2008 Woodie Awards
Time to stop this madness
Matt Lombardo
Issue date: 9/10/07 Section: Sports
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WILMINGTON, De - It's time to stop this madness.
Yes, Appalachian State shocked the world and led every edition of SportsCenter for most of last week, but the Mountaineers are the exception, and far from the rule when it comes to interdivision matchups in college football. All too often the talent gap between the now Bowl subdivision and Championship subdivision of college football, and an even larger extent between the Championship subdivision and Division II, is so great, that the games are almost meaningless.
If Appalachian State's 34-32 win over the Michigan Wolverines served as validation to the tangible football benefits for a lower division team to visit an upper division powerhouse, then West Chester's 41-14 debacle Saturday and continued ineptitude against the Delaware Blue Hens is exhibit 1A in the case against this archaic practice.
Since the teams' inaugural meeting in 1941, the Golden Rams record stands at 6-40. The most recent Golden Ram victory came 15 years ago. WCU has reached double figures on the scoreboard just five times in the last ten years, and was even shut out 84-0 in 2000.
Ouch.
West Chester's struggles against Delaware are not unlike the results playing out in the early weeks of Division I schools across the nation. One would be hard pressed to find a team who possesses a winning record against its counterpart from a higher division. When you get right down to it, unless the teams in question are Appalachian State and the University of Michigan, the talent gap is almost immeasurable. The receivers are faster, the offensive linemen are better, and the defensive linemen are quicker and stronger. On paper, and more often then not between the lines, these games are mismatches.
Let's not kid ourselves; these games are not played with hopes of emerging victorious from the hornets' nest of a DIAA or DI stadium. No, the overwhelming force, and the reason that these so called rivalries are still played is none other then the almighty dollar. West Chester University receives an annual check that at first estimates exceeds $40,000. This is enough to pay for two football scholarships, and aid other non-revenue teams on campus as well.
Yes, Appalachian State shocked the world and led every edition of SportsCenter for most of last week, but the Mountaineers are the exception, and far from the rule when it comes to interdivision matchups in college football. All too often the talent gap between the now Bowl subdivision and Championship subdivision of college football, and an even larger extent between the Championship subdivision and Division II, is so great, that the games are almost meaningless.
If Appalachian State's 34-32 win over the Michigan Wolverines served as validation to the tangible football benefits for a lower division team to visit an upper division powerhouse, then West Chester's 41-14 debacle Saturday and continued ineptitude against the Delaware Blue Hens is exhibit 1A in the case against this archaic practice.
Since the teams' inaugural meeting in 1941, the Golden Rams record stands at 6-40. The most recent Golden Ram victory came 15 years ago. WCU has reached double figures on the scoreboard just five times in the last ten years, and was even shut out 84-0 in 2000.
Ouch.
West Chester's struggles against Delaware are not unlike the results playing out in the early weeks of Division I schools across the nation. One would be hard pressed to find a team who possesses a winning record against its counterpart from a higher division. When you get right down to it, unless the teams in question are Appalachian State and the University of Michigan, the talent gap is almost immeasurable. The receivers are faster, the offensive linemen are better, and the defensive linemen are quicker and stronger. On paper, and more often then not between the lines, these games are mismatches.
Let's not kid ourselves; these games are not played with hopes of emerging victorious from the hornets' nest of a DIAA or DI stadium. No, the overwhelming force, and the reason that these so called rivalries are still played is none other then the almighty dollar. West Chester University receives an annual check that at first estimates exceeds $40,000. This is enough to pay for two football scholarships, and aid other non-revenue teams on campus as well.
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