FCS Schools to NCAA: Override on Pre-Game Lodging

[TexasTerror]

I am interested to find out which schools submitted the override request on the pre-game lodging for home games... I see both sides of the argument, but always wondered why football athletes were different from any other athletes...


Eighteen Football Championship Subdivision schools have submitted requests to override Proposal No. 2010-83, which would not allow institutions to provide lodging (for example, a hotel or motel) to student-athletes before a regular-season home football game.

The 18 override requests are three more than the 15 necessary to require the FCS Governance Committee to revisit the legislation that was adopted in April. A call to review the matter has not yet been scheduled.

If the FCS Governance Committee reverses its position, the legislation will be defeated and not be sent for further membership comment. If the committee maintains its position, though, the Presidential Advisory Group would review the proposal in August. If the PAG maintains legislation as adopted, the membership will cast override votes later this year.

http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/ncaa/resources/latest+news/2011/july/fcs+schools+ask+to+override+pregame+lodging+propos al

[dgtw]

When you say "Why are football players different" do you mean why are only football teams put up at a hotel?

For one thing, football is usally played on Saturday afternoons. Putting them up at a hotel keeps them away from distractions on Friday nights. Its a lot easier to keep an eye on a roster as large as football if they are all together rather than spread out at various dorms, apartments, etc. If a school wanted to put the tennis team up at a motel, they should be able to do that.

I don't see why it was banned. If your school can't afford to do it, too bad. Life isn't fair. Not every school can afford nice weight rooms, fancy locker rooms and can pay a coach a ton of money. Should we ban other advantages that these schools can afford as well?

[Redhawk2010]

Really I don't see the point of it. I know SEMO did it for a little while, but cut it out a few years ago because of budget. They were having to rent buses (that came down from St. Louis) to take them to the hotel 30 miles north of Cape for the night. Now they just have team meetings and watch a movie on Friday nights before a game.

[Franks Tanks]

Lafayette stays at a hotel before a home game once every 2 years-- before the Lehigh game. The campus is extremely rowdy the night before a game, and it would be near impossible for players to get a good night sleep in a dorm. It is only done for this one very important home game, and I don't see why this practice is such as issue.

[Go...gate]

For many years before home games, Colgate players simply bunked at Huntington Gymnasium, across the street from Andy Kerr Stadium. I think they still do this.

[citdog]

At The Citadel it is imperative that our team be off campus the night before our home football contests. Our players need not be worried about their DUTY the night before a game.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I wrote this a year ago after the NCAA proposed this legislation.

http://lehighfootballnation.blogspot.com/2010/06/ncaa-wields-hammer-down-on-rivalry.html


On the surface, it seems to perhaps make sense that a school shouldn't use school dollars to put up the football team in a hotel the night before a home game. Mandating FCS schools to not spend their money in this way seems a bit Big Brother-ish, but at least the thought might be to save the athletic departments money. It might be a very small amount of money... but money nonetheless.

...

What might this mean for FCS schools? For Lehigh and Lafayette, the impact could be large.

During the weekend of "The Rivalry" ,Lehigh and Lafayette check their student-athletes into hotels, even if they're the "home team". Why? Mostly to keep them focused on football and academics during a week when most of those students are engaging in binge drinking and who knows what else. The coaches have called the lead-up to Rivalry Week a major "distraction", and checking them into hotels is a tool to help the teams minimize "distractions".

That's not just a concept, either. As one Lafayette poster on Any Given Saturday opined, "Try getting sleep in a dorm or frat house the night before the Lafayette-Lehigh game! I don't see what this accomplishes."

Ironically, an act that Lehigh and Lafayette coaches did for the welfare of their student-athletes is now suggested to be discontinued - for the "student-athlete's welfare." Having the kids stay in the center of campus during "Rivalry" weekend will decidedly not improve student-athlete welfare.

I have no inside knowledge, but I would guess that Lehigh and Lafayette were two of the schools that asked for the override request, because of "The Rivalry". In no particular order, I'd speculate that Montana, Montana State, Grambling, Southern, FAMU, and Bethune-Cookman might have done so, too.

[lionsrking2]

We used to stay in hotels prior to home games, but cut it out of the budget several years ago...IMO, it's a waste of money and I'd much rather our program allocate those dollars (what little it is) somewhere else, regardless of the rule.

If other schools wish to continue the practice, I have no problem with it, and don't see it as a competitive advantage...truth be known, I'd much rather them spend the money on home hotel nights than something that may actually be a competitive advantage.

[dgtw]

Its probably not needed at most FCS schools as it is at major FBS schools.

[seantaylor]

I would say Georgia Southern was one of the schools.

[SUjagTILLiDIE]

For SU, homecoming and Jackson State, the team really needs to stay away from campus. No way can they possible get rest with all those distractions going on. At SU homecoming its around 80,000 folks on campus. Many start tailgating on Friday morning.

[BEAR]

I think a better idea than putting teams up in hotels before games is if the schools actually put the fans up in hotels but did it via a "raffle" so the fans think they won something. What a fundraiser that would be to relax in your fav hotel and start the early morning off with a full breakfast and hit the tailgate area before the sun rose! xnodx

[cmaxwellgsu]

It's a good thing IMO, since most teams who do this get about a half hour into the middle of nowhere. I like the idea of having our team go to Metter or somewhere a little ways away to prevent someone from getting out into the Friday night environment and running into trouble.

[TexasTerror]

Update...


The Football Championship Subdivision Governance Committee defeated a proposal that would have prohibited FCS schools from housing their football teams off campus the night before a home game.

The action taken during the committee’s conference call Thursday was in response to override requests from 18 FCS schools that sought to reverse an April decision to adopt Proposal No. 2010-83.

The 18 override requests were three more than the 15 necessary to require the FCS Governance Committee to revisit the legislation. The committee defeated it during its Thursday call by an 8-4 margin. Unless the Presidential Advisory Group acts otherwise in August, the proposal will be rescinded, thus averting a membership override vote.

http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/ncaa/resources/latest+news/2011/july/fcs+group+supports+override+request+on+pregame+lod ging

[TheRevSFA]

SFA needs to be locked inside a prison of some sort before any FCS playoff games..that's for sure..

[bjtheflamesfan]

I know Liberty stays at the Extended Stay that is just off teh campus the night before a home game. they just gross the street and walk to the Football Operations Center on gamedays...

[FCS Go!]

Update...



http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/ncaa/resources/latest+news/2011/july/fcs+group+supports+override+request+on+pregame+lod ging

I'm really glad to see this proposal is near-dead. It's easily the dumbest thing I've seen coming out of the NCAA.

[Grizzaholic]

SFA needs to be locked inside a prison of some sort before any FCS playoff games..that's for sure..

xlolxxlolxxlolxxlolxxlolx

The pics of those guys walking out on the ice on the river were both funny and dumb. The pics in Red's....meh...whatever. It was a couple days prior so not as big a deal as it was made out to be....and Chris got some good pics.

[blaw0203]

Why dont schools just build special dormitories for the football team and give the coaches suites in them as well. I had a relative who was a football player at BCU and they had a floor dedicated for football and Coach Wyatt had a suite there.

[GAD]

Why dont schools just build special dormitories for the football team and give the coaches suites in them as well. I had a relative who was a football player at BCU and they had a floor dedicated for football and Coach Wyatt had a suite there.
I don't think they allow athlete only housing anymore

[DFW HOYA]

Why dont schools just build special dormitories for the football team and give the coaches suites in them as well.

I think the off-hours activities at Bud Wilkinson Hall at Oklahoma effectively ended this practice.

[lionsrking2]

Why dont schools just build special dormitories for the football team and give the coaches suites in them as well. I had a relative who was a football player at BCU and they had a floor dedicated for football and Coach Wyatt had a suite there.

It used to be that way, but athletic dorms and/or specialty dorms were outlawed by the NCAA in '91 and phased out by '96 or so.

[Redhawk2010]

While it may have been outlawed, I know that there are schools who still do this essentially. They can't call it the "athletic" floor or anything, but they stick a lot of athletes together still.

[lionsrking2]

While it may have been outlawed, I know that there are schools who still do this essentially. They can't call it the "athletic" floor or anything, but they stick a lot of athletes together still.

As I understand the rule, it's okay to bundle athletes together in one dorm, but the dorm must be available to the general student population...what you can't have is a specialized dorm, available to athletes only...if schools are still doing it, they're in violation of NCAA rules.

[bjtheflamesfan]

I know at Liberty we have a "volleyball dorm" a "football dorm" a "mens basketball dorm" etc, but they are only called that because thats the team that tends to live there...not that its some special dorm just for that team...you have a lot of people from the dorms where the athletes live coming to games to support their hallmates