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Connecticut continues move to major conferenceby Eric Pfahler For Connecticut, a storied basketball program was just not enough. The school decided to break into football as well. The Huskies leapt to the ranks of I-A from I-AA following the 1999 season. Associate Athletics Director Mike Enright said Connecticut's invitation to get its football team in the Big East Conference right away played a major role in the decision, along with other factors. "I think one of the things that makes Connecticut unique is that we had an invitation to become a member of the Big East and be in a (Bowl Championship Series) Conference," Enright said. "It's safe to say that our invitation to join the Big East was a major motivator." The Huskies plan to join the conference for football in 2005. Connecticut opens the 2003 season at Rentschler Field, a new 40,000-seat complex in East Hartford. Enright said adding I-A football provides Connecticut with a complete athletic spread. "(Football) is to enhance the university lifestyle," Enright said. "It's what we feel is the final piece to the puzzle." Some schools, however, do not believe I-A football is necessary in an athletic calendar. University of Dayton Associate Athletics Director Dave Harper said adding I-A football would cause a strain on Dayton's ability to have sports outside the gridiron. The Flyers have a Division I-AA, non-scholarship football team, but has a Division I-A basketball team. "We couldn't (fund a I-A football team)," Harper said. "We have chosen to identify ourselves with men's basketball. That's been our cash cow." Harper said Title IX compliance makes it difficult for a small, private school to add I-A football. "You can (have I-A football)," Harper said. "But it means that you have to have less men's sports." In order to comply with Title IX after the addition of football, Connecticut added women's ice hockey, rowing and lacrosse. Ohio has added women's soccer, lacrosse and golf since 1996 to become more Title IX compliant. Ohio Director of Athletics Thomas Boeh said membership in I-A sports signifies more than wins and losses, especially for public schools. "You are who you are associated with publicly," Boeh said. "You'll often see schools within the Big Ten Conference compared to each other, and they compare themselves to each other, not only athletically and on the field, but as institutions." According to the 2002 Editions of America's Best Colleges from U.S. News and World Report, 19 of the top 50 universities with the best doctoral programs in the nation have I-A football in one of the six BCS conferences. Notre Dame, which is independent in football, is also in the top 50. "You are who you hang out with," Boeh said.
BOB: Expenses for 2000-01: School Basketball Football
Ohio University $721,944 $2,566,499 Miami University $850,410 $2,821,120 University of Akron $799,200 $2,807,844 Xavier University $2,160,749 NA University of Dayton $1,511,875 $535,433 University of Connecticut $3,166,376 $4,154,811 Ohio State University $2,724,007 $11,295,215 Note: Xavier does not have a football team. Dayton has a I-AA non-scholarship football program.
Source: http://ope.ed.gov/athletics
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