The Division I-AA Football Committee, in consultation with the Division I-AA representatives of the Collegiate Commissioners Association, has made recommendations to enhance the I-AA championship experience for student athletes.

The recommendations were made at the committee's February meeting in response to a Division I Board of Directors request that appropriate legislative proposals and recommendations be developed for its consideration in April that support and enhance the Division I-AA membership. The Division I Football Issues Committee (FIC) subsequently made several recommendations regarding the enhancement of Division I-AA football, particularly regarding regular-season issues. The FIC then requested that the Division I-AA Football Committee make recommendations specific to the enhancement of the postseason experience.

A consistent theme in the discussions was the goal to make the Division I-AA championship, particularly the championship game, a "bowl-like experience" for the participating institutions and student-athletes.

The recommendations include:

• Seeding eight teams. Currently, only four teams in the 16-team championship bracket are seeded. Increasing the number of seeds is a consistent request from the I-AA membership regarding the championship. The committee felt the increase would ensure more integrity of the championship bracket through a more even distribution of the most talented teams.

Members noted that expanding the bracket to 24 teams also would address several issues related to the championship. The I-AA championship as it currently stands offers championship access to a lower percentage of teams than in any other Division I sport and any other postseason football championship in any division. Several I-AA conferences have traditionally been excluded from the championship experience through a lack of automatic-qualifier spots.

Committee members also noted, though, that the concept is complicated by proposals to increase the number of regular-season games to 12, thus making a 24-team bracket impossible due to length-of-season constraints, and the logistical difficulties associated with an 11-game regular season. (To avoid moving the championship one week later, teams would either not have a regular-season bye week or they would have to start the season a week earlier.)

Committee chair Roachel Laney, assistant professor for health, exercise and leisure studies at Appalachian State University, said the committee wants to study the effects an expanded bracket would have on the length of season and start and finish dates.

"We had concerns and we would like to take the time to do that assessment and get feedback from coaches and administrators about the cost impact that could have as well," Laney said. "It's not something we're against; we would just like to study it."

• Increase the travel party size to 150 (200 for the championship game). Committee members noted that the championship is a time for celebration for participating institutions and their greater campus communities. The committee felt that current limits of 100 and 115 for the championship game should be expanded to include more people, particularly student-athletes, in the celebration. Laney said at least half of the travel party increase should be composed of student-athletes.

"The problem that we experience for postseason is that during your regular season, you operate and function a certain way. Then all of a sudden when we get to the playoffs and we're trying to reward players, you're limited with how many participants you can take. That number is less than what a significant number of teams use in the regular season," Laney said. "So now, you're depriving some student-athletes that experience."

The other factor considered in making this recommendation, Laney said, was preventing teams from losing money on travel costs.

• Institutional support group transportation for 100 people. Committee members believe that institutional bands, cheerleaders and mascots support the football team throughout the season and should be rewarded with the opportunity to perform at the Division I-AA Football Championship game.

• Local ground transportation and increased honorarium. To reduce the financial burden of advancing through the I-AA football championship, the committee believes funds should be provided to cover the cost of all local ground transportation associated with the championship. Committee members also recommend increasing the honorarium for institutions hosting games during the preliminary rounds of the championship, which will help participating institutions focus more on the excitement of participating in the championship than on accumulating debt for that participation.

• NCAA marketing and promotions budget. Currently, only $20,000 of Association funds are devoted specifically to promoting the Division I-AA championship. The committee believes that figure should be increased to $200,000. In addition, committee members recommend that the local organizing committee promotions budget be increased to $50,000.

• Labeling for Division I football classifications. Many people maintain that the subdivision references of I-A and I-AA are particularly debilitating for I-AA football teams and the rest of their institution's athletics programs. Accordingly, the committee believes that subdivision references should be changed to more accurately reflect and celebrate the differences between the two groups. The committee suggests that the groups be referred to as the "Division I Football Bowl Division" and "Division I Football Championship Division."

• Committee composition. Because there are several I-AA football conferences that are not represented on the committee, members believe the committee composition should include an additional individual to represent those conferences.

• Television exposure. The committee recommends that television exposure remain a top priority, and that the current amount of television exposure should be maintained or enhanced in future years.

Laney said he expects some resistance to the proposed enhancements, but he believes the changes would be best for the participants.

"Any time you recommend changes that have a cost associated with them, somebody has to figure out if we can afford it and if it's in the best interests of the championship and the best interests of the student-athlete," he said. "We feel that these are things that can enhance the experience of the student-athlete."

In other business, the committee heard a presentation from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, which hosted the Division
I-AA championship at its Finley Stadium in 2004 and will serve as host again in 2005. Field conditions were a major concern of participants in the 2004 championship, and Chattanooga officials agreed to install artificial turf before the 2005 championship game.

The committee also reiterated its new selection policy for the 2005 championship. Previously, teams with more than three losses had their postseason threatened. The new policy stipulates that fewer than seven wins against Division I opponents may jeopardize postseason selection.