UH can't count on Florida Atlantic

Advertiser Staff

Should the University of Hawai'i football team defeat lower division Florida Atlantic in the Sept. 4 season opener, the Warriors would not be able to count the win toward the seven victories they need to be bowl-eligible, FAU officials said.

The NCAA requires teams that play 12 games, as the Warriors will this year, to win at least seven games against fellow I-A opponents to be bowl-eligible.

However, an NCAA spokesman said a I-A school, such as UH, may count a I-AA team for bowl qualifying purposes once every four years provided the lower-division foe averages at least 60 scholarship equivalences over the previous three-year period.

"We haven't met that (requirement)," said Katrina McCormack, sports information director for Florida Atlantic, after conferring with the school's compliance officer.

FAU didn't begin playing I-AA football until 2001, when McCormack said the Owls awarded 51.79 scholarships.

Since then, FAU has operated with 55.15 scholarships in 2002 and 60.39 last season, an average of 55.77 per season.

McCormack said FAU hopes to award the I-AA maximum of 63 scholarships this year. The I-A limit is 85.

FAU's "fast-track" program will become a full-fledged I-A member in 2005. Its rise to the I-AA playoffs last season was the fastest in NCAA I-AA history, McCormack said.

Ironically, the team that UH had originally been contracted to play in the season opener, Sacramento State, would have been a countable opponent for the Warriors. The Hornets have averaged 61.8 scholarships, according to a Big Sky Conference official.

Recent UH I-AA season-opening opponents Portland State (2000), Montana (2001), Eastern Illinois (2002) and Appalachian State (2003) have met the requirement but UH had enough victories to be bowl-eligible without having to count them.