I must take issue with Joe Starkey's May 12 diatribe against playing I-AA teams ("Bad Joke, NCAA facilitates absurd mismatches in football"). He really doesn't have his facts straight on this one. How many times do big time, BCS conferences play somebody like a Central Michigan or a UL-Monroe or an East Carolina⢠These games are non-competitive, and often involve teams that are nowhere geographically near the host institution. These are the games that are bad matchups on the field and uninspiring at the turnstiles. There are plenty of cases of I-AA's beating I-A teams over the years, and also helping to fill the stands. Delaware played at bowl-bound Navy in 2003, and not only beat them on their home field, but also by Navy's accounts brought anywhere from 8,000-10,000 fans along with them, giving them one of a rare number of sellouts that year. It's not a mystery why nearby Maryland has Delaware on its schedule for 2008, despite the fact it'll be a tough game for the Terps. Oh, and those patsy I-A teams I mentioned earlier all hail from the MAC, the Sun Belt, and C-USA conferences, respectively. And all three conferences that have something in common -- they had conference Sagarin ratings below the A-10 last year (I-AA conference). Heck, the MAC was ranked below three different I-AA conferences. Better stop playing those teams, too!
John P. Kearns Harleysville
Go to school on I-AA It sounds to me like the Pitt-YSU game has Joe Starkey a little worried. He should learn a little more about I-AA football before he knocks it. YSU, in particular, has a very rich football history, including four national championships in the 1990s. Yes, they've been down a bit lately, but from most accounts, Pitt probably will be a bit down this year, as well. This is a regional matchup that will generate a lot of fan interest in Eastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania. This is a good thing. I believe the game will be more competitive than you'd like to admit. Please: Watch this game objectively. Check the attendance relative to other Pitt home games. Then, report why this is a bad game for Pitt and the fans. I look forward to your article on Sept. 25.
Sean Brennan York
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