Eagles, Wildcats benefit from NCAA boost
Donald Heath
912.652.0353
donald.heath@savannahnow.com
STATESBORO - Only nine months ago, cornerback Roger King was being recruited heavily by Georgia Southern and Central Michigan.
One school had a Division I-AA label, the other I-A.
King didn't see much difference.
Actually, there was a big difference.
By choosing I-AA Georgia Southern, King played his home games in front of almost 2,000 more fans a game than CMU. During the regular season, the Eagles had six games on television. Central Michigan five.
Saturday, King and his teammates will have a national television audience on ESPN2 when they meet New Hampshire, starting a quest Southern hopes will end with a seventh national championship.
Back in Mount Pleasant, Mich., Central Michigan football players can watch. Their season is over.
"Just because we're a AA, doesn't mean we're not as good as an A team," King said.
And he isn't just reflecting on talent levels either. King likes the postseason hoopla of the Division I-AA game.
It's an opinion many share. More importantly, the NCAA - the governing body of collegiate sports - is taking active measures to enhance that opinion, particularly with steps taken in August.
In short, the NCAA will require I-A schools to fund at least 76 football scholarships, play a minimum of five home games against other I-A competition and demonstrate an average football attendance of at least 15,000.
To make sure schools don't put all their resources into football, the NCAA also requires a I-A school to fund 200 scholarships for the entire athletic program and sponsor at least 16 sports.
And to build up I-AA, officials have several ideas. National television opportunities headline the list. GSU and New Hampshire will be put in the spotlight Saturday.
The I-AA semifinals and finals will also be carried by ESPN or ESPN2.
"There is a lot of momentum for enhancement (of the I-AA game), and for ESPN to pick Georgia Southern is a great compliment for the school, their fans and their program," Southern Conference commissioner Danny Morrison said.
Proponents of I-AA are excited as well. They say the new NCAA guidelines for I-A and additional television exposure will at least slow the dilution of their division.
In the past, finances and perception fueled an exodus from I-AA like a mandatory Florida hurricane evacuation. In the last dozen years, Georgia Southern has seen rivals like Middle Tennessee State, Central Florida, Northeast Louisiana, Marshall, Troy State and South Florida bolt.
Why? If a small school gained I-A status (playing football with 85 scholarships instead of the I-AA limit 63), it had more opportunities to play against big-time programs for hefty paydays. Central Michigan played Indiana and Michigan State this season.
And any highlights of such a game, good or bad, would at least create publicity.
But is that good for collegiate football?
"There are some (schools) at I-A that truly don't belong," GSU athletics director Sam Baker said. "To me, a I-A team should draw 30-35,000 (fans). Any time, you're reading newspaper articles about schools struggling to meet the 15,000 requirement, I think that's negative."
The Eagles saw a program like that two weeks ago. Despite Homecoming and a unique giveaway of Coach Don Strock bobblehead dolls, Florida International drew an announced crowd of 5,000. Next year, the Golden Panthers are expecting to play I-A football in the Sun Belt Conference.
Good luck.
The question seems to be: Why not play in Division I-AA? Potential future NCAA legislation will make that a bigger question.
Morrison said NCAA committees have been looking into counting I-AA wins toward a Division I-A team's bowl requirements every year instead of the current allowance of one every four years.
He said there's talk about even changing the nomenclature to end some of the confusion. If a school plays I-AA football, some think it also plays I-AA basketball.
Of course, that's not true. There's no such thing as I-AA or -A basketball. Only football has the I-AA, I-A subdivisions. All other sports are classified as simply Division I.
"No doubt, (the misconception) hurts our recruiting (in non-football sports)," Morrison said.
National television exposure, however, can only help I-AA football recruiting. And its playoff system, which has been in place since 1978, undoubtedly will be one of I-AA's selling points.
"Saturday night is an awfully good showcase for I-AA football," New Hampshire coach Sean McDonnell said. "(ESPN2) is great for our level."
|
