Wow.
The Associated Press said Thursday that lower-division schools - that means you, [Appalachian State] Mountaineers - are now eligible for its 71-year-old poll. [snip]Any such appearance from lower-division teams will be rare, but at least the pre-eminent poll has allowed all comers to be eligible. So long as there's cross-pollination between divisions, I say why not.
Several AP voters expressed interest in putting Appalachian State on their ballots after a shocking 34-32 upset at then-No. 5 Michigan last weekend. But the poll guidelines, which mirrored the coaches' rankings conducted by USA Today, limited eligibility to teams competing in the former NCAA Division I-A, now known as the Football Bowl Subdivision.
The AP decided to make the change because schools that show they can compete with big-time teams on the field should have a chance to be recognized with them in the top 25, Sports Editor Terry Taylor said.I wouldn't have voted for Appalachian State after last weekend, but this affords voters the right to follow the dictates of their conscience. Bravo, AP! Unlike the NCAA, the AP as an organization has shown 1)a conscience and 2)flexibility.
"Why not? The poll was always intended to measure teams that compete against each other, regardless of division, based solely on on-field performance," she said. "It was that way long before Division I was divided into I-A and I-AA in 1978."
