Florida A&M Tries to Recover From Failed Bid

[Jam Piper Jam]

Florida A&M Tries to Recover From Failed Bid
By ROBERT ANDREW POWELL

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Oct. 5 - On game day, an hour before kickoff, Florida A&M University does not look like a school divided.

The parking lot is a typical football tailgate. Alumni flip hamburgers and down bottles of cold beer. The university's famous marching band files past, drummers slapping sticks as they head into Bragg Memorial Stadium. Paul Robinson, a booster from Valdosta, Ga., ladles chunky seafood gumbo into a red plastic cup.

"We're going through some tough times," Robinson said. "We'll get through it. It's a situation where we're trying to keep the university as one."

This year was not supposed to be tough. It was supposed to be glorious. This was to be the year Florida A&M became the only historically black college or university playing at football's highest level, N.C.A.A. Division I-A. For a school founded on a slave plantation and marginalized by decades of segregation, the chance to compete on a national stage against teams like Notre Dame and Florida State was a great source of pride.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/09/sports/ncaafootball/09football.html?th

 

[Olde Hornet]

Great article!

 

[cat daddy]

More on the topic

Published Sunday
October 10, 2004

Florida A&M dared to dream of I-A

BY EMILY BADGER

THE ORLANDO SENTINEL

ORLANDO, Fla. - Billy Joe has that rare skill, shared by politicians and football coaches alike, that allows him to dress up an ugly situation until it sounds remarkably like an opportunity.

"If it weren't for the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln wouldn't have been deemed a successful man," he said with a preacher's dramatic tenor. "If it weren't for the civil-rights movement, Dr. King wouldn't be there. If it weren't for the Persian Gulf War, Colin Powell would not be as successful as he is. You have to have a problem in order to be deemed a successful person in our society."

In other words, the Florida A&M football coach has a lot of his own problems these days. And how his team navigates them after a failed attempt at Division I-A in 2003 could have wide implications for both Florida A&M's future and the long-term viability of black college football.

The Rattlers join Alabama State and North Carolina A&T as historically black schools that have attempted - and failed - to reach college football's highest ranks. No historically black college or university (HBCU) ever has succeeded.

Florida A&M, arguably the best equipped to do so, has provided a case study in the frustration of balancing the financing, infrastructure and support necessary to make the move to Division I-A football. Along the way, the school may have scared off a few of its peers.

"HBCUs are now in the process of ensuring that they do their homework," said Jackson State Athletic Director Roy Culberson, echoing the lesson everyone else is taking out of Tallahassee. "One day I hope Jackson State will be there."

The Rattlers, now back in the Division I-AA ranks, have been delayed indefinitely.

"I don't know what 'indefinitely' means, because that's not my choice of words," said James Corbin, the chairman of Florida A&M's board and one of five who supported the promotion in a 7-5 defeat. "But we are, in my opinion, the only HBCU that could have pulled it off."

The NCAA requires that I-A schools average an attendance of 15,000 per home game. They also must schedule five I-A opponents at home during a two-year period and support a minimum of 16 varsity sports and 200 scholarships per year.

Florida A&M averaged 21,000 in paid attendance during three home dates last fall, with all of its big numbers coming in the classics: 73,000 at the Florida Citrus Bowl, 55,000 in Detroit and 70,000 in Atlanta. Joe says those totals reflect a rabid fan base that's willing to travel, but each of those games (and their revenue) is played against other traditional HBCU rivals that would have to be scratched from a I-A schedule.

The bigger problem was in the financial backing, which crumbled when Florida A&M counted on a TV contract - projected at $7.5 million to $24 million during five years - with the start-up Urban Broadcasting Company. The sides disagree on who bailed out of the deal.

Drumming up that money to cover improved facilities, added scholarships and personnel has been hard for HBCUs.



Full Article

 

[majiksity]

Alabama State nor NC A&T tried to make the move...the move was only SUGGESTED - and it was suggested by the same person - Donald Watkins. Neither institution tried to make the move, neither put any kind of effort into making the move, FAMU is on that island all alone as far as this is concerned.

 

[Jafus (Thinker)]

Intriguing & Interesting Article!!

 

[SUjagTILLiDIE]

No HBCU can make the move alone. The only way this is possible if we try this thing as one.Famu, SOUTHERN(best chance to suceed), Grambling, J-State(must fire Dumbbell),Tenn. State, and maybe Nc&t or Hampton(not enough fan support) are the only hbcu that should attempt this move. The reason I said Southern has the best chance is because Southern has already invested in upgrading their facilities and with the upcoming fieldhouse project will have the best athletic facilities in I-aa.

 

[Jag Voice]

Alabama State nor NC A&T tried to make the move...the move was only SUGGESTED - and it was suggested by the same person - Donald Watkins. Neither institution tried to make the move, neither put any kind of effort into making the move, FAMU is on that island all alone as far as this is concerned.

You are right but adding ASU and NCA&T makes the story sound better and tht situation(HBCUs moving to I-A) seem worse. Typical media spin :smh:

 

[HORNETSWARM]

I concur Jag Voice.

 

[JROCK]

No HBCU can make the move alone. The only way this is possible if we try this thing as one.Famu, SOUTHERN(best chance to suceed), Grambling, J-State(must fire Dumbbell),Tenn. State, and maybe Nc&t or Hampton(not enough fan support) are the only hbcu that should attempt this move. The reason I said Southern has the best chance is because Southern has already invested in upgrading their facilities and with the upcoming fieldhouse project will have the best athletic facilities in I-aa.

I agree but would definitely throw Bama State in the mix.

 

[Jam Piper Jam]

You are right but adding ASU and NCA&T makes the story sound better and tht situation(HBCUs moving to I-A) seem worse. Typical media spin :smh:

By mentioning Bama State and A&T, that helps to sell newspapers and improves the credibility of the article.

 

[Da_Sperm]

There is no reason in my book to make a jump from D1-AA to D1-A if you are going to be one of those bottom 10% of the 117. The reason being is because the only difference between the top 10% of the D1-AA and bottom 10% of D1-A is EXPENSES.