This would be good.They ref the current crises and travel costs and in state rivalries
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Southwest is the conference of death. But I have 0 complaints if that was real.
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It sounds great and belongs in dream land. The only way something like this will happen is if the federal government appoints a czar to restructure college football, otherwise it will only be a dream.
Everyone, keep dreaming.
There is no way the SEC, B1G, or B12 would go for this. Some of it makes sense, but it aint gonna happen.
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Fun excercise I guess, we all know it would never happen. Just on what he threw out there… Holy competitive imbalances, Southwest, new Sun Belt, Great Mideast, and Deep South are monsters. Mid American and Mid Atlantic are just gifts to Clemson and Notre Dame. The other divisions for the most part are competitive within themselves, but are getting smoked come playoff time.
It’ll never happen. The only programs that would support it are the current “have nots”. Other than money there is also the problem of media exposure. With so many conferences, it’s inevitable that current P5 programs would see reduced exposure, while the G5 will see increased exposure.
Even If the current P5 are guaranteed to make more money and assured at least same level of exposure they have now, they will not be interested.
P5 mentality is any benefit must accrue to us overwhelmingly. Under this proposal even if current P5 see a few million $ increase in their payout, they will look at the increase G5 get. If the G5 see a much larger increase, it’ll be a no go.
I have made this point when people point out why P5 should add UH. It’s rare for P5 for add anyone that wasn’t already in the club. TCU, Utah are exceptions. Why would UT/A&M support UH being added to the Big 12/SEC if all UT/A&M see is a $2 million bump in payout while UH sees a $40M increase? It’s a case of the rich not wanting to see a have-not benefitting more than them.
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I’m addition, P5s will not get all the best athletes. They do not want college football to look like college basketball.
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Far too sensible to ever be considered.
This would be amazing. Only way it could happen is if all conference tv deals were canceled at the same time (Covid cancels them all?). Then the NCAA goes directly to networks to negotiate an NCAA wide tv deal based on regional conferences and a 12-16 team playoff. At that point, the current conferences would just become bloated administrations.
What would most likely happen if the NCAA try to pull it off? The big money programs would just leave the NCAA and start their own league. TV networks would rather pay most of their money for 16-32 name brand programs than for 120 different teams. So it wont ever happen for football, but maybe for all other sports? That would still be cool to have a regional basketball and baseball schedule.
The benefit to P5 s is there would only be 4 or a limited amount in each of 12 conferences so each could have a better shot at playoffs and dominating unlike the Sec which relegates Arkansas to an also ran for life. If the crisis is a yearly event or a yearly deal like the flu, they mentioned reduced travel to avoid airports so they are for regional conferences.
Makes too much sense to happen. However, economics are changing. Money was already going to be less plentiful even before the pandemic hit. Cord-cutting was seeing to that. Then schools demonstrated this year they haven’t saved squat. Pandemic has demonstrated that extra money has been spent on fluff.
Suspect there will be some kind of realignment in the coming years. Cost-cutting will become very important.
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Something like this is put out every year or two it seems. SI may have even put this one out before, just with out the Covid tag.
I will toss out a different point of view. I don’t like it.
First it is too regional. Part of the reason the SWC lost its luster (aside from cheating) is that no one outside of the state cared about it or watched it. Some regionality is good to build up some rivalries with fans that are in the same areas. Too much and it is boring.
Next the 1 OOC game sucks. I like watching my teams play someone new every so often. I like seeing how two different conferences stack up when they have more crossover games. It is fun when the conferences shift who wins the most vs the others - it gives bragging rights at the sports bar.
For example it is fun to see Texags bashing the “BDF” as being worse than the Sunbelt, but then point out the SEC is only 11-10 against the Big 12 in the last 5 years or so. If there are no real crossovers, no discussions beyond which champion is best in the playoff without crossovers.
Leave the regional attempt to the NFL.
SWC failed mainly because tv didn’t want to pay as much as the other conf so UT etc merged with the big12 to get more. If ESPN backs it with money and most conferences would be in the same boat , it could work. We’d have the Oklahoma schools to replace Ark so we’d be like the old Big 8 or a better SWC with OU. It could work if the networks pitch it and fund it plus its more about playoffs in this scheme vs the old SWC model of just a good bowl game.
All that matters is money. I also dont agree with improved playoff chances. Raising G5 programs up, will also make those programs more competitive. Ultimately the odds will remain the same for the P5 programs, it will however immeasurably improve chances of current G5 programs to make it to the playoffs.
I like that proposed conference. Could conceivably go to every game if one wanted to (maybe not to Lubbock tho). I’m suprised no one made divisions yet. I’d split em up like this:
UT, TAMU, BU, SMU, TCU, Rice
OU, OSU, TTU, UH, UNT, TU.
Consistent shot finishing top half of the division year in/out. Solid chance of finishing Top 2 with outside shot of winning the division with an exceptional year. Assuming we step up recruiting, etc.
Curious as to why. It looks like the inner circle and outer circle.
I love it and would work perfectly for everyone. It would generate huge media numbers. Why you may ask? Because it involves an entire geographical area. Local rivalries become relevant. In the 80’s and 90’s we never had the media coverage that we have now. The naysayers want you to believe the opposite. Ask yourself why?
But wait…
Pat Forde has been arrested by the ncaa and its cartel police
News break
Pat forde has been convicted and is not eligible for parole.
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The writer mentioned local rivalries that would matter in the sense at work you’d have more banter back and forth with in state near by teams. If your in west vir for ex your never going to run into a Tcu or OU fan over there but in Texas you will. Even if a cure is found , I heard it’s only like the flu vac where you might get it but the symptoms are less severe which isn’t all that comforting so something is going to shake up the conferences to think more regional. I have no doubt UH will be ok regardless.
I’ll just take the original Southwest Conference, thanks
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No one is going to start watching UT - Rice because it is local.
The SWC begs to differ. It was too regional and no one outside Texas would watch any games, thus no money for media rights. Most major games are shown nationally, with a small region only, it will not get any viewers outside that region. Thus national means nothing.