Medary.com

There are three NCAA Division I classifications, differentiated by the nature of the football program at the various schools. Division I-A schools offer 85 football scholarships, Division I-AA offers 63 scholarships (also allowed are zero-scholarship programs in I-AA), and Division I-AAA schools do not run a football program at all.

A commonly held view is that the I-AA designation relegates otherwise D-I schools to second-class status. Nobody calls Georgetown or Marquette I-AAA, they're just Division I.

So, I-AA Board President Don Patterson wants a different spin.

A proposal from Western Illinois coach Don Patterson, who serves as president of the I-AA Board of Directors, is starting to gain support.

Instead of Division I-AA, Patterson suggested "Playoff Championship Series,'' which would mesh with the Bowl Championship Series used by the I-A conferences.