New Requirements for Div II Schools Seeking Div I Membership?

[TexasTerror]

Some changes to the process to become a Division I member are underway. This is not for FCS to FBS, but for Division II to Division I. These changes have not been ratified, but if/once approved will clearly impact what happens in the next few years once the moratorium is lifted...


Prospective Division I members would be required to spend at least five years as active members of Division II before beginning the five-year reclassification process under a set of recommendations being considered by the Division I Leadership Council. The Council also is considering an application fee model, though the exact amount, parameters and eventual uses for the fee have yet to be determined.

The recommendations discussed at the Council’s October 6 meeting in Indianapolis are expected to be part of a full report sent to the Division I Board of Directors after the Council’s January meeting and distributed to the membership for feedback. The proposals are the result of the Council’s year-long study of membership standards. The Board, which declared a membership moratorium in August 2007, directed the Leadership Council to develop standards that will balance the desire to allow access to the division with a need to provide full services and consistent competitive opportunities to its members.

The recommendation that schools spend five years as active Division II members before beginning the reclassification process arose out of comments from Division II, though preliminary recommendations from the Council also would have required that institutions be a member of Division II before applying for Division I membership. No time limits were suggested, though, in the original proposal.

Division II leaders worried that permitting institutions outside the Association to go through Division II’s three-year entry process and then immediately apply for Division I and enter the proposed, five-year Division I process could be disruptive to Division II and may not provide an adequate Division II experience. By requiring institutions to be active Division II members for five years, the Leadership Council believes that schools will be better prepared to select an affiliation that best suits the institution.

http://www.ncaa.org/wps/ncaa?key=/ncaa/ncaa/ncaa+news/ncaa+news+online/2009/division+i/council+proposes+membership+standards&utm_source=delivra&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ncaa_news_direct+10/9/2009+11:41:03+AM

[achrist70]

This same basic article was on the NCAA website in March or April.

[TexasTerror]

This same basic article was on the NCAA website in March or April.

The NCAA just e-mailed this release out today...guess they do that after each committee meeting.

[MplsBison]

So was the moratorium basically pointless? What is going to prevent 15 schools from moving up to DI the first year it's lifted?

[JMUNJ08]

So was the moratorium basically pointless? What is going to prevent 15 schools from moving up to DI the first year it's lifted?

Its like basketball's requirement to stay one year before the NBA. How has that worked out? Kids cheating on SAT's and not caring about the schools that recruit them. This is just to appease the DII people for a little.

[TexasTerror]

So was the moratorium basically pointless? What is going to prevent 15 schools from moving up to DI the first year it's lifted?

The final verdict has yet to be determined. I think there's more to come as far as requirements, etc - a few things that several FCS schools are not following presently...

[gophoenix]

Some changes to the process to become a Division I member are underway. This is not for FCS to FBS, but for Division II to Division I. These changes have not been ratified, but if/once approved will clearly impact what happens in the next few years once the moratorium is lifted...



http://www.ncaa.org/wps/ncaa?key=/ncaa/ncaa/ncaa+news/ncaa+news+online/2009/division+i/council+proposes+membership+standards&utm_source=delivra&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ncaa_news_direct+10/9/2009+11:41:03+AM

Then I think they should do the same in FCS.

Why left teams like FAU, FIU, USA, USF spend two years here, disrupt the division and then move up and out before going to FBS.

[JSU02]

Then I think they should do the same in FCS.

Why left teams like FAU, FIU, USA, USF spend two years here, disrupt the division and then move up and out before going to FBS.

Disrupt the division? Weren't FAU, FIU and USF independants? I know USA will be an FCS independant. As long as they are able to fill there own schedule, I don't see a problem. Infact it gives FCS teams more scheduling options.

[WestCoastAggie]

I don't see a problem with this or an influx of D2 schools moving up. As long as their Ath. budgets can handle the required increase of spending on schollys and such and are competivive, there should not be an issue.

[MplsBison]

It should be based on athletic budgets.

You should have to have a budget of X million dollars to be DI. If you're not doing that, then you're cutting corners and skating by. That's not the intent of DI.

DI is for schools that want to make the maximal financial commitment to excellence in athletics. Go to DII if you want to play cost containment.

[gophoenix]

Disrupt the division? Weren't FAU, FIU and USF independants? I know USA will be an FCS independant. As long as they are able to fill there own schedule, I don't see a problem. Infact it gives FCS teams more scheduling options.

You don't think FAU getting a playoff bid in 2003 while being a short timer and using the division as a mandatory stepping stone without any real involvement in the division is representative of helping the division?

[gophoenix]

It should be based on athletic budgets.

You should have to have a budget of X million dollars to be DI. If you're not doing that, then you're cutting corners and skating by. That's not the intent of DI.

DI is for schools that want to make the maximal financial commitment to excellence in athletics. Go to DII if you want to play cost containment.

What does that mean though? That is like enforcing the attendance requirement. it means something different everywhere, and each school is different. ie, tuition costs for scholarships plays in, cost of living differences. I just don't see where this is any more useful than any other measure.

[JSU02]

You don't think FAU getting a playoff bid in 2003 while being a short timer and using the division as a mandatory stepping stone without any real involvement in the division is representative of helping the division?
It in no way disrupted the division.

Did they have a winning record? Yes.
Did they offer a max of 63 schollies at the time? Yes.
Were they one of the 16 strongest I-AA teams that year? Yes.
Did it harm I-AA/FCS? No.

[gophoenix]

It in no way disrupted the division.

Did they have a winning record? Yes.
Did they offer a max of 63 schollies at the time? Yes.
Were they one of the 16 strongest I-AA teams that year? Yes.
Did it harm I-AA/FCS? No.

Does it not hurt the image of the division if it is only used as a stepping stone? FAU is instability for the division. That instability progressed into the playoffs.

[JSU02]

Instability? Is the FCS falling apart? Did conferences break up over it? At most some players who would have gone to current FCS schools went to FAU instead. Was the FCS brand harmed with FAU's move to FBS? FAU only wishes it was that important. Maybe all that pollution in Andhra Pradesh is getting to ya. ;)

[gophoenix]

Instability? Is the FCS falling apart? Did conferences break up over it? At most some players who would have gone to current FCS schools went to FAU instead. Was the FCS brand harmed with FAU's move to FBS? FAU only wishes it was that important. Maybe all that pollution in Andhra Pradesh is getting to ya. ;)

ok, the fact you know this is Andhra Pradesh is weird, no one state side knows that! And the fact you know it smells to high heaven... so, you must have been here?

Basically, FAU, FIU, USF, and whoever else, UAB, USA soon... what they get to do is recruit saying we'll be I-A. Therefore potentially get better players than the rest of us because of that kind of recruiting advantage, they can promise scholarships down the road that we don't have and in the meantime, take advantage of the FCS system to get in the polls, playoffs etc at the expense of teams committed to the division.

We aren't talking schools like Akron, UConn, etc who were established I-AA programs and moved up. We are talking programs that are created in this division with no intention of ever remaining in this division.

[TexasTerror]

It should be based on athletic budgets.

You should have to have a budget of X million dollars to be DI. If you're not doing that, then you're cutting corners and skating by. That's not the intent of DI.

How does that matter?

For some conferences, travel is not too big a obstacle and they can do fine without such a high budget. Other schools know how to better manage their funds and do better than schools with twice their budget.

Just think of how TXST with a budget that dwarves most of the SLC has until recently been an awful football program. Times have changed to some degree, but they for the last five years are on the losing side of a rivalry against a Nicholls State program which has a budget less than 50% of that of TXST.

[chrisattsu]

It should be based on athletic budgets.

You should have to have a budget of X million dollars to be DI. If you're not doing that, then you're cutting corners and skating by. That's not the intent of DI.

DI is for schools that want to make the maximal financial commitment to excellence in athletics. Go to DII if you want to play cost containment.

The same could be FCS. If I recall, I remember reading somewhere that IAA was designed for schools that wanted to be D1 for all sports, but did not have the resources available to compete in the football arms race.

[JSU02]

And the fact you know it smells to high heaven...

Its from those DooDoo patties they use to fuel the fires xnutsx