... In the Pocket ...

I-AA vs. IA Games ... Treasure or Treasury?

Contrary to how it might seem, I did not post these scores to embarrass any of the above I-AA teams. However, these are 2003 I-AA play-off clubs that faced IA competition. Now to be fair, there were some decent games between IA clubs vs. I-AA clubs last year. Montana beat IA rival Idaho, Delaware beat Navy and Western Illinois defeated IA Eastern Michigan. Also, Florida-Atlantic lost a "heartbreaker" to IA Central Florida. However, none of these IA programs are considered "IA contenders" by any standard. But did you know that FAU also lost to a DII club? Did you also know that the Gamecocks also lost to a DII club? Yes, these were both outstanding DII schools ... but a sub-IAA loss is still a sub-IAA loss. So ... is this just a part of the game of I-AA football ... or should it be?

In 1978, the NCAA decided to create the I-AA division. There are many differences between the division and "it's older sibling". The most obvious are school size, dollars granted and scholarship level. Clearly, the association's intent was to differentiate the two divisions. Now we see I-AA clubs playing BCS clubs with obvious results. I can completely understand why some I-AA teams may want to play IA clubs, as my alma-matter's 3 largest rivals are all IA programs. Yet ... I realize that there is a huge difference between the two divisions. Furthermore, I understand that many good I-AA programs can defeat some IA programs. This being said... I am completely against inter-divisional matches.

• Finances: I-AA schools receive larger amounts of money to play against a IA club, than they do to play the majority of I-AA schools. Although many misled I-AA egos have figures up around the 1/2-million dollar mark (they could get any IA school in the country to play them for that amount)... reality shows the majority I-AA schools receive $250k to $300k for the privilege of a loss and serious physical risk to players. Now, smaller IA programs will not offer as much of a financial incentive, and the games are usually a bit more closely-matched. What many are not taking into account ... is the financial imbalance this places on other I-AA clubs that do not play a "money game". This is especially the case within each I-AA conference. Most clubs in a particular conference will play roughly the same amount of home games over a two year period ... therefore, all things being equal, will produce about the same income from these games. This is called "parity". Larger I-AA programs will make a greater amount of income per home game. Yet, it is these larger I-AA programs (that already have a greater per-game income) are the teams that usually play the larger (BCS) IA programs. So these clubs make even more money with the IA game (2 to 3 times what they would make with a home game) by playing a "money game". Thus, other teams in the conference are forced to try and schedule games against larger IA programs just to keep pace with the revenue generated. Yet these lower-end I-AA clubs have even less chance of being competitive against a IA club. The better I-AA programs will continue to be, and the gap between the upper and lower I-AA programs will continue to grow. The next thing will be for a I-AA team to try and schedule 2 BCS games. What's next? 3, 4, 5 BCS games? Hey ... if you want to be a IA program, write your AD and file the paperwork.
  
• Prestige: There are many words that can be used in place of prestige ... ego and exposure are a merely a couple more. What is the reason that any group organizes? The answer is ... survival. The purpose of the NCAA is to maintain our division. To do this, they must help the division grow through national exposure. The average college football fan in America will follow the Big-6 conferences. An average Saturday's television schedule is loaded with Big East, Big-10, Big-12, SEC, ACC and PAC-10 games. There is not a very large chance of these fans knowing that I-AA even exists ... let alone knowing some of the conferences or clubs. So then is playing a larger IA program (with the media exposure) a good idea for a I-AA club?
  
  At first everyone would answer "yes". However, when the average college fans sees results similar to the 2003 results above ... just what exposure do you think I-AA is receiving with all of these lop-sided losses? I think all fans of I-AA can agree the exposure is not very favorable. The average fan already knows I-AA is a step below IA, and with losses like above, the fans have evidence to support this opinion and continue the ignorance of I-AA ball. Would we not be far more well-off, if I-AA teams did not play IA (or at least BCS-level) clubs? The the average fan will not see these one-sided games ... but instead (with proper administration) see two good I-AA teams playing each other? They may still say these clubs could not compete against "the big-boys" and they are correct ... but they will never really know this, as they should never have the chance to see it take place. So, in the back of their minds ... anything is possible. Now one may still remain ignorant, and see the I-AA vs IA in a positive light, as they may have national media exposure. So these readers will not be shocked, ignore the next paragraph.
  
  I live in Columbus, Ohio. Each week, over 100, 000 fans pack "the shoe" to watch their beloved Buckeyes. Well, the only reason these fans ever heard of YSU is because that is where their head-coach came from ... and that is the only I-AA club they have ever heard of. This town did not even know about YSU, or Mount Union ... the countries most successful programs (at their respective levels) throughout the 90's. They probably do not even know that the two schools are playing in different divisions. Even more interesting, considering Youngstown and Mount Union are in Ohio. Why is this? Well, the obvious answer is that the media did not cover it ... and, contrary to what one might think, they will not offer much coverage to these one-sided I-AA vs. IA matches either. It might be the greatest game of the year, to Western Kentucky fans, to take the field against Aburn. However ... to Aburn fans ... 'the Hilltoppers ain 't 'bama', and unless the local market is willing to pick the game up, no-one else (aside from those in attendance) even sees the game. A case in point.
  
  I remember watching Michigan vs. Michigan St on national television a couple of years ago. They cut to another game and I was shocked to see a I-AA club on my television screen. It was Youngstown at Marshall, the Herd #18 at the time. All the announcers were shocked that it was late in the game and the Penguins had the lead. The announcers were local, and very poor ... obviously this was supposed to be a low-priority game for ESPN+. Well the Herd won the game and it took an "almost I-AA miracle" for anyone to see the game outside of Huntington. My thoughts then turned to see what was being said about this in written publications. A sample of this (courtesy of USAToday) "Herd Almost Becomes the First Ranked School to Fall to a I-AA club". I don't see any mention of the I-AA team's name in that title. Even more disheartening to me (as a fan of I-AA) ... was they spent most of the article, covering Heisman hopeful Byron Leftwich and how Ohio State head-coach Jim Tressel spent 15-years at the helm of Youngstown.
  
• The I-AA Media: Clearly, seeing the trend to playing IA teams, our media began attacking teams that play DII games, as well as those that do not play a IA game. They (I-AA) should not be playing these games against DII opponents... right? "the big I-AA team should not be picking on the little DII club". Yet it is okay for the I-AA club to play "David" against the mighty BCS teams (Goliath). Well, I have news for you ... if it was not a miracle for David to defeat Goliath ... it would not be in the Bible. Some in the I-AA media are just hypocrites in their reporting ... they are saying it is terrific for the I-AA team to step up and be the 'warm-up' ... but it is terrible to play a DII 'warm-up'. Well, I have news for these reporters. There ARE elite I-AA teams, just as there are elite IA clubs. Each team properly utilizes this first game to see what the squad has to offer. So ..."what's good for the goose ...". Now these writers consider any I-AA team NOT playing a IA, or playing a DII club, to have 'weak schedules'. Why are the readers not attacking these writers for insulting the division they are supposed to be covering?
  
• The reality: the reality of all of this, is that we are allowing our division to be integrated. This, with the only possible outcome being a move up (IA) ... or a move down (DII). None-the-less ... the eventual end of I-AA football. The end of our play-off, the end of our much more meaningful draft picks and signings. Now many reading this may not care, and that is fine ... but I certainly do, and this article is not "making a mountain out of a mole hill". However, if we continue to allow this erosion ... it is I-AA that will become the 'mole-hill' in the eyes of collegiate football fans in America. And as discussed, we are not exactly a great summit at this point.
  
  

So, what is all of this, if we do not have a solution to the problem at hand? Not much, so here are a few ideas to ponder:

• Pass an immediate ban on BCS vs. I-AA games. Why? Not only for the reasons mentioned in this article, but most any IA mid-major club is more deserving of the chance to play the upper-end IA clubs. In addition, just as most I-AA fans complain about teams making the play-off with DII teams on their schedule; I have just as big of an issue with BCS bowl clubs playing for a title with I-AA teams on their schedule ... right LSU?
  
• For the remaining games (non-BCS IA vs. I-AA), place a few restrictions:
  • A maximum pay-out of $115k, which will include all expenses.
  • All games scheduled must be at least a home-away series. The IA club must travel to the I-AA facility for at least 1 game in a 2-game series. In addition, the IA team must travel for the first meeting in the series. This way, if IA club cancels, it will be their home game. If for any reason the IA club does not play at the I-AA facility, that team must pay an amount (equal to their largest pay-out to a team that season) to the NCAA {not the I-AA club} for the violation. This amount will be used by the NCAA help with costs associated with the play-off, or other IAA-only need.
    
• Make ALL DI transfers (including IA to I-AA) have to wait one year before they can play. Just as it would be for a lateral, or upward, transfer. This will insure that players are not transferring just to be "a big fish in a small sea" ... or because they will not be able to pass "academic muster" for another year. I am willing to make an exception to players with 1-year, or less, of IA participation. So, we are talking true or red-shirt freshman only. Of ocurse, this does not apply to JUCO transfers ... they can be upper-classmen.
  
• The NCAA I-AA selection committee must use 10 contests, of an 11 game schedule, (11 games in a 12-game season) in considering which clubs will receive a bid to the play-off. Any sub-IAA game automatically is discounted from play-off consideration. This means that if a I-AA club schedules a DII club, to counter-act a IA "money game" ... guess what? The "money game" loss counts as a loss toward the post-season ... and NOT the DII win. In addition, I-AA clubs must play a minimum of 9 intra-divisional (I-AA) games to qualify for the post-season.
  
  

Now, much of this article may seem unrealistic and harsh. Well it is just one fan's opinion and you should certainly form your own. As stated, it is the obligation of the NCAA to preserve and promote I-AA football. Maybe the I-AA automatic play-off berth conferences may decide to drop the NCAA & for a championship series of their own ... only we will do ours with a play-off & show the BCS how it is done. If the NCAA does not do something about this trend of integration soon, our division could see it's end. It is time to hold the association accountable for their clear mismanagement of recent years. I for one ... do not want to any I-AA team become a "bottom feeder" in IA.