The Future of College Football

Ldlane · Oct 30, 2014

After seeing our first "Playoff Poll" and listening to the "SEC Bias" stuff all the time to me these are the only logical steps once the "Big 5" get semi-independence:

1. Conferences split into 4 divisions after accepting a couple more members to fill out the Big 5.
a. This will give a "divisional playoff" within the conference.
b. More scheduling room for out of conference scheduling.
2. Player Stipends.
3. Playoff Committee gone.

mrusso · Oct 30, 2014

Sounds a lot like the NFL.

GrayTide · Oct 30, 2014

Very good observations and I agree change is needed and it looks like it will require dramatic change. IIRC there are currently 128 teams in the current FBS division. The first decision would involve how many conferences, how many teams per conference and how many divisions per conference. There are currently 68 teams in the power 5 conferences plus 4 independents.

ACC, SEC., B1G 10 = 42 teams
Big XII = 10 teams
PAC 12 = 12 teams
Independents = 4 teams

Do you separate these 68 teams into a separate division leaving the other 60 teams to compete for their own NC? Do the 68 teams only play among themselves and does the regular season still consist of 12 games? Are the 4 independents (ND, BYU, Army and Navy forced to join some conference in realignment ?

TideEngineer08 · Oct 30, 2014

Just seems like way too many things would have to change in order for that to be possible.

Of course, I never thought I'd see Missouri in the SEC and Rutgers in the Big Ten. If that does happen, hopefully it means BYU can find a home and Notre Dame is forced to join a conference.

RTR91 · Oct 30, 2014

The playoff and expansion pictures will each be clearer once the power 5 gets full autonomy. At that time, the teams outside the power 5 will have to decide what they want to do. Many expect them to eventually form another division with the upper tier of FCS. The easiest assumption to make is they won't be a serious participant in anything the power 5 does.

BamaMoon · Oct 30, 2014

Ldlane said:
After seeing our first "Playoff Poll" and listening to the "SEC Bias" stuff all the time to me these are the only logical steps once the "Big 5" get semi-independence:

1. Conferences split into 4 divisions after accepting a couple more members to fill out the Big 5.
a. This will give a "divisional playoff" within the conference.
b. More scheduling room for out of conference scheduling.
2. Player Stipends.
3. Playoff Committee gone.

What this doesn't fix is the SEC will still have the best teams and, in many years, the 3rd or 4th best SEC team will still be better than other conferences best 1 or 2.

Right now, I'd say expand to an 8 team playoff and bring back the BCS formula. The best SEC teams would always get in that way.

But in the long run I see the bottom 60 or so in FBS forming another division. Big boys and then the others.

theballguy · Oct 30, 2014

And no matter what, the AP Poll will not go away no matter how many conferences or playoff rounds are set up. Think on that a bit. Notre Dame is as close as it will ever be to joining a conference.

Ldlane · Oct 30, 2014

Actually, I expect that there will be an "implosion" within our on Conference with the East being all but left out of the "power" picture for Football. In basketball it is a different story.

However, there is a decided ACC bias in basketball with the NCAA Selection Committee. (At least if you are a conspiracy theorist!)

The only way will be to determine it on the field of play.

BamaMoon said:
What this doesn't fix is the SEC will still have the best teams and, in many years, the 3rd or 4th best SEC team will still be better than other conferences best 1 or 2.

Right now, I'd say expand to an 8 team playoff and bring back the BCS formula. The best SEC teams would always get in that way.

But in the long run I see the bottom 60 or so in FBS forming another division. Big boys and then the others.

PacadermaTideUs · Oct 30, 2014

Can all 68 teams of the big 5 + independents afford to compete with Texas' recent proclamation that they will begin paying all of their student athletes ~10K/year? I doubt it. Maybe 40 (at most) could keep up. Seems like the new subdivision, by necessity, would have to be significantly smaller than the big 5+. Teams like Vandy, Northwestern, Iowa St, etc. would have to get left behind.

BoSox Tider · Oct 30, 2014

TideEngineer08 said:
Just seems like way too many things would have to change in order for that to be possible.

Of course, I never thought I'd see Missouri in the SEC and Rutgers in the Big Ten. If that does happen, hopefully it means BYU can find a home and Notre Dame is forced to join a conference.

Other issues aside, I'd love to see ND in a reconfigured "Big Midwest" Conference with TOSU, Michigan St, Wisconsin and Michigan (when they're good).

Can you say "Cape Cod Clam Chowder Bowl??"

BamaMoon · Oct 30, 2014

Ldlane said:
Actually, I expect that there will be an "implosion" within our on Conference with the East being all but left out of the "power" picture for Football. In basketball it is a different story.

However, there is a decided ACC bias in basketball with the NCAA Selection Committee. (At least if you are a conspiracy theorist!)

The only way will be to determine it on the field of play.

What's funny is I was only thinking about football. :smile: Shows you where my priorities are!

However, the east/west thing will surely work itself out over the next couple of years.

Florida, with a decent coach, will get stronger and Georgia and USCe will still have good teams.

In the west MSU will likely fall back, no matter if Mullen stays or leaves, and OM, while trending upwards, will probably go back to being a middle of the pack west team.

Redwood Forrest · Oct 30, 2014

I am certain conference expansion/implosion will blossom once more. I would like to see the selection committee go away, but I dout it will. One thing is for certain, change will come. Will ND be forced into a conference at last?

Alasippi · Oct 30, 2014

theballguy said:
And no matter what, the AP Poll will not go away no matter how many conferences or playoff rounds are set up. Think on that a bit. Notre Dame is as close as it will ever be to joining a conference.

And you better believe they won't have a problem naming a team other than the playoff winner national champions. Say number two in their poll isn't in the top four of the committee, and number two completely wipes somebody off the field in their bowl game while their number one team loses in the playoff. It could happen.

AgentAntiOrange · Oct 30, 2014

One possibility would be to scale back to 64 teams total, 8 teams across 8 regional divisions, with 32 teams per East/West conference. Essentially, the NFL doubled. 10 game schedules with 7 division opponents, 2 rotating conference opponents, and 1 rotating cross conference opponent. 8 team conference playoffs with a Super Bowl type culmination.

Our primary models would be NCAA basketball-the best college sports playoff system, and the NFL-the professional model for football. In both cases, roughly 20% of teams make the playoffs. FCS has a little less than 20% of their members make the playoffs. Football is tough because of the time necessary between games combined with the limited parameters of the season itself. Another possibility would be look at starting the season prior to late August/early Sept or running it later than early January.

Either way, the amatueristic feel of the game will be degraded more than it already has been and there is no going back. It started the moment football was put on TV and, over the long run, there was never going to be any avoiding it.

Matt0424 · Oct 30, 2014

Am I the only one who looks forward to these possible (probable) changes?

Bamaro · Oct 30, 2014

BoSox Tider said:
Other issues aside, I'd love to see ND in a reconfigured "Big Midwest" Conference with TOSU, Michigan St, Wisconsin and Michigan (when they're good).

Can you say "Cape Cod Clam Chowder Bowl??"

Mmmmm, clams.

Capstone46 · Oct 30, 2014

Do I understand you correctly that you think 4 super divisions each made up of 16-18 teams -with each having two sub divisions of 8 or 9 teams- would actually have the opportunity, or even the desire, to play MORE out of conference games? What would be their motivation and how would it benefit them? With your scenario everyone could only play the same teams EVERY YEAR within their sub division and then a rotating series with their opposite sub division. If everyone played all members JUST in the conference, it would require 15-17 regular conference games a year before the playoffs. That ain't gonna happen.

I favor player stipends. I know college football is big business but everyone needs to remember schools use those big profits to fund their entire athletic departments. After doing so, only 15-17 are able to finish the year with a profit. Besides Texas, Alabama, and a handful of others how many of your imagined 4 super conference members could afford to pay all 4-600 scholarship student athletes a $10,000 stipend as Texas proposed? Granted, Texas' proposal was more of a PR stunt than a genuine consideration, but even a greatly reduced stipend would bankrupt most athletic departments. College football is no doubt changing but college presidents will not allow it to become the minor league for the NFL. The emphasis -as we proudly and successfully do at the University of Alabama- is to develop student athletes for success in life after college and their sporting careers. Some will choose the NFL. Great, but when they are at the University they will always be student athletes. Would a true college football fan want it any other way?

Ldlane · Oct 30, 2014

Capstone46 said:
Do I understand you correctly that you think 4 super divisions each made up of 16-18 teams -with each having two sub divisions of 8 or 9 teams- would actually have the opportunity, or even the desire, to play MORE out of conference games? What would be their motivation and how would it benefit them? With your scenario everyone could only play the same teams EVERY YEAR within their sub division and then a rotating series with their opposite sub division. If everyone played all members JUST in the conference, it would require 15-17 regular conference games a year before the playoffs. That ain't gonna happen.

I favor player stipends. I know college football is big business but everyone needs to remember schools use those big profits to fund their entire athletic departments. After doing so, only 15-17 are able to finish the year with a profit. Besides Texas, Alabama, and a handful of others how many of your imagined 4 super conference members could afford to pay all 4-600 scholarship student athletes a $10,000 stipend as Texas proposed? Granted, Texas' proposal was more of a PR stunt than a genuine consideration, but even a greatly reduced stipend would bankrupt most athletic departments. College football is no doubt changing but college presidents will not allow it to become the minor league for the NFL. The emphasis -as we proudly and successfully do at the University of Alabama- is to develop student athletes for success in life after college and their sporting careers. Some will choose the NFL. Great, but when they are at the University they will always be student athletes. Would a true college football fan want it any other way?

I was just saying we were gonna have to add 2 teams to get a 16 team conference and then have 4 divisions. This requires you play at least everyone in your division. You can then have your rivals and then add more out of conference opponents from the Pac -12, ACC.... ETC.

TideEngineer08 · Oct 30, 2014

Matt0424 said:
Am I the only one who looks forward to these possible (probable) changes?

There are things I like about it, but there are things I like about the old way. I miss the days of a true Big Ten, a Big 8, and the SWC.

But consolidation was always inevitable, once tv exploded.

Rama Jama · Oct 30, 2014

I think they will go to eight teams. The whole 4 team deal is about being politically correct, not getting the best 4 teams. Sooner or later the other conferences will tire of the SEC getting 2 or possibly 3 teams in and they will lobby for a new system including every conference champ regardless of record. Jim Delany and all the talking heads have never figured out that if their teams played better on the field that maybe they would get a shot at a title.

The Future of College Football

Hall of Fame

1st Team

Hall of Fame

TideFans Legend

Super Moderator

Hall of Fame

Hall of Fame

Hall of Fame

All-American

Scout Team

Hall of Fame

Hall of Fame

Suspended

1st Team

All-American

TideFans Legend

1st Team

Hall of Fame

TideFans Legend

All-American

TideFans.shop - NEW Stuff!