Writer: Calls NEC Non-Scholarship FB

[TexasTerror]

In an article about Florida Tech's start-up efforts... xbangx

Also calls it I-AA, but what are you going to do? xthumbsdownx


5. Recruit players. The program is non-scholarship, but there are other ways to ease the financial burden for families and students of prospective players such as need-based and academic aid.

Florida Tech could model itself after NCAA Division III colleges, which do not offer scholarships but do provide financial aid. Ditto for non-scholarship Division I-AA or Football Championship Subdivision conferences such as the Pioneer Football League -- Jacksonville University is one of 10 members -- the Patriot League, the Ivy League and the Northeast Conference.

http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20100508/SPORTS/5080327/1002/SPORTS/10+challenges+for+the+Florida+Tech+s+football+prog ram

[DetroitFlyer]

Why focus on the NEC? It looks to me like once again you are just trying to stir up trouble.... As I read the article it was obvious that several conferences were mentioned. What kind of perverse pleasure do you derive from finding new ways to take shots at FCS conferences? "Fans" like you are really a huge part of the problem in the world of FCS. I absolutely long for the day when your team moves up to FBS and you take your useless posts and go with them.

[TexasTerror]

Why focus on the NEC? It looks to me like once again you are just trying to stir up trouble.... As I read the article it was obvious that several conferences were mentioned. What kind of perverse pleasure do you derive from finding new ways to take shots at FCS conferences? "Fans" like you are really a huge part of the problem in the world of FCS. I absolutely long for the day when your team moves up to FBS and you take your useless posts and go with them.

The Pioneer League is non-scholarship.

The situations revolving around the Patriot and Ivy are much too difficult for people to understand...

And I will not be supportive of an FBS move by my alma mater, unless the school's conference is given an AQ to a playoff at that level. If they do go that route, I can not quite say I'll leave for FBS and you'll still be stuck with my posts.

A shame that the Pioneer is not allowed to play Div III football as the schools used to, especially since they have not been allowed to compete at this level. Despite what some have said in the media, it is not 'glorified intramurals' and a good brand of collegiate football. xwhistlex

[danefan]

Well it was a non-scholarship league, so I can see the mistake.

Other than that he's right.

Patriot League - not scholarship in the sense of the word that everyone outside of the Patriot league understands.
Ivy League - non-scholarship
Pioneer League - non-scholarship

[MplsBison]

Why focus on the NEC? It looks to me like once again you are just trying to stir up trouble.... As I read the article it was obvious that several conferences were mentioned. What kind of perverse pleasure do you derive from finding new ways to take shots at FCS conferences? "Fans" like you are really a huge part of the problem in the world of FCS. I absolutely long for the day when your team moves up to FBS and you take your useless posts and go with them.

I long for the day that you and Dayton put your money where your big mouths are and treat the men's bball team the same way you treat the football team.

Lets see you walk that walk xrolleyesx xlolx

[Sader87]

Well it was a non-scholarship league, so I can see the mistake.

Other than that he's right.

Patriot League - not scholarship in the sense of the word that everyone outside of the Patriot league understands.
Ivy League - non-scholarship
Pioneer League - non-scholarship

....and we like it that way!!!! Or do we?????

[DFW HOYA]

I long for the day that you and Dayton put your money where your big mouths are and treat the men's bball team the same way you treat the football team.

There are three reasons schools don't offer football scholarships in Division I:

1. They can't afford it (e.g., Dayton)
2. They have a philosophical objection to it (e.g., Ivy League), or
3. They're in the Patriot League and it's stuck in committee. xlolx

[MplsBison]

There are three reasons schools don't offer football scholarships in Division I:

1. They can't afford it (e.g., Dayton)
2. They have a philosophical objection to it (e.g., Ivy League), or
3. They're in the Patriot League and it's stuck in committee. xlolx

Why can the private schools in the SoCon afford FCS football, but Dayton can't?

Dayton can obviously afford to have A10 bball, which I assume is bigger budget than SoCon bball...

[danefan]

Why can the private schools in the SoCon afford FCS football, but Dayton can't?

Dayton can obviously afford to have A10 bball, which I assume is bigger budget than SoCon bball...

Dayton can afford it. They obviously don't see the benefit. Non-scholarship works for them.

Who cares whether they want to be non-scholarship or not?

Don't like it? Blame the NCAA for forcing them into DI football.

[DFW HOYA]

Why can the private schools in the SoCon afford FCS football, but Dayton can't?

Even though Dayton, Furman, Wofford, and Elon basically compete with basically the same number of men's sports and comparable athletic budgets, there are three big differences:

1. Dayton competes in a league outside football (A-10) with a lot more overhead. The Flyers may have the men's soccer team in St. Louis while the women's basketball team is in upstate New York, and thata dds up over a season. The SoCon is a bus-trip league which keeps costs down.

2. Dayton has ~30 men's scholarships for its six sports other basketball, but the SoCon schools have few, if any men's scholarships left after outside football and basketball. For example, Wofford (per the EADA reports) offer the equivalent of 75 total men's scholarships. If football offers 60 and basketball 13, that leaves two for the remaining four teams (obviously, some school aid may be in play there, but there are not enough men's scholarship dollars left for these remaining sports.)

3. The less visible issue is because Wofford, Elon, and Furman are considerably out of balance for Title IX consideration: Furman has a 42% male population but 69% of its scholarships are male; Wofford is 50% male but 70% of its schoalrships go to men; and Elon is 41% male but 62% of its scholarships go to men.

[DJOM]

In my humble opinion, the Pioneer League will always stay non-scholarship as a direct result of Title IX. The Pioneer League plays D1 FCS football. Please feel free to ask those who watched Drake beat Illinois State to comment. It is far too expensive with tuiton costs of $35-40K a year for these small schools to match as Title IX requires.

[MplsBison]

In my humble opinion, the Pioneer League will always stay non-scholarship as a direct result of Title IX. The Pioneer League plays D1 FCS football. Please feel free to ask those who watched Drake beat Illinois State to comment. It is far too expensive with tuiton costs of $35-40K a year for these small schools to match as Title IX requires.

DFW's points notwithstanding, Furman, Wofford and Elon (and he forgot Samford as well) can do it...then so could Dayton.

[Redbird Ray]

In my humble opinion, the Pioneer League will always stay non-scholarship as a direct result of Title IX. The Pioneer League plays D1 FCS football. Please feel free to ask those who watched Drake beat Illinois State to comment. It is far too expensive with tuiton costs of $35-40K a year for these small schools to match as Title IX requires.

I would put the stronger FCS non-scholarship teams on par with strong D2 teams in most years. In 2007 Drake had a pretty good Pioneer team, and Illinois State went 4-7. Most FCS fans are well aware of the capability of stronger non-scholarship and D2 teams, so a win from a really good D2, Pioneer or Patriot team over a bottom feeder MVFC or CAA team should not be a huge surprise. I would equate this to a win by East Carolina or Utah over Colorado or Illinois.

But for the most part, as CUSA and the MWC are not as deep as the Big 12 or Big 10, the Patriot, Pioneer or D2 are not as deep as the CAA, MVFC, or Southern.