A dozen schools will start the 2006 season with the clock ticking on their status as full-fledged members of the NCAA's highest football-playing division.
And when the season kicks off in about two weeks, it will be important for those schools to get the turnstiles spinning.

The NCAA's attendance requirement for continued full-fledged status in the association's Football Bowl Subdivision (Division I-A) can be met if a school averages 15,000 in actual or paid attendance for all home games one time during a rolling two-year period.

Twelve teams fell short of that goal last year and were sent a "courtesy letter" by the NCAA, reminding them of the requirement, NCAA spokesman Erik Christianson said.

The schools averaging fewer than 15,000 were Bowling Green, Louisiana-Monroe, Ball State, Temple, New Mexico State, San Jose State, Utah State, Akron, Rice, Buffalo, Kent State and Eastern Michigan, which was last nationally at 5,219 a game. Six of the teams are in the Mid-American Conference, three in the Western Athletic Conference.

Losing records are a common trait of many of the teams. The dozen had an average winning percentage of .259 last season.

Eastern Michigan spokesman Jim Streeter said the school is making a concerted effort to reach out to corporate customers, youth groups, church groups, students and alumni.

"We will find a way to get tickets sold," he said. "You can count tickets paid for, even if (the purchaser) is not in attendance. Although we want them to come."

Bowling Green, which went 6-5 in 2005, just missed the 15,000 cutoff, averaging 14,929.

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Jack Carey
Thomas O'Toole
Kelly Whiteside
USA TODAY