NEC 1-AA Bowl Bid

[Dane Pound]

There was a story the other day in the Asbury Park Press about the NEC trying again to get a playoff bid. Also an ensuing thread on the Any Given Saturday board-1-AA Board

 

Monmouth unhappy with lack of opportunity to play in bowl game

Published in the Asbury Park Press 09/29/05

 

BY TONY GRAHAM

STAFF WRITER

 

In search of a football postseason.

 

That remains the unfulfilled quest of the Northeast Conference, of which Monmouth University is a member, in its bid to land a postseason bowl game for at least one of its eight football-playing schools.

 

According to NEC Commissioner John Iamarino, nothing will happen until 2007 at the earliest. And that's not exactly etched in stone either.

 

The MAAC's withdrawal from the ECAC Bowl after the 2003 season, when NEC co-champion Monmouth bowed to MAAC winner Duquesne, left the NEC champion high and dry regarding a postseason bowl or playoff opportunity.

 

Iamarino said an NEC application to the NCAA and subsequent appeals for an automatic berth in the Division I-AA football playoffs have been rejected.

 

Now, according to Iamarino, the latest idea is for playoffs among the three limited or non-scholarship leagues: the NEC, the MAAC and the Pioneer League, which currently conducts its own internal playoffs. A similar plan for the NEC never got off the ground.

 

"We would hope something could be in place for 2007," Iamarino said. "On a very peripheral basis there would be a two-week, four-team playoff perhaps with each of the (three) conferences getting an automatic (bid) and then a committee selecting a wild card.

 

"Then you play at home sites, you seed the teams and have 1 play 4 and 2 play 3 and go from there.

 

"But the key is going to be NCAA funding. For a school in our league, let's say to have to make two trips to play teams from the Pioneer League which would be very cost prohibitive."

 

The nine schools in the Pioneer League range geographically from Dayton, Ohio, to Jacksonville, Fla., to San Diego.

 

"There has been discussions among people in the NCAA and among (league) commissioners of trying to put this together. But there are a lot of different hoops we have to jump through."

 

Iamarino noted: "And there are some people out there who say, "Why are we creating another championship for football when we already have one in I-AA?'

[GreatDanes06]

now that idea i like. A Mid-Major National Championship Playoff...settle it like the big boys in I-AA...im down with that.

[UAalum72]

now that idea i like. A Mid-Major National Championship Playoff...

9694[/snapback]

Not gonna happen - has already been rejected by the NCAA. They don't want to be seen encouraging other programs to drop scholarships.

[Dane Pound]

I'd like a bowl game with one of the other conferences like the Pioneer League. It doesn't seem like that will happen.

 

I'm sure Iamarino knows there is no way the NCAA is going to give the NEC an auto bid. It seems to me if the conference is going to try and raise the level of play in the future they are just trying to plant a seed here. Then maybe in a few years when the NEC schools can play with some of the top I-AA teams they'll have already started their case.

[Ruler]

This is all a moot point. One of two things is probably going to happen. The NEC will upgrade to 63 full scholarships and get an auto bid or many programs will fold and the remaining programs will enter a new full scholarship confrence like the "new" AE football league etc.

 

Mid major football is done. Although the people in the "know" realize mid major is on par with mid tier D II and top end D III most people think its club football. I unfortunatly am beginning to feel that way as well after witnessing the massive difference between A-10, and Albany and Monmouth.

 

. We are either fully funded or we should go away. I do believe we will be funded by 2007 or 2008.