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When the NCAA gets bored fighting Indian nicknames

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by MU_was_not_so_hard, Aug 5, 2006.

  1. MU_was_not_so_hard

    MU_was_not_so_hard Active Member

    I heard about this a few months back, but the fact the actually did it is moronic.

    Division I Board of Directors Results: Goodbye I-AA
    The NCAA News
    In another action regarding the two football subdivisions in Division I, the Board approved new labels. The presidents approved a change in terminology to “Football Bowl Subdivision” for the former I-A classification and “NCAA Football Championship Subdivision” for the former I-AA group. The Collegiate Commissioners Association helped develop the new labels.

    The presidents believe the new nomenclature, which becomes effective in December, more accurately distinguishes Division I institutions for purposes of governing football, the only sport for which such a distinction is necessary. Members felt the old nomenclature inaccurately tiered Division I institutions in all sports, not just football, and produced instances in which media outlets and other entities incorrectly cited institutions as being Division I-AA in basketball or baseball, for example.

    “All Division I institutions, regardless of whether they sponsor football, are in fact and should be referred to as Division I members,” said Board Chair and University of Connecticut President Philip Austin. “The only reasons for labeling are the need to distinguish the two football subdivisions for the purpose of governing the sport and to maintain separate statistics. The Board is stressing that the nomenclature reflect the totality of the Division I membership whenever possible and that the subdivision labels be used sparingly. Still, there are instances in which we need to use them, and we feel the new labels are more accurate.”

    The new nomenclature does not effect the voting structure used in Division I governance matters.
     
  2. 2muchcoffeeman

    2muchcoffeeman Well-Known Member

    So in other words, one part of Division I is playing for a national championship and the other is playing for a bowl trophy.

    As long as they have the courage to admit it, who am I to argue?
     
  3. Johnny Dangerously

    Johnny Dangerously Well-Known Member

    I think it's stupid, stupid, stupid, but it would have never happened if the media knew how to correctly identify Division I, Division I-A and Division I-AA in the various contexts. If I had a dollar for every time I read a story that demonstrated the writer's ignorance about those classifications, I could buy my own newspaper.
     
  4. MU_was_not_so_hard

    MU_was_not_so_hard Active Member

    I'll admit, I made plenty of mistakes re: that before I started covering I-AA ball. I wonder how much can be credited to that.
    Either way, the NCAA is dumb.
     
  5. Cosmo

    Cosmo Well-Known Member

    You'd be stunned by the amount of people who would look at you funny if you said Appalachian State played Division I football.

    "No they don't," they'd say. "They play I-AA football."

    Uh, rocket scientist, I-AA schools by definition are Division I.
     
  6. hondo

    hondo Well-Known Member

    I don't think it's courageous on their part to designate these divisions. They're merely calling attention to the stupidity and labeling the divisions for what they are: one is irrelevant and doesn't decide on its champion by playing a true championship game, and the other does it the right way.
     
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