National Collegiate Athletic Association

The NCAA News - News and Features

March 9, 1998

Committee concerned about attendance for I-AA title game

An evaluation of last year's championship game and a discussion on how to improve the overall championship experience highlighted the agenda of the Division I-AA Football Committee during its recent meeting.

The committee, which met February 11-13 in Amelia Island, Florida, discussed the 1997 championship game and plans for the 1998 championship with representatives of the Chattanooga, Tennessee, Sports and Events Committee.

The committee acknowledged that the championship game was a success but it noted that a major challenge for 1998 would be to increase attendance by the Chattanooga community. While the community was very supportive of the game through patron sales, the majority of the tickets purchased through the patron-sales effort were not used.

The committee also reviewed Bylaw 31.3.4.1-(c), which states a conference that has subdivided into five or more teams may conduct either single or double round-robin competition within each subdivision, plus a postseason tournament to determine its champion. It was noted that this provision might render some conferences ineligible for automatic qualification. The committee voted to propose that the provisions of 31.3.4.1-(c) not apply to Division I-AA football, and that conferences that subdivide into five or more teams be required to conduct single-round competition and develop a formula to determine its champion.

In a related matter, the committee voted to grant automatic-qualification privileges for the 1998 championship to the Patriot League and Atlantic 10, Big Sky, Gateway Football, Mid-Eastern Athletic, Ohio Valley, Southern and Southland Conferences. The champions of the those eight football conferences received automatic qualification in 1997.

Other highlights

Division I-AA Football Committee
February 11-13Amelia Island, Florida

  • Reviewed the selections and pairings from the 1997 championship and noted that -- for the first time in the history of the championship -- both of the championship-game participants won two road games to earn the opportunity to play in the championship game.

  • Noted that for future championship prefinal and final games, television timeouts will not be shortened for any reason. In addition, committee representatives will be asked to monitor postgame press conferences so that they are conducted according to established policy.

  • Conducted a general discussion regarding how the Division I-AA membership could become more involved with the activities surrounding the championship game. For 1998, the committee agreed to request that a Youth Education through Sports clin-ic be conducted for local football players and that the American Football Coaches Association sponsor a coaches clinic.

  • Agreed to request a meeting of ESPN executives at the June meeting of the Division I Football Issues Committee to discuss the committee's concern regarding the television network's promotion of the championship.

  • Learned that the Rawlings football will be the official football for the 1998 championship; however, as part of the NCAA's involvement with NCAA Football USA, a process has begun to determine the official ball for the 1999 championship.

  • Recognized the considerable and long-time efforts of the chair, Marino H. Casem, director of athletics at Southern University, Baton Rouge, whose term on the committee will end September 1, 1998.