http://www.kickoffzone.com/default.aspx?page=article&article=139

There are 14 teams that failed to average 15,000 in attendance in 2005. What do you think Division I-A would look like if 13 of those teams (Bowling Green, Louisiana-Monroe, Middle Tennessee, Ball State, Temple, New Mexico State, San Jose State, Florida Atlantic, Utah State, Akron, Rice, Buffalo, Kent State, Eastern Michigan) weren't able to stay in I-A?

Here's my take:

ACC (12) - same
Big East (8) - same
Big Ten (11) - same
Big XII (12) - same
Mountain West (9) - same
Pac 10 (10) - same
SEC (12) - same

WAC (8):Boise State, Fresno State, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Louisiana Tech, Louisiana-Lafayette, North Texas,

Conference USA (12):
West: Houston, UTEP, Arkansas State, Tulsa, Memphis
East: Tulane, Southern Miss, UAB, UCF, ECU, Marshall

MAC (8): WMU, CMU, Ohio, Northern Illinois, Toledo, Miami (OH), Troy, Florida International

Indies (3) - Army, Navy, Notre Dame

Another thing to factor in, as my light reading today came across an internal document.

The US Military is still making plans to combine services. The first time I ran across this was 8-9 years ago, and they were targeting mid-to-late 2020s FWIW.

That may NOT mean that the academies are going to go away, but it seriously lessens the desire to have a CinC trophy competition every year. Every recent word I hear suggests SERIOUS rounds of cost-cutting, for that matter.

I'd see the Coast Guard (Navy) and the Marines (probably split between the Navy and Amry) getting absorbed first. I'd say the Air Force would be the first of the big three to go.

Not trying to attack anyone, but what is the point of the air force?

Both the Navy and the Marines fly planes, correct?

Ok...

They are downsizing the services (even if they are on a temporary upward trend). They need fewer officers. They are adding more and more females. It will become very difficult to justify I-A football. They will have to recruit too many football players when they need to think broader than just football players. I think Army and Navy will be in the Patriot in I-AA and Air Force in the Big Sky or some midwest conference in the next 20 years.

The big difference that I would see, would be in the number of away games played by the BCS schools. The 13 schools mentioned play a LOT of away games. The school I cheer for normally plays 6 home and 5 away games. Some schools (MS St for instance), normally only play 4 away games. With these schools going 1AA, their O-O-C opponents will need to schedule a 1AA school (them?) or make some home and away series. You could see a lot of schools with a six home and six away schedule. Some would not see this as bad.

The Air Force was split off from the Army after WWII in response to the success of the German Luftwaffe. Billy Mitchell had pushed for it in the 1930's, and many thought that WWII proved him right. The Air Force's biggest problem is automation. The Army uses Sergent's to fly UAVs, while the Air Force and Navy use officers. As UAVs become UCAVs (Unmanned COMBAT Ariel Vehicles), they threaten to replace pilots in large numbers. This would destroy career paths in the Air Force and could lead to the Air Force being reabsorbed by the Army.

The military academies will NOT have a numbers or money problem. Their problem is the number of quality athletes. If you believe that you could play in the NFL someday, you don't want to commit three years to the military first.If you don't believe that you are good enough to play in the NFL, then you won't be. Also, the military academies have an academic requirement that is as high or higher than any of the Ivy league schools. The Ives don't play 1A either.

FBfan

Can you believe that someone, albeit a newby, asked "what is the point of the Air Force"?