It's official; FAMU starts the move to I-A
Florida A&M announced Monday that the university had formally submitted its' application to the NCAA for Division I-A status for football.The application, which was overnighted on Friday for a Monday arrival in Indianapolis, Ind., will be considered when the NCAA Classification Committee meets in July.
Florida A&M expects an answer by August 1 on the application, which if approved, would clear the way for the Rattlers to begin Division I-A play in football in 2004.
In a related move, the university also officially notified the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference of its' intention to pursue Division I-A status via certified letter on Friday.
The application to the NCAA renders the Rattlers ineligible for the 2003 Division I-AA playoffs. The MEAC is expected to follow suit by declaring FAMU ineligible for its' 2003 football title.
Florida A&M has been in Division I-AA since the classification was created in 1978, the year the Rattlers won that level's first football national championship. The school also notified its conference, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, of its intentions.
Meanwhile, the status of its' other 14 championship-eligible sportsbasketball (men and women), cross country, indoor and outdoor track (men and women), bowling (women), tennis (men and women), baseball, softball (women) and volleyball (women) will likely be decided later this summer by the MEAC Council of Presidents.
© 2003 Azeez Communications, Inc.