Division I-AA or FCS? Division I-A or FBS?

I'm trying to get a consensus here, because I'm not really sure which I want to use in our football section.

I know it's officially FBS and FCS now, but I'm wondering if using those will just confuse the readers.

Which way is your newspaper going?

 

Re: Division I-AA or FCS? Division I-A or BCS?

It's actually officially FBS and FCS now.

Football Bowl Subdivision
Football Championship Subdivision

Yes, these confuse the readers. I'm using FCS in my stories dealing with my FCS team, but our two FBS writers are still using I-A/I-AA. Many of the coaches are still saying I-A/I-AA. The players are saying I-A/I-AA. It's a tough sell. Then you get the whiny fuckers on the FCS message boards that bombard you with e-mails and call you fucking retarded if you don't use the proper FCS designation.

I hate the NCAA.

 

Re: Division I-AA or FCS? Division I-A or BCS?

Not that I'm in a position where I'll be covering much college football this fall, but I'd go with Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) and Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) on first reference to stories this season. By next year, most people should know what the FBS and FCS are. Though they could have given them more distinctive acronyms.

 

The only thing that pisses me off is that a conference has eight to 16 teams, a division has four to eight teams and somehow a subdivision has all the teams. It would make so much more logical sense for it to be Bowl League and Playoff League, but I don't make the decisions. The NCAA does. And that's why it doesn't make sense.

But I've been going with I-A and I-AA and probably will do through the rest of the year until people start to catch on. Mostly, I want to see what the TV guys do with it. If they adapt, then it's past the time for me to.

 

I'm thinking that's what I'd go with, though I might keep it for a few more years just in case some folks don't keep up with the times.

 

Has AP officially changed the style? The guy who makes that call in my newsroom says to stick with I-A and I-AA until we get a notice from AP saying different.

 

Screw the NCAA and its weak attempt at political correctness.
I-A and I-AA.
It's similar to the argument you hear from schools/conferences not in the Bowl Championship Series. They don't like being "labeled" non-BCS. Well, folks, you is what you is. They can prefer to be called "non-automatic qualifiers" or somesuch, but non-BCS is a lot easier to write and for fans to understand.

 

I-A and I-AA. Subdivisions have houses, not football teams.

 

It's FBS and FCS. I don't like the change either. But those are the officials names.
I also have stopped writing FBS (the former Division I-A) and FCS (the former Division I-AA). It's time to move on and use the correct terminology.
Readers will catch on as long as we don't continue to use incorrect terms.

 

A "championship" team sounds like it's actually playing for something worthwhile at the end of the season.<p>
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A "bowl" team sounds like it's just taking a vacation.<p>
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Which one is supposed to be big-time, again?<p>
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Maybe the NCAA will wake up and realize its new tags are having the opposite effect.<p>
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Nah.<p>
???

 

Here's the confusing part: the FCS teams have no chance at the BCS. That's for the FBS.