Why do people dislike I-AA?

[seeker]

I would like to read your reasons for not liking I-AA or why you don't like your school playing I-AA. I posted a couple reasons on the poll but I want to read other reasons too.

Thanks in advance.

[ucdtim17]

Because it's minor leagues compared to I-A and no one cares. Most teams play in glorified high school stadiums. It's also hard to get games because every other school out west dropped football.

[blukeys]

I like I-AA. I'm sorry that West Coast teams play in lame High School fields. With the ongoing improvement in places like Texas State, UNH, and JMU we are getting better one stadium at a time.

[seeker]

I know that people here like I-AA because our schools play it but we all know people who don't like it same as we know people who don't like I-A and other NCAA football.

[blukeys]

I know that people here like I-AA because our schools play it but we all know people who don't like it same as we know people who don't like I-A and other NCAA football.


I don't think I-A fans dislike I-AA as much as they ignore it. The opposite of love is not hate it is indifference. I-A fans are indifferent to I-AA. That and they are totally ignorant about I-AA.

[Fordham]

The opposite of love is not hate it is indifference. what's the opposite of hate?

strikes me as odd to come to the mecca of I-AA message boards to ask a question aboot (nod to my Canadian friends) NOT liking I-AA. I would suspect that most people who post here are fans of I-AA overall, although there may be a few dissenters. I also agree that it's more "indifference" than hate from most die hard I-A fans.

[Ronbo]

I like I-AA. I'm sorry that West Coast teams play in lame High School fields. With the ongoing improvement in places like Texas State, UNH, and JMU we are getting better one stadium at a time.

We only had one HS stadium in the Conference before UNC joined. Now we'll have 2.

Montana 23,500
PSU 21,000
Sac. State 20,000
Weber State 17,500
Montana State 16,500
N. Arizona 16,000
ISU 12,000
EWU 9000
UNC 7500

[blukeys]

what's the opposite of hate?



Refer the theologigal questions to Joltin' Joe or Dungeonjoe, or as affectionately known in my household as the joe God squad :eek:.


I am unqualified to answer questions of this magnitude.

I was truly expecting a graduate of a Jesuit Universtiy to already know this but obviously this is a topic that needs to go to the AGS Lounge. :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[seeker]

I don't think I-A fans dislike I-AA as much as they ignore it. The opposite of love is not hate it is indifference. I-A fans are indifferent to I-AA. That and they are totally ignorant about I-AA.Why bring up the word hate? How can you hate a division of NCAA football? One can dislike it for various reasons but hate is a bit much. Indifference is a good call.

[Maverick]

At one time, I-AA football was called Small College Football. I don't believe it has ever overcome that perception. Hence the idea that the only football is D-I and the I-AA designation is like saying minor league football. Plus the confusion about I-AA football as scholarship, non-scholarship, mid-major doesn't really lend itself to a consistent identity. Plus I-AA is mistakenly viewed as "regional" football. Those who can't get beyond any of the above wind up missing out on damn good football and a championship that is determined on the field. What can you do when we don't have the TV, money, etc. Just because more people watch it doesn't make it more competitive. :shakingma :shakingma

[blukeys]

Why bring up the word hate? How can you hate a division of NCAA football? One can dislike it for various reasons but hate is a bit much. Indifference is a good call.


I never said that anyone hated I-AA. I said that the opposite of love is not hate but indifference. If you are confused about the Philosophic difference PM me.

But, if you read my post I never said anyone HATED I-AA football. I said that I-A types were indifferent to it. You are really starting to sound like Ralph. Are you sure you aren't his little brother who tags around with him and gobbles up all his wisdom???

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I think it is definitely a "small" school versus a "big" school mentality. I think more people tune in, and the college football fan at-large tunes in, to I-AA when it's a big school that's in it. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the best ratings of the I-AA playoffs this year came from Texas St./Northern Iowa - two big schools. Texas State I think has the biggest enrollment in all of I-AA.

[blackfordpu]

Most college football fans are blinded by the lights that the media, "ESPN", shines in their eyes. Whenever ESPN talks about college football it is always I-A with the occassional D-II and III mention. I-AA is usually left off of the radar because of the large numbers of fans and money that are brought in by I-A.

I-AA will always been seen as the step-child in college football by the media, therefore by the masses of uninformed viewers. D-II and III are like the little brothers and sisters, get attention when something big is going on.

[ngineer]

I'm a football purist. The size of a stadium means didley squat. I've seen a lot better football games in D-III stadiums than a number of I-A stadiums. The sport is the sport. I like to know I'm watch true students playing my game and not a bunch of mercenaries-over half of whom are not going to graduate-who are just biding time to take a shot at the NFL.

[seeker]

I never said that anyone hated I-AA. I said that the opposite of love is not hate but indifference. If you are confused about the Philosophic difference PM me.

But, if you read my post I never said anyone HATED I-AA football. I said that I-A types were indifferent to it. You are really starting to sound like Ralph. Are you sure you aren't his little brother who tags around with him and gobbles up all his wisdom???I said indifference is a good call. Just wondering how love and hate came into it. I don't claim to have any wisdom. I just asked why people dislike I-AA.

[SochorField]

Texas State I think has the biggest enrollment in all of I-AA.

UC Davis has 29,637 total enrollment...22,735 undergrad. UCD may be the largest.

[Tod]

UC Davis has 29,637 total enrollment...22,735 undergrad. UCD may be the largest.

Sac State is right up there with about 28,000.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Most college football fans are blinded by the lights that the media, "ESPN", shines in their eyes. Whenever ESPN talks about college football it is always I-A with the occassional D-II and III mention. I-AA is usually left off of the radar because of the large numbers of fans and money that are brought in by I-A.

I did NOT find this true when they the College Gameday gang were chatting about Barrick Nealy's performance against Georgia Southern in the midst of the I-AA playoffs. They were talking about Texas State in the same breath as Penn State.

Which is precisely my point. Texas State is a big school. I don't think they have this conversation about Brown's RB Nick Hartigan.

[HiHiYikas]

I'm saying it's general ignorance. Americans are experts at disliking things they know nothing about. Come to think of it, I wouldn't even say they dislike I-AA. In order to dislike something, you have to know it exists.

Who was it that said 'the opposite of love isn't hate, it's apathy'? I think Joe-Football-fan dislikes I-AA football about as much as he dislikes the teams of Mid-American Australian Football League.

I guess anyone who views I-AA as "small-time/not D-I" qualifies as ignorant. So maybe that's a viable poll option.

[wannabegaucho]

Out on the left coast, Title IX has caused many a football program, from I-A/I-AA/D2 to disappear.

Did you know Pat Hill went to UC Riverside?
Did you know George Allen coached at Long Beach State?
Did you know that Harder Stadium, the UCSB football/soccer stadium, seats 17,000? (Bigger than Montana State, Northern Arizona, Idaho State, Eastern Washington, and Northern Colorado)

I can't think of anything else, but these are neat facts about schools that just couldn't support football anymore :(

[Tribefan]

I did NOT find this true when they the College Gameday gang were chatting about Barrick Nealy's performance against Georgia Southern in the midst of the I-AA playoffs. They were talking about Texas State in the same breath as Penn State.

Which is precisely my point. Texas State is a big school. I don't think they have this conversation about Brown's RB Nick Hartigan.

I could have sworn I saw an interview with Hartigan on Cold Pizza. Seemed like a super smart kid.

[catamount man]

To heck with I-A, ESPN, and all that other crap. The day I start letting the Lee Corsos of the world influence me and my football tastes is the day I drive my car off of a bridge. GO I-AA, GO SOCON, AND GO CATAMOUNTS!!!

[Mr. Tiger]

Division I-AA has an identity problem. It is viewed as not major college football but it is certainly not small college football. This identity problem I believe is something Division I-AA officials would like to address. But how? Simply changing the name won't do it. I don't think anyone hates Division I-AA. I just think the average college football fans believes Division I-AA's real purpose is to be a cupcake division for Division I-A schools.

[JALMOND]

This topic brings to mind the talk going around Portland a couple years ago when we were toying with the idea of moving to the WAC. In Oregon, DI football is two teams, the Ducks and Beavers. The general perception of PSU moving to the WAC from the Big Sky was that PSU had more in common with Boise, Fresno and San Jose than Missoula, Bozeman and Pocatello from a cultural and social perspective. The cities in the WAC were similar to Portland (and Sacramento for that matter), more so than the "towns" in the Big Sky. Therefore the idea was that PSU would draw more from playing a Fresno State regularly than say a Montana State.

I know I have ruffled a few feathers here, but this was not my opinion. It was just the arguement I would run into. In the last few years, talk has died down and there is more acceptance of the Big Sky and Portland State's place in it. This is a topic I debated with more than one Beaver and Duck fan around Portland in the last few years.

[ucdtim17]

Sac State is right up there with about 28,000.

UCD and Sac are the two largest. UCD has been over 30K the past few years and will go back up and keep going up as it is a campus with nothing but room to grow, compared to the other UC's. I dislike how I-AA is perceived as "small college" football when UCD is bigger than most I-A schools (same thing in D2). I expect UCD to be I-A in 10 or 15 years and will be disappointed if we're still I-AA. I'll continue to support and pay attention to I-AA, but I hope I-AA is just a stepping stone. Not a popular attitude around here I'm sure. :twocents:

[Maverick]

The term "small college" was generated when enrollments weren't what people used to determine that classification. Generally those schools were smaller in the vast majority of cases. So it's not about the level of enrollment, but the level of coverage on more than a local/regional level. It would be interesting to see a list of I-AA schools and range of stats about them. Maybe enrollment, type of degree granting, undergrad compared to grad enrollment, public vs. private, number of majors offered. Any other stats that would be useful?

[UNH 40]

The top tier teams in I-AA would compete very nicely in I-A conferences such as the MAC, the WAC, USA, and the now marginal BIG EAST. I wouldn't mind seeing some I-AA teams make the move to I-A and play in those conferences. The gap between I-AA talent and I-A talent is closing rapidly due to footballs ever growing popularity and has led to an overwelming number of talented athletes coming out of high school making I-AA teams able to receive better players which will eventually enable I-AA teams to compete at the I-A teams consistantly. Give a I-AA team 85 full scholarships to give to athletes then you would really see the gap close.

[colgate13]

Not voting. I like I-AA.

[HensRock]

The top tier teams in I-AA would compete very nicely in I-A conferences such as the MAC, the WAC, USA, and the now marginal BIG EAST. ... The gap between I-AA talent and I-A talent is closing rapidly...

We all like to think of I-AA as the Big Sky, A-10, Gateway, SoCon, Southland, etc. and we focus on these - but remember it also includes the NEC, MAAC, Pioneer etc. The outsider looking in sees all of it and it's not all pretty. Comparing the top tier teams in I-AA to the bottom tier teams in I-A does not make a fair comparison of the overall leagues in general. To the general football fan, I-AA doesn't mean Montana, Georgia Southern, Delaware, , ... it also means Austin Peay, Savannah State, St. Peters, Butler, etc.

In fact I think I-AA probably has the most diverse set of teams in terms of competitiveness than any other NCAA classification. Face it, the quality of programs in I-AA is all over the map. I don't necessarily view this as a bad thing, but I do think it lends itself to the general perception of I-AA as "small ball".

[UNH 40]

We all like to think of I-AA as the Big Sky, A-10, Gateway, SoCon, Southland, etc. and we focus on these - but remember it also includes the NEC, MAAC, Pioneer etc. The outsider looking in sees all of it and it's not all pretty. Comparing the top tier teams in I-AA to the bottom tier teams in I-A does not make a fair comparison of the overall leagues in general. To the general football fan, I-AA doesn't mean Montana, Georgia Southern, Delaware, , ... it also means Austin Peay, Savannah State, St. Peters, Butler, etc.

In fact I think I-AA probably has the most diverse set of teams in terms of competitiveness than any other NCAA classification. Face it, the quality of programs in I-AA is all over the map. I don't necessarily view this as a bad thing, but I do think it lends itself to the general perception of I-AA as "small ball".


Why are conferences like the NEC, MAAC, Pioneer, etc.... not in division 2 where they belong, where they can compete for a national championship instead of winning goofy cup that they give out. Teams from those conferences would have a tough time competing with the higher level of D 2 schools much less even putting fight against A UNH, Montana, APP. St... Get rid of those teams it will work out better for them and I-AA meanwhile making D 2 more competetive instead of having teams like Grand Valley State winning the D2 national championship all the time. It will give them a shot, it will give them an identity.

[HensRock]

Why are conferences like the NEC, MAAC, Pioneer, etc.... not in division 2 where they belong,

Because they have Div-I athletic departments. It's not all about football - especially at these schools. Specifically, most of them have decent basketball programs and want to compete in March Madness.

[lucchesicourt]

I think the real reason 1A gets more attention than 1AA is the coverage and money issue. For instance, Notre Dame games are on TV every weekend. Thus, they accumulate followers who have no ties to ND. The fans recognize the names of the players and begin to route for those they like. They then become followers of that team. 1AA teams are only on TV every so often, and usually not the same team twice. The football fan never gets the opportunity to form a bond with a team you only see once. That is why, I believe, professional teams will NEVER go to strict pay per view. If they did they would lose the occasional fan,and in the long run maybe also lose a future season ticket holder. If pro football went strictly pay per view, do you think they would be as successful? I do not. It is pretty much the same with D1A vs. 1AA, 1AA is sort of like pay perview, you only see a team once in a while. And, in 1A you see pretty much the same teams week in and week out on TV. This increases fan interest, IMO.

[NoCoDanny]

We only had one HS stadium in the Conference before UNC joined. Now we'll have 2.

Montana 23,500
PSU 21,000
Sac. State 20,000
Weber State 17,500
Montana State 16,500
N. Arizona 16,000
ISU 12,000
EWU 9000
UNC 7500

What is the cut off between high school and I-AA level? Oh, and we are at 8500 atually.

[UNH 40]

Because they have Div-I athletic departments. It's not all about football - especially at these schools. Specifically, most of them have decent basketball programs and want to compete in March Madness.

Schools like St. Lawerence, RIP, and Colorado College etc... have division three athletic departments but have D-I hockey teams where they belong why can't these teams be moved to D2 even though they have D-I basketball hopes.

[Tealblood]

I agree with most of what you guys are saying, in the poll it is all of the above. Maybe it has a problem because it seems like a subset of something else. In fact read some of the preseaon magazines( like Athlon and Sporting news ) They give about a page to each team in the top 25-30, then about 3-4 pages on each of the power conferences. It then moves thru I-AA, II, III with about a page each. Which puts our grouping where most people think we belong with D II and D III.
The NCAA needs to figure out another way to handle the DI situation and yes I am referring to the March Madness problem. At most schools this is a huge chunk of athletic budget.

I don't know if most of you understand this. At Coastal we haven't been to the NCAA tourney in 15 years, but it still represents a sizable portion of our non-football athletic budget( $75,000 was the last number i heard). Because when a team goes to the tourney they share the NCAA money with everybody else in conference. And in most conf. it is a fairly equitable split the rule of thumb is 1 share for every other team and 2 shares for the participating team. If you win that game it starts escalating fast and you keep more of a percentage.

This is why the Clemsons and Florida States of the world don't mind sharing equal parts of Bowl money with the Duke's and Chapel Hill's because it comes back in equally large chunks when they make it to the final four.

[SoCon48]

I agree with most of what you guys are saying, in the poll it is all of the above. Maybe it has a problem because it seems like a subset of something else. In fact read some of the preseaon magazines( like Athlon and Sporting news ) They give about a page to each team in the top 25-30, then about 3-4 pages on each of the power conferences. It then moves thru I-AA, II, III with about a page each. Which puts our grouping where most people think we belong with D II and D III.
The NCAA needs to figure out another way to handle the DI situation and yes I am referring to the March Madness problem. At most schools this is a huge chunk of athletic budget.

I don't know if most of you understand this. At Coastal we haven't been to the NCAA tourney in 15 years, but it still represents a sizable portion of our non-football athletic budget( $75,000 was the last number i heard). Because when a team goes to the tourney they share the NCAA money with everybody else in conference. And in most conf. it is a fairly equitable split the rule of thumb is 1 share for every other team and 2 shares for the participating team. If you win that game it starts escalating fast and you keep more of a percentage.

This is why the Clemsons and Florida States of the world don't mind sharing equal parts of Bowl money with the Duke's and Chapel Hill's because it comes back in equally large chunks when they make it to the final four.

Many schools spend way more than $75K on girls volleyball, soccer.

[SoCon48]

1. NCAA treats us in I-AA like crap.
2. Media ignores us or worse says "in other small college today..."

[colgate13]

Schools like St. Lawerence, RIP, and Colorado College etc... have division three athletic departments but have D-I hockey teams where they belong why can't these teams be moved to D2 even though they have D-I basketball hopes.

There is a world of difference between Division I hockey and Division I basketball or football.

It's called revenue...

[OL FU]

The vast majority of college fans that are interested in something other than their own school are BCS conference fans. I know in the media/etc. a lesser known I-A is not called small college, but that is really that much of a difference.

When Troy, La- Lafayette, East Carolina, etc. play does anyone outside of their respective state care? I doubt it.

[SoCon48]

The vast majority of college fans that are interested in something other than their own school are BCS conference fans. I know in the media/etc. a lesser known I-A is not called small college, but that is really that much of a difference.

When Troy, La- Lafayette, East Carolina, etc. play does anyone outside of their respective state care? I doubt it.

One thing about East Carolina, they have tons of non-alumni fans. Something SoCon teams don't have.

[OL FU]

One thing about East Carolina, they have tons of non-alumni fans. Something SoCon teams don't have.

Then they are the rarity in a state with so many football programs.

But I my guess is unless you are the team in the state, that is not the case.

[SactoHornetFan]

One thing about East Carolina, they have tons of non-alumni fans. Something SoCon teams don't have.

Out here, Fresno State has the same thing.