National Collegiate Athletic Association

The NCAA News - News and Features

March 10, 1997

I-AA football seeks smaller minimum financial guarantee

Reductions urged for schools hosting championship's quarterfinals, semifinals

The NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee has recommended reductions in the minimum financial guarantees that institutions must meet in order to host quarterfinal and semifinal games in the Division I-AA Football Championship.

If the proposal is approved by the Executive Committee in May, the minimum guarantee would be reduced from $50,000 to $40,000 for quarterfinal games and from $70,000 to $50,000 for semifinal games. The first-round minimum would remain at $30,000.

The committee made the recommendation at its February 19-21 meeting in Tucson, Arizona.

Teams wishing to host games in the first three rounds of the playoffs must submit proposed budgets guaranteeing at least 75 percent of net receipts. The recommendation would reduce the minimum amounts these bids must guarantee. Once these guarantee thresholds have been met, the sites would be awarded to the higher-seeded teams.

The committee recommended the adjustments because some teams have had difficulty meeting the $50,000 and $70,000 minimums.

The proposal emerged from a comprehensive review of the 1996 championship that included an examination of the entire selection procedure. The committee noted that the seeding process was particularly successful last season: Seven of the top eight seeds advanced to the quarterfinals, all of the top four seeds advanced to the semifinals, and the two top-seeded teams met in the title game.

Other highlights

Division I-AA Football Committee
February 19-21/Tucson, Arizona

Reviewed applications for automatic qualification to the Division I-AA Football Championship and recommended the following eight conferences for automatic qualification in 1997: Big Sky Conference, Gateway Football Conference, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, Ohio Valley Conference, Patriot League, Southern Conference, Southland Football Conference and Yankee Conference. This recommendation is subject to approval by the NCAA Executive Committee. Last season, seven conferences received automatic qualification to the playoffs; the new conference is the Patriot League. The committee agreed that the expansion would be in the best interests of the championship and Division I-AA football in general. The committee also agreed that no more than eight automatic qualifiers should ever be approved for the 16-team playoffs, which is consistent with the Association's general policy that automatic qualifiers should not take up more than 50 percent of a team championship's field.

Voted to require teams to have a minimum of six victories to receive their conference's automatic bid.

Recommended the use of seven-man officiating crews in all playoff games, beginning in 1998. Currently, the championship is conducted with six officials. The committee noted that five of the conferences receiving automatic qualification will use seven-man crews in 1997 and felt that the addition of a seventh official in playoff games would be appropriate with a one-year phase-in period. This recommendation is subject to Executive Committee approval.

Met with representatives of the organizing committee for the 1997 championship game in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The committee reviewed ticket sales and marketing plans and received an update on the construction of the stadium that will host the game. The facility is on schedule to be completed by October 1.