SIAP: College Football Playoff's board discusses possibility, potential of restructuring how college football is governed

[TemplarCane]

$500M could change a lot of minds…

Sources: CFP mulls breaking football out of NCAA

The 11 college presidents and chancellors who make up the College Football Playoff's board of managers met via Zoom on Monday and began a discussion that could reshape the future of college sports, sources told ESPN.

www.espn.com

A source told ESPN that the general feel among the presidents and chancellors on the call was that the college sports leaders have left too much money on the table by not implementing a new playoff before 2026, perhaps as much as a half-billion dollars.

 

[305_separatist]

****, whole sport is gonna get blown up next off season. The dominoes just keep falling and momentum will just keep building.

 

[aelmiami]

Well this is gonna rustle the jimmies of some boomers.

 

[supacane]

I think the biggest threat to college football, is expansion that have, and continue to destroy local matchups. Certain regions survived off these games and alot of them have been eliminated or will be soon. Games played for 100 years or similar time scale. That for me is more dangerous than playoffs or anything else to do with money. I wouldn’t mind if we played one of the Florida schools not named FSU home and home every year. UCF, USF, FAU etx. I also think the Texas schools would benefit from that as well. The sport would grow locally overall instead of one or 2 schools being ok and the rest on life support. Of course i only care about Miami but i don't think that scenario would hurt us either.

I started thinking about all the annual California games that are eliminated with USC and UCLA joining the BIG. What is some neutral fan in the Bay gonna care about UCLA playing Nebraska?

 

[CaneinBroward]

I hope we can trust 11 presidents and chancellors to make the right business decision. They should have done this about 10 years ago when the playoff system started. Perhaps it could have kept the consolidation of programs to the Big 10 and SEC down. Would love it if they got an experienced executive to be the "commissioner".

Hopefully they come up with an 8 team playoff. 6 conference winners (Power 5 + Highest Rated Group of 5) and 2 at-large teams. Keep college football as having the most meaningful regular season in all of team sports.

 

[CaneinBroward]

I think the biggest threat to college football, is expansion that have, and continue to destroy local matchups. Certain regions survived off these games and alot of them have been eliminated or will be soon. Games played for 100 years or similar time scale. That for me is more dangerous than playoffs or anything else to do with money. I wouldn’t mind if we played one of the Florida schools not named FSU home and home every year. UCF, USF, FAU etx. I also think the Texas schools would benefit from that as well. The sport would grow locally overall instead of one or 2 schools being ok and the rest on life support. Of course i only care about Miami but i don't think that scenario would hurt us either.

I started thinking about all the annual California games that are eliminated with USC and UCLA joining the BIG. What is some neutral fan in the Bay gonna care about UCLA playing Nebraska?

Exactly. College football is special because of the rivalries and traditions. As they are tearing these down, they are taking away from that mystique.

 

[canesstevealum08]

Exactly. College football is special because of the rivalries and traditions. As they are tearing these down, they are taking away from that mystique.

They should still expand the playoff and shrink division 1. Making the playoff has to match the scope of who’s in the fight

 

[CaneinBroward]

They should still expand the playoff and shrink division 1. Making the playoff has to match the scope of who’s in the fight

I agree with both of your thoughts. I just think 12 teams for the playoff is too big. Currently, each game is so important in Division I. If you go to 12 teams, you are basically giving every team a mulligan. Any team is virtually assured to get in with 1 loss.

 

[Rickd]

Exactly. College football is special because of the rivalries and traditions. As they are tearing these down, they are taking away from that mystique.

That is so true ... the traditions THAT BUILT college football ... simply don't even appear on the radar of the "media analysts" at Fox / Expn / NBC who are running monetary viewership scenarios to see "what matchups make the biggest $$$ media return". No boots on the ground for the local feeling of the fans of the actual teams playing. Sterile. Like video games.

 

[CaneinBroward]

That is so true ... the traditions THAT BUILT college football ... simply don't even appear on the radar of the "media analysts" at Fox / Expn / NBC who are running monetary viewership scenarios to see "what matchups make the biggest $$$ media return". No boots on the ground for the local feeling of the fans of the actual teams playing. Sterile. Like video games.

Yep, they're trying to make it like the NFL. The only difference is the NFL has done a pretty good job of maintaining as many rivalries as possible as they expanded over the years. Without an adult in the room, the conferences are now just blindly trying to feed the TV networks, but in the long run, it could hurt the popularity of the sport.

 

[TemplarCane]

I agree with both of your thoughts. I just think 12 teams for the playoff is too big. Currently, each game is so important in Division I. If you go to 12 teams, you are basically giving every team a mulligan. Any team is virtually assured to get in with 1 loss.

I think the current CFP format is flawed in the opposite direction. You shouldn’t have to be undefeated, in the handful of haves in a land of have-nots.

12 teams may be too many though. I’d rather see 8. The 5 P5 conference winners, plus 3 at-large. At least this way 5 teams earn their way in. Not voted in by a committee more interested in ratings and an ‘eye-ball’ test.

Conference expansion and poaching might change some of that, but to me 8 is enough.

 

[IndayArtHauz]

If Miami hadn’t woken up now I probably would’ve slept for the next five years to see what the sport is in 2027. Only my irrational love of this program keeps me engaged with whatever the sport is becoming.

Because this ain’t college football anymore.

 

[canesstevealum08]

I think the current CFP format is flawed in the opposite direction. You shouldn’t have to be undefeated, in the handful of haves in a land of have-nots.

12 teams may be too many though. I’d rather see 8. The 5 P5 conference winners, plus 3 at-large. At least this way 5 teams earn their way in. Not voted in by a committee more interested in ratings and an ‘eye-ball’ test.

Conference expansion and poaching might change some of that, but to me 8 is enough.

Ok I’ll play if you do 8, at least one loser of a conf title game will be in the at large pool. Prob from big 10 or sec and you prob won’t have 5 power conf anyway

 

[305_separatist]

I think the biggest threat to college football, is expansion that have, and continue to destroy local matchups. Certain regions survived off these games and alot of them have been eliminated or will be soon. Games played for 100 years or similar time scale. That for me is more dangerous than playoffs or anything else to do with money. I wouldn’t mind if we played one of the Florida schools not named FSU home and home every year. UCF, USF, FAU etx. I also think the Texas schools would benefit from that as well. The sport would grow locally overall instead of one or 2 schools being ok and the rest on life support. Of course i only care about Miami but i don't think that scenario would hurt us either.

I started thinking about all the annual California games that are eliminated with USC and UCLA joining the BIG. What is some neutral fan in the Bay gonna care about UCLA playing Nebraska?

I disagree. The gap will become so large between us and a USF or FAU that it’s just gonna be a regular beating, and not carry the traditional appeal that you are referring to. The only consistent interesting match ups will be national ones.

It’s a new era of football, let the old die. We can drink beers over the nostalgia of the old days but there’s going to be no bringing it back.

 

[canesstevealum08]

Yep, they're trying to make it like the NFL. The only difference is the NFL has done a pretty good job of maintaining as many rivalries as possible as they expanded over the years. Without an adult in the room, the conferences are now just blindly trying to feed the TV networks, but in the long run, it could hurt the popularity of the sport.

Why? I’ll never understand this argument. March madness is great cause in theory anybody can build a dynasty with enough tourney appearances. In 98, Gonzaga was only known for John Stockton. In football we basically hate the idea that an underdog can win a natty. That’s why we don’t expand.

 

[jed2410]

With expansion the ship has probably sailed on 5 power conferences getting an automatic bid...SEC and BIG 10 are going to push for the top rated 8-12 schools to get in

 

[TemplarCane]

Ok I’ll play if you do 8, at least one loser of a conf title game will be in the at large pool. Prob from big 10 or sec and you prob won’t have 5 power conf anyway

That‘s okay. At least 5 won their way in.

And, as I wrote, recent conference expansion and poaching will change any 8 game idea. As such, more teams in the B1G or $EC make the Elite Eight without winning the conference. Maybe if the end result is 4 ‘power’ conferences we can continue to play with 4 teams. But that doesn’t generate more revenue.

 

[canesstevealum08]

That‘s okay. At least 5 won their way in.

And, as I wrote, recent conference expansion and poaching will change any 8 game idea. As such, more teams in the B1G or $EC make the Elite Eight without winning the conference. Maybe if the end result is 4 ‘power’ conferences we can continue to play with 4 teams. But that doesn’t generate more revenue.

I don’t understand how the goal is not to have every power conference involved in possibly winning a national championship and expanding who gets big-time recruits

 

[CaneinBroward]

Why? I’ll never understand this argument. March madness is great cause in theory anybody can build a dynasty with enough tourney appearances. In 98, Gonzaga was only known for John Stockton. In football we basically hate the idea that an underdog can win a natty. That’s why we don’t expand.

You can still have an underdog in there. This past year, it was Cincy. In the 8 team playoff, I mentioned one spot being guaranteed to the highest rated Group of 5 team. This means that the last "Gonzaga" in college football - Boise State - would have had a seat at the table each year in the late '00's to early '10's. Instead of always being on the outside looking in, like what actually occurred.

Yes, March Madness is great. The college basketball regular season? Not so much. Personally, I'd rather have 4 months of meaningful games instead of just 1 month.

 

[canesstevealum08]

You can still have an underdog in there. This past year, it was Cincy. In the 8 team playoff, I mentioned one spot being guaranteed to the highest rated Group of 5 team. This means that the last "Gonzaga" in college football - Boise State - would have had a seat at the table each year in the late '00's to early '10's. Instead of always being on the outside looking in, like what actually occurred.

Yes, March Madness is great. The college basketball regular season? Not so much. Personally, I'd rather have 4 months of meaningful games instead of just 1 month.

I hear you, I just think the other benefit to expanding is giving recruits more options instead of just the preseason top 5.