OK, I have some major assignments from the past few days behind me ... although Inside Edition called tonight and has me scrambling tomorrow. So there is no better time than this evening to start rambling incoherent thoughts.
Up until now, there essentially have been three classes of Division I football programs:
- 1. The Big Boys - Primarily from BCS conferences with Notre Dame and some gate crashers from leagues like the MWC & WAC. They are the big money schools who actually manage to turn a profit.
2. Everybody Else in FBS - There is a significant dropoff for these programs which basically begin each year looking to find a way to become bowl eligible. The Big Boys need these guys to pad their own records for bowl eligibility.
3. FCS - Yeah, you could divide this into the haves & have nots of I-AA but there really is such a small differential that it is not worth noting. Get the privilege of playing in a playoff that the rest of America couyld care less about.
As much as I love the playoff system and hope it is eventually put in play by the Big Boys, frankly it doesn't do any more for the reputation and the college experience of a school than a random bowl in New Orleans or Tampa. Frankly I have long since felt the value of being in category 2 far exceeded any success in Category 3. But that has always just been personal preference that I recognize is not held by many of my friends.
With this current wave of realignments, I am not sure how this will all shake out. But here is my best guess:
- 1. Super Conferences - 16-team leagues snatch up most of the TV revenue. A group of five (Big Ten, SEC, ACC/Big East grouping, Pac 10, MWC) leagues essentially become an 80(?)-team super classification.
2. Everybody Else in FBS - Conference USA survives with a completely revamped lineup along with the WAC and then regional leagues like the MAC, Sunbelt and another Eastern league of I-AA step-ups.
3. FCS - With the moratorium lifted and everyone in same boat of waiting out auto bids, there is a large number of top FCS schools who step up for invites to Everybody Else leagues as well as a new Eastern regional league. The watered down classification will lose even more relevance.
Under this scenario, the 'Everybody Else' tier will be scrambled and will be looking for a few key FCS schools to come up and fill the gaps. What will be their likely key priorities? Proximity has to be high on the list in order to keep costs down since television revenue will be sparse now that the 'Big Boys' have taken an even larger portion of the TV revenue pie. Then it comes down primarily to simple things like attendance, facilities, school financial stability (a MAJOR concern in places like Louisiana & Mississippi) and finally television markets.
Fortunately for us, the past few years has seen us grow into one of the top FCS schools in attendance and not only do we have grand plans to eventually expand out stadium to 60k, we actually have a major portion of that construction underway right now. We aren't just talking the talk like a number of other schools, we are actually walking the walk. Gone for now are the days of LU teetering on the edge of financial insolvency. We actually have a track record of spending money to upgrade facilities and for recruiting and still have a university in a solid economic state. As for television markets, well, Roanoke-Lynchburg doesn't do us any favors. But the fact that we have a national alumni base and enough interest to garner national coverage carries a great deal of weight in th eyes of league commissioners not named Kyle.
Just think about it ... five years ago we would have had practically no chance of drawing the attention of anyone. But all of the positive developments in the past few years have positioned us as one of the most attractive FCS schools available. That is to the credit of our administration, a forward-thinking AD, the generosity of key donors and most importantly God. Even though our religious & political reputation will always be an issue with many, I don't believe it is as damaging today toward our efforts as it was 5-10 years ago.
Bottom line: We are positioned to make a step forward whether it be up to an FBS league or a stronger FCS partnership. We need to be proactive and make sure that potential suitors recognize all of the aforementioned changes we have made. It is time to start marketing ourselves not just to ticket-buyers & donors but also to leagues who might not recognize what a strong option we are today. Of course there are many variables beyond our control that could determine our fate. But I personally believe God has positioned us perfectly for such a time as this.
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How great would that be!!
- By LU Armchair coach
- By cruzan_flame13