If CFP Expands, What's the Fate of the SEC Championship Game?

[81usaf92]

It’s interesting that in the BCS era, the Big 12 was hurt by its championship game several times but the SEC was hit only once, in 2001. Well in reality, the Big 12 actually didn’t suffer in 2003 when Oklahoma was blasted by Kansas State. They still played LSU for the BCS title.

But I see your point and you may be correct. Money is going to determine that I think… how much has it benefited the Big 12 financially since it reinstated its title game? I know the PAC 12 has the weakest power 5 title game. No one cares about it. I could see them dropping it for sure.

I love your idea of the 9-2-1 split schedule. I think split conference championships are fine. And the league can leave it up to the CFP committee ranking to determine its auto-bid as you say. There has always been push back against the 9 game schedule but I wonder if in a relaxed 12 team playoff world, where an undefeated season isn’t such a must have, that programs will relent their opposition to it.

Nine games allows for more frequent rotation amongst teams that rarely play one another and that would be better for the league. But that cash cow of the title game in Atlanta will be almost impossible to give up.

2001 Nebraska was a worse situation than 2003 Oklahoma IMO.

 

[BigPoppa52]

Or leaving it as is...

Or going back to the BCS format

 

[81usaf92]

Or going back to the BCS format

Only if you want to completely kill the sport. Viewership matters more than attendance in this age in football and with the BCS the sport became extremely regional. With the advancements in entertainment technology many have stopped going to games entirely. So you need to appeal to the remote and the BCS and Plus 1( what we have now) had turned many away from the sport altogether.

 

[Redwood Forrest]

Knowing the history of the NCAA I don't for one minute believe Notre Dame will not be granted some sort of wavier. NCAA is famous for bending rules for transfers of every kind. JUST REMEMBER how many times we have said HOW CAN THEY DO THAT in the past when NCAA looked the other way! Never say Never with NCAA rules. Just saying that if the media whips up public support for "Poor Little" independent Notre Dame and their UNFAIR struggle with the Power Five ........ well, you get the picture how the narrative will go.

 

[81usaf92]

Knowing the history of the NCAA I don't for one minute believe Notre Dame will not be granted some sort of wavier. NCAA is famous for bending rules for transfers of every kind. JUST REMEMBER how many times we have said HOW CAN THEY DO THAT in the past when NCAA looked the other way! Never say Never with NCAA rules. Just saying that if the media whips up public support for "Poor Little" independent Notre Dame and their UNFAIR struggle with the Power Five ........ well, you get the picture how the narrative will go.

You do realize that the NCAA has very little control over major college football at the moment.

 

[Tug Tide]

You do realize that the NCAA has very little control over major college football at the moment.

Correct,
Football isn’t the cash cow for the NCAA that some think it is. The money the football playoffs generate go to the conferences.

 

[TideEngineer08]

You do realize that the NCAA has very little control over major college football at the moment.

I heard Spencer Hall put it this way on Finebaum. The ncaa is basically a basketball tournament organization. They put on a men’s basketball tournament and little else. Even in the other sports, they do so little to make things run and screw things up more often than not.

But they have no control over football. Even as a rules enforcement arm, they’ve basically given up any real responsibility.

So then it will be the universities and conferences themselves that agree to whatever arrangement exists with Notre Dame. It is like any business arrangement. You have two sides and they agree to terms. No one is holding anyone’s arm here.

I did not grow up in the 60s and 70s so I didn’t witness first hand the manifestation of the media’s love affair with Notre Dame. I saw it in the 1990s but Notre Dame had waned so far by that point that they could do little with it. Brian Kelly has re-established them to some extent, but we’ve all witnessed how far away they still are when it comes to the elite teams. I do prefer they join a conference. I disagree that they have any leg up anymore by being Independent. In the grand scheme, it’s hurting only them.

 

[STONECOLDSABAN]

Keep the SECCG if it means we can beat UT twice in one year. Thirtysee can't come soon enough.

You might be waiting a while for that opportunity to present itself.

 

[Elefantman]

You might be waiting a while for that opportunity to present itself.

Every year there is a part of me that wants UT to win the SEC east so that we can beat them twice.

 

[STONECOLDSABAN]

Every year there is a part of me that wants UT to win the SEC east so that we can beat them twice.

I mean I get it but they are such a dumpster fire right now.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

2001 Nebraska was a worse situation than 2003 Oklahoma IMO.

I agree it was worse, but the difference is that 2001 Nebraska only happened because of the cancellation of a game due to 9/11. Oklahoma's benefit was because of the system, Nebraska's was because of an accounted for external variable that intruded upon the system.

I mean, I agree it was worse that a team that lost its DIVISIONAL game by 26 points is worse than a team that lost its CONFERENCE TITLE game by 28, but one was unforseen circumstances and the other was "we've agreed upon this."

I'll give Stoops credit, though; he was cited during the LSU game as saying he was all fine with a conference champion requirement but since such didn't exist, you can't blame Oklahoma.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

I mean I get it but they are such a dumpster fire right now.

"Let's destroy Alabama" said Fulmer, right before destroying Tennessee.

 

[Blueguitar]

Fate of the SECCG is easy. It's not going anywhere because it makes money for the SEC.

Yes, but will it still make money if both teams are pretty much locks to make the playoff, and the game only impacts seeding? And if playing that extra game is perceived to hurt SEC performance in the playoffs (assuming the SEC keeps the championship game but other conferences that already don't make much dinero on that game drop it)? Who knows? I think with the potential for some teams having to play 3 or 4 times in the playoffs, and with regular season and conference championship games becoming less meaningful, ultimately either the season will be cut back to 11 games or the conference championships will be dropped. I don't think that is a step forward for college football, but it looks like that ship has sailed.

 

[DogPatch]

Yes, but will it still make money if both teams are pretty much locks to make the playoff, and the game only impacts seeding?

Yes. The SEC and Big Ten championships will always be profitable.

 

[81usaf92]

Yes. The SEC and Big Ten championships will always be profitable.

I really don’t know about the Big 10. The Big XII usually has more eyes and butts in seats.

 

[TideEngineer08]

Championship games ranked in order of viability and sustainability:

1. SEC Championship. "The Granddaddy of them all" I say with a smirk towards the Rose Bowl. We were the first in D1A/FBS, it has always been a sellout and great tv draw, and the SEC is the conference with the most rabid fans.

2. BIG TEN Championship. Because their fans care about as much as SEC fans, and it's always been a well attended game with good ratings. No, it's not the same level as the SEC game, but it provides the Big Ten with a lot of $$$ and thus will not go away quietly.

3. Big 12 Championship. It was more viable in its first iteration. But when they saw they could live without it, it lost its luster, and now it's a guaranteed rematch since they already play a round robin schedule. But their fans are passionate, and as long as it's OU or Texas, it will be well attended and bring in ratings. And.... it's most likely always going to feature OU and/or Texas.

4. ACC Championship. It has never been well attended. The ACC truly is a basketball first conference and it shows. Clemson dominates the thing now and I don't see that changing soon. If Notre Dame ever decides to become a full fledged member, that could change things. They definitely would need to be placed in the division opposite Clemson. But this is a game that could be cancelled and I doubt anyone would notice. I'm sure it still pulls in some dollars for the ACC but it can't be anywhere near the top 3.

5. Pac 12 Championship. This game has been a disaster from the start. The Pac 12 utterly failed in the last round of expansion and that's saying something seeing as how the Big 12 nearly disintegrated. But those two things are related: the Pac 12 failed to get Texas to join, and that was what everything hinged on for them. Colorado and especially Utah fails to move any needle whatsoever. In today's rules, they would not have needed to add more teams to get a championship game and I'll bet they wish they would have waited. Now they've got 2 more mouths to feed and it turns out their fanbases really don't care that much. They have to play the game on a Friday night just to get any sort of ratings. It's never been attended very well. No one would care if they cancelled this game, but I suspect they'll keep playing it for the time being. It's moving to the new stadium in Las Vegas, but how is that going to make a difference when they can't get 30,000 fans to attend?

 

[DzynKingRTR]

Championship games ranked in order of viability and sustainability:

1. SEC Championship. "The Granddaddy of them all" I say with a smirk towards the Rose Bowl. We were the first in D1A/FBS, it has always been a sellout and great tv draw, and the SEC is the conference with the most rabid fans.

2. BIG TEN Championship. Because their fans care about as much as SEC fans, and it's always been a well attended game with good ratings. No, it's not the same level as the SEC game, but it provides the Big Ten with a lot of $$$ and thus will not go away quietly.

3. Big 12 Championship. It was more viable in its first iteration. But when they saw they could live without it, it lost its luster, and now it's a guaranteed rematch since they already play a round robin schedule. But their fans are passionate, and as long as it's OU or Texas, it will be well attended and bring in ratings. And.... it's most likely always going to feature OU and/or Texas.

4. ACC Championship. It has never been well attended. The ACC truly is a basketball first conference and it shows. Clemson dominates the thing now and I don't see that changing soon. If Notre Dame ever decides to become a full fledged member, that could change things. They definitely would need to be placed in the division opposite Clemson. But this is a game that could be cancelled and I doubt anyone would notice. I'm sure it still pulls in some dollars for the ACC but it can't be anywhere near the top 3.

5. Pac 12 Championship. This game has been a disaster from the start. The Pac 12 utterly failed in the last round of expansion and that's saying something seeing as how the Big 12 nearly disintegrated. But those two things are related: the Pac 12 failed to get Texas to join, and that was what everything hinged on for them. Colorado and especially Utah fails to move any needle whatsoever. In today's rules, they would not have needed to add more teams to get a championship game and I'll bet they wish they would have waited. Now they've got 2 more mouths to feed and it turns out their fanbases really don't care that much. They have to play the game on a Friday night just to get any sort of ratings. It's never been attended very well. No one would care if they cancelled this game, but I suspect they'll keep playing it for the time being. It's moving to the new stadium in Las Vegas, but how is that going to make a difference when they can't get 30,000 fans to attend?

The Pac12 championship is so bad, it is shown on Friday along with the MAC championship. The MAC probably gets better ratings.

 

[Redwood Forrest]

You do realize that the NCAA has very little control over major college football at the moment.

The NCAA has granted waivers many, many times. Transfers. Bowl requirements. They routinely do this. I can see the Powers that be asking NCAA to grant Notre Dame a waiver for BCS playoff. I won't bet against it.

 

[Tradition4ever]

1. SEC Championship. "The Granddaddy of them all" I say with a smirk towards the Rose Bowl. We were the first in D1A/FBS, it has always been a sellout and great tv draw, and the SEC is the conference with the most rabid fans.

I think geographic footprint will also have a greater impact on Conference Championship Game attendance post pandemic. Meaning, the SEC has the tightest geographic footprint, and IMO that will lead to better in person attendance from the simple fact that teams and fans aren't travelling well out of their normal footprint to attend the game. This should also help attendance during the regular seasons if the SEC would rearrange the conference divisions and put Mizzou in the SEC West.

 

[81usaf92]

Championship games ranked in order of viability and sustainability:

1. SEC Championship. "The Granddaddy of them all" I say with a smirk towards the Rose Bowl. We were the first in D1A/FBS, it has always been a sellout and great tv draw, and the SEC is the conference with the most rabid fans.

2. BIG TEN Championship. Because their fans care about as much as SEC fans, and it's always been a well attended game with good ratings. No, it's not the same level as the SEC game, but it provides the Big Ten with a lot of $$$ and thus will not go away quietly.

3. Big 12 Championship. It was more viable in its first iteration. But when they saw they could live without it, it lost its luster, and now it's a guaranteed rematch since they already play a round robin schedule. But their fans are passionate, and as long as it's OU or Texas, it will be well attended and bring in ratings. And.... it's most likely always going to feature OU and/or Texas.

4. ACC Championship. It has never been well attended. The ACC truly is a basketball first conference and it shows. Clemson dominates the thing now and I don't see that changing soon. If Notre Dame ever decides to become a full fledged member, that could change things. They definitely would need to be placed in the division opposite Clemson. But this is a game that could be cancelled and I doubt anyone would notice. I'm sure it still pulls in some dollars for the ACC but it can't be anywhere near the top 3.

5. Pac 12 Championship. This game has been a disaster from the start. The Pac 12 utterly failed in the last round of expansion and that's saying something seeing as how the Big 12 nearly disintegrated. But those two things are related: the Pac 12 failed to get Texas to join, and that was what everything hinged on for them. Colorado and especially Utah fails to move any needle whatsoever. In today's rules, they would not have needed to add more teams to get a championship game and I'll bet they wish they would have waited. Now they've got 2 more mouths to feed and it turns out their fanbases really don't care that much. They have to play the game on a Friday night just to get any sort of ratings. It's never been attended very well. No one would care if they cancelled this game, but I suspect they'll keep playing it for the time being. It's moving to the new stadium in Las Vegas, but how is that going to make a difference when they can't get 30,000 fans to attend?

The problem with the BIG 10 is that you can basically say Ohio St vs Wisconsin and be right most Of the time. There has only been 1 time since 2011 that neither of those teams were in.

The Big XII has been a much better game historically.