By Marcus Nelson, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, June 29, 2004

After Florida Atlantic's athletic department budget was approved Monday, the school quickly sent its paperwork in to apply to the NCAA for moving to Division I-A to beat Wednesday's deadline.

"The program was conceived when the state legislature gave us permission to start football, was born against Slippery Rock and reached adolescence when we made the I-AA playoffs last year," said Owls football coach Howard Schnellenberger. "This step will take us into early manhood."

The department's $11.5 million budget, which included the stragetic plan for moving to I-A, was approved by the FAU Board of Trustees.

"We are looking forward to a heightened level of competition for our football team and are in anticipation of kickoff in September," FAU President Frank Brogan said.

The biggest cost of moving to I-A is expected to be simply for the addition of added football scholarships. FAU will award approximately $750,000 more in scholarships next season than it did in 2003-04.

In I-AA, football teams are allowed the equivalent of 63 scholarships. I-A teams can offer 85 full scholarships.

"This is something that has been anticipated since the start of the program," FAU Athletic Director Craig Angelos said. "When they started this program, they did it with the idea of going to I-A quickly. With that foresight, it makes it easier to develop the program with an eye toward the future."

The total athletic department budget is an increase of 12 to 14 percent over last year's.

"We're trying to increase out ticket sales, corporate sales and development," Angelos said.

Florida Atlantic initially revealed its intention of moving to I-A when it accepted an invitation to join the I-A Sun Belt Conference. FAU will be a "scheduling partner" this football season in the Sun Belt and will play a limited I-A schedule.

This season is a transition year for the Owls, who open their season Sept. 4 at Hawaii. FAU will have to average 15,000 fans per home game to move to the next stage.

If FAU meets the NCAA conditions, it would become a probationary I-A member in 2005 and a full member in 2006.

marcus_nelson@pbpost.com

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