FA Hit College Teams

College teams are a leading feature of American sports such as basketball and American football. However, in Britain they attract some resentment. This seems to be based on part on the view that they use taxpayers' money, but in fact all universities have many other sources of income. At Warwick University, the proportion of income that comes from HEFCE funds is now down to 23 per cent. Team Bath managed to get to tier two of the non-league pyramid before they folded. Now the Leagues Sub-Committee of the FA has recommended that university or higher education clubs should not be allowed to compete above step five of the non-league system. This would hit Cambridge Regional College who currently top the Step 5 Ridgeon [Eastern Counties] league. CRC are trying to get round the ruling by claiming that they are not really a college team but a stand alone team sponsored by the college where some but not all players study for a National Diploma in Sports Studies. What is not clear is why the FA needs such a rule in the first place.