December 16, 1999
By Bonitta Best
After a 10-year absence, a football championship game returns to the CIAA. November 11, 2000 is the tentative scheduled date pending approval by Commissioner Leon Kerry and the Board of Directors later this month.
The last championship game occurred in 1990 when Winston-Salem State defeated Virginia Union.
The last time a CIAA football team made the NCAA Division II playoffs was 1991. Kerry says there's a correlation between the two.
"When we got rid of the championship, we said it was the worst thing that we ever did," Kerry said. "We stopped going to the playoffs, it weakened football and didn't give schools the opportunity to play each other. It's been a thorn in our side and that's why we're going back."
In a rarity, hardly anyone disagrees with Kerry.
"It's a good idea," said Livingstone coach Gregory Richardson, who was an assistant coach during the championship years. "It will provide more competition for the institutions within the conference because it now allows us to play every school in the conference. "Two, it gives the young men something to look forward to at the end of the season. It gives them an extra goal to strive towards in addition to the Division II Playoffs or the Pioneer Bowl."
Not everyone is jumping for joy at the prospect, however.
"I don't think it's a good idea," N.C. Central coach Rudy Abrams said. "I may feel differently about it later on, but I just don't think it's a good idea to beat someone that you may have to turn right around and play again for the championship."
"I can see his reasoning, but I don't agree with that at all," countered Virginia Union coach Willard Bailey, now in his 17th season. "The pros do it every year and other teams do it in other conferences. Playing a team again just gives credence to your reliability and validity of being the best team."
Theories on why the game was discontinued varies: poor attendance - or as the coaches put it - poor marketing; and poorer finances, which goes back again to that same tune - marketing.
"All of us know we have to market the game before the season starts," Bailey said. "We need to have some continuity throughout the year for a site and marketing. If we can do that, I think it will be a big success."
Football could use it. Critics have assailed the dwindling quality of talent over the years. While other Division II leagues are get stronger, the CIAA lags behind like an ugly stepsister.
Last season was particularly brutal. The conference posted a 5-23 record against outside competition. And while basketball has a TV package and sponsorships galore, football is the foster child that no one seems to want.
"Because of a lack of strong football organizations and foresight, yes, the CIAA is a basketball conference," said Johnson C. Smith coach Timothy Harkness. "I don't have a problem with that because it puts us on the map. What we as football coaches have to understand is that the path has already been paved, we've just got to catch up and take advantage of it. It's out there for us to do."
Of course, you can't have a championship game with only one division. The conference will again split into east and west divisions. Only this time, however, the number of football teams have been reduced from 12 to nine. St. Paul's College has dropped its football program since then, and Hampton and Norfolk State are gone. Though Benedict College has formally requested entry into the conference, the process won't happen by next year. The odd number doesn't worry some, though.
"You don't necessarily have to have an even number," said Winston-Salem State coach Kermit Blount who is headed to the Pioneer Bowl. "We're doing the same thing in basketball and the number is not even. There's some bugs to be worked out but I think we're off to a good start." Still the million-dollar question is: Will bringing back the championship game put a CIAA team in the playoffs again as Kerry suggests?
"You're going to get nothing at all from the NCAA," said Blount whose team went undefeated in the conference. "We played a tremendously tough schedule this year, and we should get some credit. Is it better to play a team that we can beat 50-0 as opposed to playing teams such as N.C.A&T, Catawba and Grambling State that we get no credit for playing? Our conference champion almost has to take the money and run."
But not everyone is so pessimistic.
"The CIAA teams are as good as any conference in the nation," Bailey said. "In all conferences, you have two or three weak teams but our top three/four teams are as good as any in Division II. It's just a matter of public relations and being vigilant in terms of being represented at the NCAA committees that rate teams. If that's done, the CIAA will do well."
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