Olde Hornet
Well-Known Member
http://www.collegefootballnews.com/2003/Columnists/RC/Attendance_IA.htm
I-A Affiliation in Jeopardy (15)
Last April, the NCAA took a big step toward making it harder for smaller programs to maintain membership in college football?s elite I-A division. Passed by the Management Council were stricter scheduling, scholarship, attendance and other guidelines that could reduce the number of top tier programs if, as expected, the new standards go into effect before the 2004 season.
Most problematic are stipulations calling for schools to play no fewer than five home games versus I-A opponents while maintaining an average attendance of at least 15,000 fans a game. Thirteen current programs would have violated the attendance minimum in 2002 while two others would have passed by the narrowest of margins.
Grandstanding: The biggest impact?by far?would be felt by the Sun Belt, whose brief stay in the I-A ranks could be cut short after just three seasons. Of the conference?s seven members, only New Mexico State?22,163 fans a game?would cruise past the required attendance mark. The New Orleans Bowl may never be the same again.
You can bet that some Big 6 programs won?t be happy if these mandates go into effect in 18 months. Those that annually feast on the likes of Troy State and Arkansas State will be less likely to schedule these teams if the result would be a I-AA victory that won?t help in the bowl eligibility equation.
% Of Capacity
School
Stadium
2002 2001 2000 Avg. Attendance (2002)
Troy State
Memorial
77 n/a n/a 13,403
Idaho
Kibbie Dome
68 52 45 10,931
Ball State
Ball State
57 67 68 12,849
North Texas
Fouts Field
50 43 47 15,260
UL Lafayette
Cajun Field
49 43 47 15,056
Houston
Robertson
47 61 49 14,986
Arkansas St
Indian
43 35 33 13,199
Wyoming
War Memorial
41 51 44 13,687
Buffalo
University
36 40 31 11,244
MTSU
Floyd
36 58 33 11,163
Eastern Michigan
Rynearson
36 44 33 10,777
San Jose State
Spartan
34 34 40 10,360
Kent State
Dix
33 24 24 10,086
Akron
Rubber Bowl
33 38 30 11,600
UL Monroe
Malone
28 25 32 8,470
I-A Affiliation in Jeopardy (15)
Last April, the NCAA took a big step toward making it harder for smaller programs to maintain membership in college football?s elite I-A division. Passed by the Management Council were stricter scheduling, scholarship, attendance and other guidelines that could reduce the number of top tier programs if, as expected, the new standards go into effect before the 2004 season.
Most problematic are stipulations calling for schools to play no fewer than five home games versus I-A opponents while maintaining an average attendance of at least 15,000 fans a game. Thirteen current programs would have violated the attendance minimum in 2002 while two others would have passed by the narrowest of margins.
Grandstanding: The biggest impact?by far?would be felt by the Sun Belt, whose brief stay in the I-A ranks could be cut short after just three seasons. Of the conference?s seven members, only New Mexico State?22,163 fans a game?would cruise past the required attendance mark. The New Orleans Bowl may never be the same again.
You can bet that some Big 6 programs won?t be happy if these mandates go into effect in 18 months. Those that annually feast on the likes of Troy State and Arkansas State will be less likely to schedule these teams if the result would be a I-AA victory that won?t help in the bowl eligibility equation.
% Of Capacity
School
Stadium
2002 2001 2000 Avg. Attendance (2002)
Troy State
Memorial
77 n/a n/a 13,403
Idaho
Kibbie Dome
68 52 45 10,931
Ball State
Ball State
57 67 68 12,849
North Texas
Fouts Field
50 43 47 15,260
UL Lafayette
Cajun Field
49 43 47 15,056
Houston
Robertson
47 61 49 14,986
Arkansas St
Indian
43 35 33 13,199
Wyoming
War Memorial
41 51 44 13,687
Buffalo
University
36 40 31 11,244
MTSU
Floyd
36 58 33 11,163
Eastern Michigan
Rynearson
36 44 33 10,777
San Jose State
Spartan
34 34 40 10,360
Kent State
Dix
33 24 24 10,086
Akron
Rubber Bowl
33 38 30 11,600
UL Monroe
Malone
28 25 32 8,470
