JMU Duke Dog
July 2nd, 2005, 01:52 PM
Below is an article from The Atlanta Journal-Consitution written by D. Orlando Ledbetter:
The CAA recently announced that it will play football in 2007. League member Old Dominion, which last fielded a football team in 1940, announced last week it will bring back the sport in 2009.
"By being in a conference that now plays football, it will give us an opportunity to at least consider it, look at it and see if it's something that we want to do," said Tom Lewis, Georgia State's vice president for external affairs and athletic operations.
Georgia State, which is leaving the Atlantic Sun, has a new perspective on football. In Nov. 2002, Georgia State president Carl V. Patton told the AJC there were no plans to begin an NCAA-sanctioned football program. But by joining the CAA, the school has softened its position.
"We'll do our own studies and see what the bottom line, so to speak, is," Lewis said. "What financial commitment is it going to take for us to start a football program? Because if we start it, we're going to do it right."
Division I-AA budgets can range from $500,000 to $3 million-plus annually, according to Otto Fad, who runs the Internet site, I-AA.com based in Lakeland, Fla. Southeastern Louisiana restarted its program after building up a $5 million fund. Old Dominion plans to raise $8 million by June 2006.
With Delaware, Hofstra, James Madison, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Northeastern, Rhode Island, Richmond, Towson, Villanova and William & Mary, the CAA will be one of the nation's strongest I-AA leagues. Delaware, James Madison and Massachusetts have won three of the last seven I-AA titles.
Diehard SEC fans will remember that Maine defeated Mississippi State last season.
Georgia State's athletic program dates back to the 1963-'64 season. It joined the Trans America Athletic Conference in 1984-'85 The conference later changed its name to Atlantic Sun.
The downtown, mostly commuter school, has dominated its old league in recent years, winning seven of the last 12 all-sports championships in men's and women's sports. The school's national highlight came when the men's basketball team upset Wisconsin in the 2001 NCAA tournament.
Suddenly Football
Southern Louisiana cut football in 1985, but brought it back two seasons ago in I-AA under athletic director Frank Pergolizzi.
"We set up football as a self-supporting entity," Pergolizzi said.
The Lions played two seasons as an independent and will enter the Southland Conference this season under former North Gwinnett High coach Dennis Roland. The campus in Hammond, La., has had a certain buzz to it with the return of football.
"We don't have anything else here, including commencement, that's going to bring 9,000 people to our campus for a period of five or six hours," Pergolizzi said. "It's enhanced our student life."
Master Builder
Roland helped build the football program at Middle Georgia College and served as head coach from 1993 to 1997.
"It's really important to identify a core group of supporters," Roland said. "I would think that they would be able to secure a pretty good group."
Roland cites being in a metro area, Georgia State's alumni base and new dormitories as positives for Georgia State football.
"They need to a have a 10-year plan," Roland said. "They need to have a vision for the long haul."
Rest of the State
Georgia Southern, which has won six I-AA titles, and Savannah State are the only schools in Georgia playing I-AA.
"We'd have to see how things would unfold," Georgia Southern coach Mike Sewak said. "But I think the state can handle three I-AA teams."
Several I-AA schools regularly recruit the state.
"I know that Delaware's K.C. Keeler tries to get a player or two out of there each year," Fad said. "There's no doubt that there is plenty of talent to go around for Georgia Southern and Georgia State."
The CAA recently announced that it will play football in 2007. League member Old Dominion, which last fielded a football team in 1940, announced last week it will bring back the sport in 2009.
"By being in a conference that now plays football, it will give us an opportunity to at least consider it, look at it and see if it's something that we want to do," said Tom Lewis, Georgia State's vice president for external affairs and athletic operations.
Georgia State, which is leaving the Atlantic Sun, has a new perspective on football. In Nov. 2002, Georgia State president Carl V. Patton told the AJC there were no plans to begin an NCAA-sanctioned football program. But by joining the CAA, the school has softened its position.
"We'll do our own studies and see what the bottom line, so to speak, is," Lewis said. "What financial commitment is it going to take for us to start a football program? Because if we start it, we're going to do it right."
Division I-AA budgets can range from $500,000 to $3 million-plus annually, according to Otto Fad, who runs the Internet site, I-AA.com based in Lakeland, Fla. Southeastern Louisiana restarted its program after building up a $5 million fund. Old Dominion plans to raise $8 million by June 2006.
With Delaware, Hofstra, James Madison, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Northeastern, Rhode Island, Richmond, Towson, Villanova and William & Mary, the CAA will be one of the nation's strongest I-AA leagues. Delaware, James Madison and Massachusetts have won three of the last seven I-AA titles.
Diehard SEC fans will remember that Maine defeated Mississippi State last season.
Georgia State's athletic program dates back to the 1963-'64 season. It joined the Trans America Athletic Conference in 1984-'85 The conference later changed its name to Atlantic Sun.
The downtown, mostly commuter school, has dominated its old league in recent years, winning seven of the last 12 all-sports championships in men's and women's sports. The school's national highlight came when the men's basketball team upset Wisconsin in the 2001 NCAA tournament.
Suddenly Football
Southern Louisiana cut football in 1985, but brought it back two seasons ago in I-AA under athletic director Frank Pergolizzi.
"We set up football as a self-supporting entity," Pergolizzi said.
The Lions played two seasons as an independent and will enter the Southland Conference this season under former North Gwinnett High coach Dennis Roland. The campus in Hammond, La., has had a certain buzz to it with the return of football.
"We don't have anything else here, including commencement, that's going to bring 9,000 people to our campus for a period of five or six hours," Pergolizzi said. "It's enhanced our student life."
Master Builder
Roland helped build the football program at Middle Georgia College and served as head coach from 1993 to 1997.
"It's really important to identify a core group of supporters," Roland said. "I would think that they would be able to secure a pretty good group."
Roland cites being in a metro area, Georgia State's alumni base and new dormitories as positives for Georgia State football.
"They need to a have a 10-year plan," Roland said. "They need to have a vision for the long haul."
Rest of the State
Georgia Southern, which has won six I-AA titles, and Savannah State are the only schools in Georgia playing I-AA.
"We'd have to see how things would unfold," Georgia Southern coach Mike Sewak said. "But I think the state can handle three I-AA teams."
Several I-AA schools regularly recruit the state.
"I know that Delaware's K.C. Keeler tries to get a player or two out of there each year," Fad said. "There's no doubt that there is plenty of talent to go around for Georgia Southern and Georgia State."