The validity of a Non-AQ poll

I have been asked by fans of a particular university why I am trying to add to the separation of the AQ teams from the Non-AQ teams.


I started this blog with the sole focus of covering teams from the MAC, WAC, MWC, Sun Belt, Conference USA, Army, Navy and BYU. If you look at the current ESPN college football blog section, you see page after page of the SEC, PAC 12, Big 12, Big East, and Big 10 with story after story after story on these conferences and schools. I believe that if people want news on those conferences, there are plenty of places to go for that.

With a blog focusing on a group of schools specifically that do not contend for national championships or BCS games on a regular basis (Boise State notwithstanding), people tend to group these schools together. Of course I could just post an article on the times that a Non-AQ team gets a big win or gets votes in either the AP or coaches poll but why stick to that.

There are many Non-AQ teams that not only visitors of the site but the editor himself learn about and are able to appreciate through knowledge coming from bloggers on teams all over the country.

Before I veer too far from the original subject, I have gotten some of the best feedback from visitors about my Non-AQ top ten lists. With the feedback I also realized that I should not be making the decisions on my own. Therefore, I went through looking for bloggers from respective schools that want to participate in this poll to get a better idea of how good these teams are.

A list is valid because the demand for it is there. Whether or not there should be, there is a separation in the Non-AQ versus AQ programs in the FBS. Some get automatic qualifying into the BCS games while others don't. Please do not confuse this with a "mid major" poll. This is a poll of some incredibly talented teams that I hope to get some publicity for with my posts.

I know some fans will feel that the list demeans the Non-AQ conferences but polls are a source of fan pride and conversation. If I can get a random LSU fan to visit the site and see that Louisiana Tech is the top ranked team and that fan goes and looks at the Bulldogs, I may have gained that school a new fan.

Some people will never be pleased with a poll but as I said before, I believe this is a good bridge to bring casual fans from general interest to rooting interest for teams.