(12-03-2017 05:52 PM)msm96wolf Wrote:  

(12-03-2017 04:24 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(12-03-2017 03:53 PM)TerryD Wrote:  I think this puts to an end the "conventional wisdom" that Notre Dame has to join a conference because of the existence of the Playoff Committee.

This makes two years in a row that a non-conference champ or conference championship game participant made the playoffs.

It seems to me that the committee has taken the slightly more controversial path in each of the last three years and yes in the last two they seemed to contraindicate the need of that 13th data point.

One might think that perhaps they were intentionally giving the finger to the CCG's. If so the motive might be the networks desire to horn in on the profits that the conferences make off of the CCG's. Get to 4 conferences of 2 divisions of 8 schools and then the CFP can essentially take the 8 division winners and play it off. Each conference gets 2 shots at a title and there is no need for a conference to beat up their champions.

I think there will be great resistance to this, and I think Delaney in his remarks today dug in his heels a bit on going to 8. I think Sankey would do the same.

But it could be a propaganda war the networks will continue to wage to try to pressure for 3 weekends that they control. We'll see.

Many believe this is where it is headed in 2024 when B12 expires and hopefully ND joins the ACC to help create 72 team power four conferences. I think this will be the last shot for some G5 teams to become power schools.

If you check the annual revenue listings as I do there is a pretty clear break around the 71st position in revenue every year. 4 conferences of 18 each is not far fetched. And getting there by 2023 is possible if all of the Big 10 schools have homes. And in a 72 team P scenario there is ample room to make it happen. So we'll see. If we wind up having to play 12 P games for the regular season you better believe these conferences will take a look at adding a few more of the present G5.