New NCAA Div I Nomenclature

NCAA Approves New Labels for Division I Football
by NCAA News

INDIANAPOLIS -- During its summer meetings on Thursday, the NCAA Division I of Directors approved new labels for Division I football. 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.

 

NCAA to rename college football subdivisions

By Steve Wieberg, USA TODAY
The NCAA is doing a little re-labeling, eliminating the Division I-A and I-AA tags that officially separate college football's major and more modest programs.

Acknowledging frustration that the classification often brands an entire university as big-time or non-big-time, the association's Division I Board of Directors moved Thursday to rename the subdivisions. Beginning in December, they'll be known by their respective postseason formats.

What now are I-A programs — the Texases, Notre Dames and others vying for bowls — will play in the Football Bowl Subdivision. The Georgia Southerns, Montanas and others now known as I-AA will play in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, alluding to the 16-team playoff that settles its national title.

Only the names will change. Individual school affiliations, postseason formats, scholarship guidelines and other divisional specifics will remain the same.

Conference commissioners and other officials who came up with the new monikers sought the action "to move away from using those terms (I-A and I-AA) more broadly than what they were intended for," said David Berst, the NCAA's vice president for Division I.

"We'll attempt" to drop them, Berst said, in conjunction with the Dec. 22 I-AA championship, which will become the "Division I football championship."

 

Let's have another big argument over all this. That was fun.

 

I'm in.

 

Yeah, well you and I would agree. I'm waiting for Mags to come in with his Divsion II shit.

 

if App beats State in September...then we can argue.

 

What if Furman beats the Holes?

 

wow, that's dumb considering most people favor championships over bowls

 

could happen, but not likely...just as ASU beating State isn't likely. Furman and App are great AA programs, but not on par with ACC schools (except Wake)

 

Not put words in your mouth, but didn't you mean to say 'Duke'?