be hard pressed to believe that a recruit would would sign with Gardner-Webb (or any very small school for that matter, GW just happens to be nearby) and be under the assumption, with a winning season, he is going to play LSU, UGA, or Florida on New Years Day.

[DetroitFlyer]

I read the blog posting, but it begs to be said: how much of this is due to the "name change" and how much of this have to do with the Ivy League sequestering themselves from the rest of Division I - FCS and FBS alike?

My response would be: Convince the Ivy League presidents to participate in the playoffs and knock off a Delaware or Appalachian State. Nobody will ever confuse you for sub-D-I athletics again.

I think placing the blame on the nomenclature change is faulty logic. It's not like central PA reporters were always getting this right when the subdivision was called I-AA rather than FCS. I'd bet they always got it wrong anyway. The problem is that the Ivy League is perceived as a planet all its own - certainly not FBS, and not a full-fledged member of FCS either.

Convince the Ivy League to participate in the FCS playoffs.... Everytime I see this comment, it implys that simply because the Ivy League agrees to participate in the playoffs they would be welcome with open arms.... Welcome as in an autobid right off the bat. Why in the world should the Ivy League be welcomed with open arms, while the PFL and NEC are essentially shunned? The PFL is willing to participate in the playoffs today, and yet in 15 seasons, not one stinkin team has ever been invited.

Year in and year out, the Ivy champ is not going to be any more competitive in the playoffs than the PFL champion. Why don't we leave the Ivy League to their own little world, and invite the champion of a 15 year old, FCS or I-AA league that has never been there?

[grizband]

Convince the Ivy League to participate in the FCS playoffs.... Everytime I see this comment, it implys that simply because the Ivy League agrees to participate in the playoffs they would be welcome with open arms.... Welcome as in an autobid right off the bat. Why in the world should the Ivy League be welcomed with open arms, while the PFL and NEC are essentially shunned? The PFL is willing to participate in the playoffs today, and yet in 15 seasons, not one stinkin team has ever been invited.

Year in and year out, the Ivy champ is not going to be any more competitive in the playoffs than the PFL champion. Why don't we leave the Ivy League to their own little world, and invite the champion of a 15 year old, FCS or I-AA league that has never been there?
When teams from the PFL play and win games against better OOC teams, then they will be considered for at large berths. Right now, their level of games just does not match up with the current playoff teams.

[Seahawks Fan]

Let's get back on topic. FCS or I-AA? xoopsx

[DetroitFlyer]

When teams from the PFL play and win games against better OOC teams, then they will be considered for at large berths. Right now, their level of games just does not match up with the current playoff teams.

Care to comment on the I-AA Ivy League? I have heard all of your tired and invalid arguments about the PFL. My point is why should the I-AA Ivy League be welcomed to the playoffs while the I-AA PFL is not welcomed?

[henfan]

Now back to the thread topic...

With regards to classifications, the NCAA bunted when it could have hit a home run. What should have happened is the NCAA should have done away completely with D-I FB nomenclature altogether, as was originally suggested by former I-AA FB leaders. Of course, many of the BCS hangers-on objected most to that idea and it died. Division I should be called Division I, period! No FBS, FCS, I-A, or I-AA.

The reason for the change was that I-AA FB nomenclature was being misapplied to Olympic sports. Schools with major conference Olympic sports were coyingly misapplying the I-AA title to recruiting competitions' sports programs. Most of the former I-AA FB coaches could have lived with that name, though their ADs and Olympic sport coaching counterparts preferred that it went away.

I still maintain that the FCS/FBS titles haven't had enough time to take hold. They will eventually to a much greater degree, IMO. However, I think it would be too much to expect the FCS/FBS titles to ever gain significantly more widespread and proper usage than the old I-AA/I-A titles... which is why they need to do away with all of the silly titles.

Why can't we just allow D-I FB teams to compete in whatever post-season opportunity they desire, whether it be bowls or playoffs?

[89Hen]

Why can't we just allow D-I FB teams to compete in whatever post-season opportunity they desire, whether it be bowls or playoffs?
xeyebrowx An interesting proposal, but it would be awfully hard to come up with a playoff field. Do you offer a bunch of teams and they decline so you go down the list? Seems like a rather invalid championship to me. xpeacex

[Ivytalk]

Bring back? I never left. FBS/FCS was a complete failure IMO. Announcers and media refused to make the change most of the time. The explainations were too long winded and made I-AA seem LESS attractive IMO. The NCAA went back on the rule changes from last year... not too late to go back on this one either. xtwocentsx xpeacex

I second that! Good post!xthumbsupx

[LacesOut]

Let's get back on topic. FCS or I-AA? xoopsx

It will always be I-AA to me. Always.

[UAalum72]

FCS and FBS are clumsy, but going back to I-A and I-AA isn't a solution to the old problems either. I'd go with Division I (Playoff Choice) and Division I (Bowl Choice), but the FBS probably doesn't want to let anyone know that a D-I playoff is possible. Maybe (Tournament Class) and (Bowl Class). Provided that everybody's in, and until FBS goes to a playoff.

[89Hen]

Convince the Ivy League to participate in the FCS playoffs.... Everytime I see this comment, it implys that simply because the Ivy League agrees to participate in the playoffs they would be welcome with open arms.... Welcome as in an autobid right off the bat.
Inferred at best. The Ivy would have to apply for an autobid, just the same as everyone else. xcoffeex