This is a good time to talk about stuff that makes too much sense to ever happen right? So let’s fix CFB as I think most of us agree it is the most important college sport!
So, here is how I would do it- from conference realignment to the playoffs, all fixed nice and neat and easy:
First: break up the power 5, completely scrap it all! (Kinda...) realign into 4 conferences. Big ones, obviously.., more like 18 teams than 14... this allows for the current 64/65 power 5 schools to expand to 72. You can play within your conference however you like- but divisions are mandatory and 10 conference games should be mandatory. 8 from your division (all of them) and 2 from the other? Fine! 5/5?- sure! Whatever you want to do, leave it up to the conferences for that. I think 8/2 makes the most sense. (Whiner says: “I want to play more across division games!”- fine, win your division, you get an extra one!)
Leaves 2 non-con games a year, *no FCS schools. Must be a “power 4” team, or vs whatever we will call the group of 5 (new D2?) schools going forward...
I do like the idea being pitched of playing FCS schools as a scrimmage at the end of Spring practice in place of a Spring game, but that is for another discussion and not important....
So, the playoff... People saying it needs to be expanded? Nope. 4 game playoff stands. Except now, as it was intended for decades but the feckless NCAA had no power to make it so- the Conference Championships ARE the first round of the playoffs! So in effect it IS an 8 team playoff.. Conference champions go on to the existing 4 game format.
That is it! All tied up with a nice bow!
FAQ:
“Which conferences comprise the power 4?” All of the current power 5, but we just cannibalize the Pac 12. Sounds like they don’t really want to play ball anyway, they are the smallest/worst of the power 5 anyway... half of their teams are not really on the level.. so let the schools who want to field a team and meet the crIteria to participate at power 4 level (some combination of academics, athletic prowess, facilities..) join up, the rest can go “D2”- just makes room to promote more small schools that are ready. ** perhaps even make it where teams who finish last (bottom 2-3?) fall back and the top team/S from the level below get promoted every 5 years or so...? I think they do thins in European soccer some? Just an aside..
“What if we want to play more non conference teams”- Easy, MAKE THE PLAYOFFS. Make a bowl game! (Will bowl games still exist? Who knows, they are already pointless now..)
“What about other sports?” Eff em, this is about football! Seriously... Football pays ALL the bills.. A few schools profit on basketball too, some do not... Start the fix where the money comes from first and let the others fall in line, or.. Don’t. Baseball teams do not get to set the rules/conferences for FB... That would be the tail wagging the dog. If people want to play other sports in different conferences, let them- ie soccer st USC currently...
“which additional teams get to be upgraded?”
Boise St deserves it TBH. UCF. USF? App State maybe... Schools like that.
That is my plan. It would make things neat and easy to understand, would create a true champion, would not limit revenue potential, would add some teams to the “big time” that have claimed they deserve to be there for years (we shall see!)- all without extending the season or playoffs one single game- the big brother argument against playoff expansion.. *Perhaps best of all though- it completely removes the subjective lunacy of having some computer rankings or groups of people like Condaleza Rice/ people who currently work FOR SCHOOLS in the running pick the teams who get to be on the playoffs. That is the biggest advantage here. No more arguing “__ deserved to be in over __”. That is not a thing any more- you win your division, or you DON’T! Period! No rankings, no lobbying, no BS! Oh it would be so sweet!
You are all welcome. I await my anointing as commissioner of college football.
So, here is how I would do it- from conference realignment to the playoffs, all fixed nice and neat and easy:
First: break up the power 5, completely scrap it all! (Kinda...) realign into 4 conferences. Big ones, obviously.., more like 18 teams than 14... this allows for the current 64/65 power 5 schools to expand to 72. You can play within your conference however you like- but divisions are mandatory and 10 conference games should be mandatory. 8 from your division (all of them) and 2 from the other? Fine! 5/5?- sure! Whatever you want to do, leave it up to the conferences for that. I think 8/2 makes the most sense. (Whiner says: “I want to play more across division games!”- fine, win your division, you get an extra one!)
Leaves 2 non-con games a year, *no FCS schools. Must be a “power 4” team, or vs whatever we will call the group of 5 (new D2?) schools going forward...
I do like the idea being pitched of playing FCS schools as a scrimmage at the end of Spring practice in place of a Spring game, but that is for another discussion and not important....
So, the playoff... People saying it needs to be expanded? Nope. 4 game playoff stands. Except now, as it was intended for decades but the feckless NCAA had no power to make it so- the Conference Championships ARE the first round of the playoffs! So in effect it IS an 8 team playoff.. Conference champions go on to the existing 4 game format.
That is it! All tied up with a nice bow!
FAQ:
“Which conferences comprise the power 4?” All of the current power 5, but we just cannibalize the Pac 12. Sounds like they don’t really want to play ball anyway, they are the smallest/worst of the power 5 anyway... half of their teams are not really on the level.. so let the schools who want to field a team and meet the crIteria to participate at power 4 level (some combination of academics, athletic prowess, facilities..) join up, the rest can go “D2”- just makes room to promote more small schools that are ready. ** perhaps even make it where teams who finish last (bottom 2-3?) fall back and the top team/S from the level below get promoted every 5 years or so...? I think they do thins in European soccer some? Just an aside..
“What if we want to play more non conference teams”- Easy, MAKE THE PLAYOFFS. Make a bowl game! (Will bowl games still exist? Who knows, they are already pointless now..)
“What about other sports?” Eff em, this is about football! Seriously... Football pays ALL the bills.. A few schools profit on basketball too, some do not... Start the fix where the money comes from first and let the others fall in line, or.. Don’t. Baseball teams do not get to set the rules/conferences for FB... That would be the tail wagging the dog. If people want to play other sports in different conferences, let them- ie soccer st USC currently...
“which additional teams get to be upgraded?”
Boise St deserves it TBH. UCF. USF? App State maybe... Schools like that.
That is my plan. It would make things neat and easy to understand, would create a true champion, would not limit revenue potential, would add some teams to the “big time” that have claimed they deserve to be there for years (we shall see!)- all without extending the season or playoffs one single game- the big brother argument against playoff expansion.. *Perhaps best of all though- it completely removes the subjective lunacy of having some computer rankings or groups of people like Condaleza Rice/ people who currently work FOR SCHOOLS in the running pick the teams who get to be on the playoffs. That is the biggest advantage here. No more arguing “__ deserved to be in over __”. That is not a thing any more- you win your division, or you DON’T! Period! No rankings, no lobbying, no BS! Oh it would be so sweet!
You are all welcome. I await my anointing as commissioner of college football.