Expert: Vic Winnek - 10/2/2006

Question
I wanted to know what a school has to do to become div. 1 A football team?

Answer
Andrew

I am probably going to give you more information than you want but the requirements are specifics and reviewed and adjusted every two years.  The following are the NCAA requirements.

MEMBERSHIP -- DIVISION I-A REQUIREMENTS

"20.9.6  Division I-A Football Requirements.  An institution classified in Division I-A shall meet the additional requirements listed below.

"20.9.6.1  Sports Sponsorship.  The institution shall sponsor a minimum of 16 varsity intercollegiate sports, including football, based on the minimum sports-sponsorship and scheduling requirements set forth in Bylaw 20, including a minimum of six sports involving all-male teams or mixed teams of males and females, and a minimum of eight varsity intercollegiate sports (of which a maximum of two emerging sports per Bylaw 20.02.5 may be utilized) based on the minimum sports-sponsorship and scheduling requirements set forth in Bylaw 20 and involving all-female teams, subject to the waiver provision in Bylaw 20.9.3.1.

"20.9.6.2  Football Scheduling Requirement.  The institution shall schedule and play at least 60 percent of its football games against members of Division I-A and shall schedule and play at least five regular season home football games against members of Division I-A.  For purposes of satisfying the scheduling requirement, a contest shall be considered a home contest if it is played in the stadium in which an institution conducts at least 50 percent of its home contests.  In addition, an institution may use one home contest against a Division I-A member conducted a neutral site to satisfy the five home game requirement.

[Remainder of 20.9.6.2 unchanged.]

"20.9.6.3  Football-Attendance Requirements.  The institution annually shall average at least 15,000 in actual attendance for all home football games.

"20.9.6.3.1 Counting Attendance.  For purposes of computing attendance figures an individual may be counted if any one of the following conditions applies:

"(a) Attendees are issued tickets that are collected upon admission to the game and retained;

"(b) Attendees enter through and are counted by a turnstile accuracy of the count on a per-game basis; or

"(c) Attendees enter through a gate at which a representative of the department of athletics counts them individually with a manual counter, and the representative provides a written statement verifying the accuracy of the count on a per-game basis.

"20.9.6.3.2  Certified Audit.  In meeting the football-attendance requirements of Division I-A, an institution must undertake an annual certified audit verifying its football attendance.  The audit must be conducted by an outside auditing firm.  The audited football paid-attendance figures must be received in the NCAA national office not later than the February 15 following the completion of the football season and NCAA national office staff shall verify compliance with all I-A attendance requirements.  The certified audit and materials (including the ticket manifest) must be available for inspection for a four-year period.

"20.9.6.4  Additional Financial Aid Requirements.  The institution shall satisfy the following additional financial aid requirements:

"(a) Provide an average of at least 90 percent of the permissible maximum number of overall football grant-in-aids per year over a rolling two-year period; and

"(b) Annually offer a minimum of 200 athletics grant-in-aids or expend at least four million dollars on grant-in-aids to student-athletes in athletics programs."

Source: Big East Conference.
Effective Date: August 1, 2005.
Proposal Category: Amendment
Topical Area: Legislative Authority and Process
Rationale: The Division I-A institutional and conference membership requirements were developed independent of each other and have different effective dates. Originally, the Division I-A conference requirements had a 2004 effective date consistent with the Division I-A institutional requirements. The effective date of the conference requirements was amended to 2005 to allow current members one year to comply with the institutional standards before establishing additional requirements for Division I-A conferences. Conference requirements now have been established and it seems appropriate to establish consistent effective dates for satisfying both institutional and conference requirements. Such a standard should result in greater institutional and conference Division I-A membership stability.
Estimated Budget Impact: Various; some institutions will incur minimal or no cost to satisfy the new requirements while others will need additional financial commitments to maintain their Division I-A status.
Impact on Student Athlete's Time: None
Position Statement(s)
Management Council Membership Subcommittee: The NCAA Division I Management Council Subcommittee on Membership recommends the Management Council not support Proposal No. 2002-63. After reviewing Proposal Nos. 2002-37 and 2002-63, the subcommittee did not believe that there is sufficient reasoning for delaying the effective date of Proposal No. 2001-123.

The institution shall sponsor a minimum of 16 varsity intercollegiate sports, including football, based on the minimum sports-sponsorship and scheduling requirements set forth in Bylaw 20, including a minimum of six sports involving all-male teams or mixed teams of males and females, and a minimum of eight varsity intercollegiate sports (of which a maximum of two emerging sports per Bylaw 20.02.5 may be utilized) based on the minimum sports-sponsorship and scheduling requirements set forth in Bylaw 20 and involving all-female teams, subject to the waiver provision in Bylaw 20.9.4.1.

20.9.6.3 Football-Attendance Requirements. Once every two years, the institution shall average at least 15,000 in actual or paid attendance for all home football games.

[20.9.6.3.1 through 20.9.6.1.1 unchanged.]

"20.9.6.3.1.1.1 Certified Audit.  In meeting the football-attendance requirements of Division I-A, an institution must undertake an annual certified audit verifying its football attendance.  The audited football actual-attendance figures must be received in the NCAA national office not later than the February 15 following the completion of the football season and NCAA national office staff shall verify compliance with all Division I-A attendance requirements.  The certified audit and materials (including the ticket manifest) must be available for inspection for a four-year period.

[20.9.6.3.1.2 through 20.9.6.3.1.2.2 unchanged.]

"20.9.6.3.2 Certified Audit.  In meeting the football-attendance requirements of Division I-A, an institution must undertake an annual certified audit verifying its football attendance.  The audited football-attendance figures must be received in the NCAA national office not later than the February 15 following the completion of the football season and NCAA national office staff shall verify compliance with all Division I-A attendance requirements.  The certified audit and materials (including the ticket manifest) must be available for inspection for a four-year period."

I hope this answers your question.
Vic Winnek
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History of this Section: Jul 12, 2002 Submit (referred proposal to Management Council Membership Subcommittee) ; Submitted for consideration.
Oct 20, 2002 Management Council Membership Subcommittee, Recommends Defeat
Oct 22, 2002 Mgmt Council 1st Review, Defeated
Oct 22, 2002 Defeated; Defeated - Final