[Sly Fox]

Thanks to Ralph over on AGS for bringing this to our attention:

Report of the January 6 2006 Division I-AA Governance Committee meeting.

Division I-AA Enhancements.

· Learned that the committee supports the following enhancements recommended by the Division I-AA Football Committee:

(1) Increase the travel party to 135 persons for preliminary rounds and to 150 persons for the championship game. The increase should include increases of a similar percentage for the squad size with these travel party limits.

(2) Local ground transportation expenses covered by the NCAA.

(3) Seeding eight teams in the championship bracket.

(4) Elimination of the current subdivision designations of the Division I-A and I-AA. Institutions that sponsor football should collectively be referred to as “Division I Football” and the former subdivisions would be referred to as “Bowl Division” and “Championship Division” as “Playoff Division.”

A G E N D A
National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Board of Directors
NCAA National Office, April 27, 2006, Indianapolis, Indiana

8. Report of the Division I-AA/I-AAA Presidential Advisory Group.
The Board will receive a report from the April 26 meeting of that group. This report will include references to the group’s recommendations, where appropriate, regarding Board agenda items.

13. Update on Division I-AA enhancements.
a. Recommendations to delete use of Divisions I-A, I-AA and I-AAA labels.

Consistent with the numerous Board discussions of Division I-A criteria and Division I-AA enhancements over the past two years, the Board will be asked to take formal action to delete subdivision labels in Division I that pertain only to football (i.e., Divisions I-A, I-AA and I-AAA). The PAG will be asked for feedback.

Division I football members will continue to be distinguished for the purpose of maintaining statistics – For example, Division I – Bowl Championship Group and Division I – Playoff Championship Group. This action will have no impact on the Division I governance or voting structure.

A coordinated public relations initiative is planned for this spring and summer to implement this change and NCAA Football has been asked to both partially fund and help manage the transition. The substantial involvement of NCAA football conferences in this organization (i.e., NCAA Football) uniquely places it in a position to participate along with the NCAA in the management of the branding of the sport and postseason competition in a manner that best serves current Division I-A and Division I-AA NCAA members. NCAA Football is expected to act on a request for $100,000 to be used toward the public relations initiative soon.

b. NCAA Division I Football Championship (former Division I-AA Championships).
Approval of the Division I budget by the Board will result in increased funding for the 16 institutions that now participate in the Division I-AA Football Championship. The total amount will be approximately $450,000, which will increase the travel party by 30. This provides flexibility for the involved institutions to promote more of a bowl celebration environment and the overall student-athlete experience during this NCAA championship. The actual budget allocation of new money is $250,000, along with reallocation of approximately $200,000 available from the Division I-AA budget. This new funding also is contingent on NCAA Football approval of funding of the initiative that is described in paragraph “a” above.

Here is the Board of Directors:

I-A Chancellor Stephen L. Weber Mountain West Conference San Diego State University
I-A President G. Wayne Clough Atlantic Coast Conference Georgia Institute of Technology
I-A President Gregory Geoffroy Big 12 Conference Iowa State University
I-A President John D. Welty Western Athletic Conference California State University, Fresno
I-A President Martin C. Jischke Big Ten Conference Purdue University
I-A President Michael F. Adams Southeastern Conference University of Georgia
I-A President Philip E. Austin Big East Conference University of Connecticut
I-A President Shirley Raines Conference USA University of Memphis
I-A President Sidney A. Ribeau Mid-American Conference Bowling Green State University
I-A President Sidney McPhee Sun Belt Conference Middle Tennessee State University
I-A President, President V. Lane Rawlins Pacific-10 Conference Washington State University
I-AA President Bruce F. Grube Southern Conference Georgia Southern University
I-AA President Clinton Bristow Jr. Southwestern Athletic Conf. Alcorn State University
I-AA President Daniel Curran Atlantic 10 Conference University of Dayton
I-AAA President Anthony J. Di Giorgio Big South Conference Winthrop University
I-AAA President Robert Fisher Atlantic Sun Conference Belmont University
I-AAA President Walter Harrison America East Conference University of Hartford

While its cool that we have a Big South representative in the process, what is uncool is that it is from a school that doesn't play football. In fact, two of the three I-AA representatives don't currently compete in the I-AA Playoffs.

This could have HUGE implications on how we move forward with our plans to go I-A (a title that would no longer exist under the new plans).

Wow!

[Chris Lang]

It really seems like a name change more than anything ... it will not distinguish further between conferences unless, of course, the MAC/Sun Belt/etc. decide to drop down and compete for the postseason instead of bowl games. They'd have to drop their scholarship levels to do so, so I'm not sure it would happen.

While it's a nice name change, I'd say it's far from a blockbuster vote.

[Sly Fox]

The key is that if I am understanding this properly, there would be relaxation of the requirements to compete in the BCS division. Maybe I am reading too much into things, but that's what I see.

In retrospect, I agree that it may not be blockbuster. But it certainly could be a major development as far as our future is concerned.

[Chris Lang]

The key is that if I am understanding this properly, there would be relaxation of the requirements to compete in the BCS division. Maybe I am reading too much into things, but that's what I see.

Good point ... I need to do some more research on it.

[TallyW]

Good job Sly. It's a pretty interesting story to follow.

[PAmedic]

WOW.

(picking jaw up)

WOW.

true, it may not have a profound effect on how things are managed day-to-day, but I'm still wrapping my head around the fact that Texas, Liberty, Penn State and Savannah State will all be regarded as "D1 football"

[Sly Fox]

According to Ralph (who drops by here from time to time and does a great job with I-AA.org) there likely won't be any real changes in the qualification requirements for the top tier. But this will mark the first real change in how Division I football has operated in a long, long time.

[TallyW]

Sly.. is there any real point to this?

Aren't all of the other sports just called DI, DII, DIII? How is changing the name from D1A to Bowl and D1AA to Playoff any change in college football?

Does it pave the way for anything else in the future?

[Sly Fox]

I think initially it is just windowdressing to give the appearance that the NCAA is working toward a playoff system for the big boys. But I believe this will help cut down the barriers between the two groups. Hopefully it will make it easier for us to make our move down the road.

By offering this up, they can also avoid antitrust-type lawsuits by saying any Division I school can choose to compete in the playoff. But that's just a hunch.

[A.G.]

Much ado about NOTHING!