Football Championship Subdivision to change title

Fargo, ND (WDAY TV) - On Saturday night, NDSU will begin its seventh season known as a FCS team. If the NCAA gets their way, it will be the last. The NCAA has announced they will fund a re-branding initiative with the former 1-AA in an effort to gain some more attention.

This new title will go into effect next year with the playoffs are expanded to 24 teams.

In 2006, the NCAA reclassified Division 1 football to Football Bowl Subdivision and Football Championship Subdivision, but more people than not in our neck of the woods still know it as 1-AA.

Patty Viverito, Missouri Valley Conference Commissioner: “Quite frankly our level of football continues to have an identity crisis. We abandoned the 1-AA moniker because it implies we were something less than Division 1, but to be honest Football Championship Subdivision is a mouthful, and doesn't make the case for Division 1 stature any better than 1-AA did. We're sort of waiting to see what happens with BCS, stealing our thunder a little bit with the four teams being in a playoff.”

Viverito says all ideas are being considered now.

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