The NCAA is finally setting actual standards for its members, declaring “countable opponents” must be real colleges and not pseudo-schools masquerading as real colleges in order to earn game checks for showing up and getting blown out.


The new NCAA rules for countable opponents require teams to represent regionally-accredited colleges or, alternatively, be members of the NAIA or NCCAA. That knocks dozens of former and future NCAA Division I opponents off the list; we counted fourteen Division I men’s basketball games last season that featured schools specifically banned by the new NCAA rule, and another eight that starred colleges of questionable repute under the new rules.


The biggest “victim”? St. Katherine College, which played seven games against Division I teams last season—losing by an average score of 90-56. Our old friend Champion Baptist made several more appearances on last year’s schedule, too, losing by 86 to Tennessee-Martin; by 74 to Lamar; by 67 to Louisiana-Monroe; and by 64 to Southern.

The famously ersatz “College of Faith” chain also earned distinction on the NCAA’s list; the governing body states the colleges “do not meet accreditation ormembership requirements.”

It’s too late for this year’s football schedule to be changed, though. Numerous Division I football games this coming season will be off the books, as they’re scheduled against now-non-countable opponents.


Photo credit: AP/Cliff Owen

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