Western Ky To Move To Di Football In 2009

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Board Of Regents Votes To Elevate Western Kentucky Football To Division I-A Status

Nov 2, 2006

WKU's Board of Regents voted Thursday to move the Hilltopper program to the NCAA Division I-A level. (photo by Faye Lash)

Owensboro, Ky. — Coming off the heels of winning the 2002 NCAA Division I-AA national championship and with 10 consecutive winning seasons under its belt, the Western Kentucky University football program might never be in a better position to make a move in the NCAA’s classification system. WKU’s Board of Regents helped make that happen Thursday at the group’s quarterly meeting.

In a 7-2 vote (with one abstention), the board accepted a proposal to elevate football from the NCAA Division I-AA classification to Division I-A status. The university will submit paperwork to the NCAA office in Indianapolis prior to June 1, 2007, and will be considered as a reclassifying institution for the 2007 and ’08 seasons. The first year WKU will be eligible to participate for the Sun Belt Conference championship and a berth in a bowl game is 2009.

“What a gigantic day in the history of WKU. Competing at the highest level of college football will enhance the quality of life on our campus and increase the national profile and prestige of our institution,” WKU Director of Athletics Dr. Wood Selig said. “This transition from I-AA to I-A will represent a considerable amount of work requiring philosophical and financial support at the highest level possible from all of our constituents. We will all have to dig a little deeper to ensure the success of this transition.

“However, the additional sacrifices will be well worth it as we build toward an exciting I-A future. We must all be careful not to look and evaluate this move to I-A in the short term of three-to-five years. Rather, this is a bold, long-term move that should be evaluated over several decades as to its total positive impact on WKU and the Commonwealth of Kentucky. With a sense of urgency and pride, I look forward to immediately beginning the transition to I-A and anxiously await its positive impact on all 20 of WKU’s intercollegiate athletic programs.

“I want to thank President [Dr. Gary] Ransdell and the WKU Board of Regents for the confidence they have placed in WKU Athletics and our football program for such a transition, and their support of a successful transition to I-A.”

Hilltopper head coach David Elson, assistant coaches and players will not be available for comment on the transition until the conclusion of the 2006 campaign. WKU — which is 5-3 overall, 4-1 and tied for first place in the Gateway Football Conference — faces No. 14 Northern Iowa Saturday at 4:05 p.m. (CST) in Cedar Falls before ending the regular season with home games against nationally ranked Youngstown State (Nov. 11 at 4 p.m. in the school’s final league contest) and Austin Peay (Nov. 18 at 4 p.m.).

With the move, the school will add 22 scholarships by 2009 while also increasing the overall football budget by an estimated $2.5 million by the time the transition is complete. This afternoon’s vote included a $70 increase in the student athletic fee beginning with the fall 2007 semester. The proposal was discussed in more than a dozen forums on campus and across the state — on the WKU campus, it was endorsed by a majority vote of the staff and students, but failed in a faculty vote.

Dr. Ransdell cited several reasons for proposing the move at this time, including inequity in the percentage of scholarship funds awarded to female student-athletes, causing the University to run afoul of Title IX compliance requirements. They currently receive about 6 percent more of the percentage of scholarship dollars than their percentage of participation would require.

According to Selig, anticipated opponents during the first transition season could include Eastern Kentucky, Morehead State and Troy at home as well as likely trips to Ball State, Chattanooga, Middle Tennessee and North Texas. The EKU and UTC games are part of existing contracts. In 2008, he envisions a slate that has Florida Atlantic, Middle Tennessee and North Texas coming to Bowling Green and road games against Indiana and Navy among others. The Hilltoppers hope to open a renovated L.T. Smith Stadium/Jimmy Feix on Sept. 6 that fall.

A $37.5 million project on the structure began over the summer, with construction on a new three-story building to house much of the program as well as grandstands on the west side of the stadium set to begin this winter.

“Scheduling will be somewhat tricky. The Sun Belt Conference member institutions and Commissioner Wright Waters have been great in their willingness to work us into the league schedule over the next two-to-three years,” said Selig. “Still, we must be careful not to overschedule ourselves too early in our transition as we grow into a full I-A program of 85 scholarships. That may not be entirely within our control however. While we may be attractive to many I-A programs who potentially view us as ‘easy prey,’ basically a I-A institution on training wheels during the early years of our transition, there will still be a number of I-AA and some I-A programs who may not want to line up against us as we increase our scholarship limit above the 63 I-AA maximum allowable toward the 85 scholarships allowed at the I-A level.

“I look forward to answering all the scheduling calls that may come our way as a result of this transition — hopefully, we will have to install a second phone line to handle the increase in call volume.”

The goal is to schedule six NCAA Division I-A institutions in 2007 and eight a year later before facing a full-fledged I-A slate in ’09.

To qualify as an NCAA Division I-A institution, athletic programs must offer 200 full athletic scholarships (with 85 going to football), field a minimum of 16 intercollegiate sports, average 15,000 attendance for its home games and play at least five home games against I-A opponents.

WKU currently supports 20 men’s and women’s programs, and the move will push the total number of scholarships offered by WKU well over 200. All but football and men’s soccer already compete in the SBC, with the move to the league guaranteeing four home contests.

Next season, WKU will introduce two new ticket policies. While reserved chair and Red Towel seats will continue to require the same donation to the Hilltopper Athletic Foundation and ticket price levels that currently applies, all other season tickets will cost $25 for the year — those on the lower level will be reserved bleacher seats that will require a $50 HAF donation, the minimum to join at the Fan Level, while all other upper-deck seats are general admission and do not require a donation. Also, students will be able to purchase an unlimited number of tickets for guests for $5 each per game and enjoy an expanded seating allocation to accommodate the anticipated rising number of individuals coming to games.

When the renovation to Smith Stadium is complete in 2008, all reserved seats except those in the current Red Towel section — which will remain in the upper deck of the existing structure — will move to the new West Grandstand. New seating opportunities on the west side of the stadium will include Red Towel seats, premium seats under the overhang of the new upper-level section, reserved bleacher seats and approximately 800 club seats. The Topper Club Seats will be available at a cost of $750 per seat and will include a season ticket and parking as well as all food and non-alcoholic beverages. Individuals will be able to purchase alcoholic beverages in the club area as well.

Season tickets will remain $25 in the upper level — excluding the Red Towel section — in ’08. A family of four will be able to attend Hilltopper football home games for $100 for the year.

The student section will move to the entire lower level of the current East stands in 2008, which will be behind the visiting team’s bench once the renovation project is complete.

Once construction begins in the winter, a web cam will be set up to follow the development of the new building/grandstand.

For more information on WKU Football ticket prices and policies with the announcement of the school’s transition to the NCAA I-A level, contact the Hilltopper Athletic Foundation at 270-745-5321 and the WKU Athletic Ticket Office at 270-745-522 or 1-800-5-BIG-RED.

— WKU —