Patriot League adding football scholarships in 2013
NCAA Football Betting Lines
02/13/2012 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Touchdown.
After exhaustive debate in recent years, the Patriot League has decided to start awarding athletic scholarships in football - 15 each year - beginning with the 2013 season.
The league announced the new policy on Monday, although the decision by its school presidents was termed a "consensus" and not likely a unanimous vote, which in the coming years may fail to fully remove the cloud that has hung over the league.
Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette and Lehigh are full Patriot League members which sponsor football, while Fordham and Georgetown are associate members for the sport. Fordham started offering athletic scholarships in 2010 and was planning to leave the FCS league if they were not voted in league- wide, while Georgetown was generally believed to be against a change in policy.
Patriot members Army and Navy, which participate on the FBS level, and American, which doesn't sponsor football, also were part of the league's vote, which limited Patriot teams to 15 athletic scholarships, including those to transfers, in future recruiting classes.
"First of all, we make this decision in recognition that we believe that it will help the league to remain strong and competitive, both with regard to our academic goals, which are foremost in the league, and to athletic competitiveness," Lafayette College president Dr. Daniel H. Weiss, the chair of the league council of presidents, said on a conference call.
"We believe over time that this decision is in the best interest of the league because it will help us with future membership prospects for joining the league, it will help us with scheduling out-of-league competitors in football, it will allow us to be more competitive in admissions with regards to identifying and recruiting to our campuses' outstanding students who also play Division I football at the level of the Patriot League.
"The decision that was reached is the result of several years of discussion and analysis by the presidents and their colleagues, and it represents the consensus, and argues that it is the right thing for the league to do at this time."
Patriot League football celebrated its 25th anniversary last year. Need-based financial aid has always been offered to student-athletes, but the athletic scholarships, or merit-based financial aid, have not been offered despite being allowed by the league's 22 other sports. Football has been considered a separate entity by the league.
The need-based financial aid will continue alongside the athletic scholarships. However, athletic scholarships will not be offered to this year's recruits or any student-athletes already in the programs. Only those enrolling in the fall of 2013 and beyond will be eligible.
Holy Cross athletic director Richard M. Regan Jr., the chair of the league's committee on athletic administration, said he expects the addition of athletic scholarships to at least double the size of the recruiting pool.
Since adding scholarships, Fordham has been declared ineligible for the Patriot championship and the league's automatic bid to the FCS playoffs. The league announced that later this spring a decision will be made regarding when that policy will change.
Patriot League executive director Carolyn Schlie Femovich said league expansion could result from the change in policy.
"I don't think we're going to be in any rush," she said. "I think there would be some attractiveness to adding one or two more members on the football side and perhaps one or two more members on the full member side. Those conversations have yet to take place. I expect that we'll be in a good position to do that over the course of the next year or so."
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Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl Odds
Will he or won't he? Now that the Dallas Cowboys have a new head coach in Wade Phillips, the big question will be: Does Terrell Owens stay with the team.
Jerry Jones continues to suggest that Terrell Owens will remain with the team.
"I've said that he's back, he's here, he's under contract," Jones said. "In the interviews I've just been through (to hire a new coach), it was very clear to me how highly he's thought of and how much of an impact he had on our offensive success."
Just to be sure though, Terrell Owens cleared out his locker and removed his name plate.
Terrell Owens was among the Cowboys most productive players this past season, catching 85 passes for 1,180 yards and a league-best 13 touchdowns.
But T.O. is due a $3 million roster bonus in June, then a $5 million salary this season. Cutting him before then would save a lot of money and headaches.
Aside from the questions surrounding Terrell Owens, the oddsmakers at MySportsbook.com have concerns over starting quarterback Tony Romo's state of mind and whether he will remain a starting quarterback. It is also not known how players will adjust to new head coach, Wade Phillips.
Here are the football odds as seen at MySportsbook.com and subject to change after February 10, 2007 if not locked in prior to that date.
Arizona Cardinals 60-1
Atlanta Falcons 50-1
Baltimore Ravens 15-1
Buffalo Bills 50-1
Carolina Panthers 18-1
Chicago Bears 10-1
Cincinnati Bengals 15-1
Cleveland Browns 100-1
Dallas Cowboys 15-1
Denver Broncos 15-1
Detroit Lions 100-1
Green Bay Packers 50-1
Houston Texans 100-1
Indianapolis Colts 6-1
Jacksonville Jaguars 30-1
Kansas City Chiefs 30-1
Miami Dolphins 40-1
Minnesota Vikings 75-1
New England Patriots 10-1
New Orleans Saints 18-1
New York Giants 20-1
New York Jets 30-1
Oakland Raiders 100-1
Philadelphia Eagles 18-1
Pittsburgh Steelers 10-1
Saint Louis Rams 60-1
San Diego Chargers 6-1
San Francisco 49ers 75-1
Seattle Seahawks 20-1
Tampa Bay Buccanneers 75-1
Tennessee Titans 40-1
Washington Redskins 50-1
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook credit cards needs.