(07-29-2013 05:40 PM)10thMountain Wrote: No G5 leagues will be included in the eventual split. The whole point is to separate from them so the playoff can be all P5 conferences with no G5 conferences whining for an AQ spot for their champ.
Now if any individual G5 team can meet some basic standards like 50k actual attendance per year and is willing to pay the players the stipends (BYU, ECU) then they can join as independents and compete for one of the 3 AL slots in the playoff.
I beg to differ the G5, Big East, WCC, and maybe the A10. The Iowa States of the world need a way to get bowl eligible. And Florida needs someone to fill in those eight home games. (150-160 teams in the New Division).
http://www.ubbullrun.com/2013/7/30/45653...on-members
For the powerful schools like Alabama and USC there is the desire to play 8 home games. The Millions of dollars per home game made at the gate, the concessions stand, and in the parking lot are too good to pass up. By some estimates Ohio State pulls in about five million dollars per home game they sell out.
The Buckeye's are going to sell out opening week games no matter who the opponent is so why not buy a game against UB and earn four million or so after the payout? It's the same thing the mid majors do with FCS teams just on a bigger scale.
The more modest P5 football programs need home games against mid majors to go bowling every once in a while. A power school like Texas sitting home happens once in a blue moon. For some of the lesser P5 schools a bowl is really something special and usually it's owned to at least one win against the G5.
Just look at Iowa State. The Cyclones have been in just three bowl games since 2005. Each of those years (2009, 2011, 2012) the Cyclones finished the season at 6-6. In 2009 they beat North Dakota (FCS), Kent (MAC), and Army. In 2011 they owed their sixth win to North Dakota State (FCS), then last season they beat Tulsa (CUSA) and Western Illinois (FCS).
As an aside their 2009 Bowl Win came over a 6-6 Minnesota team who needed to beat Air Force (MWC), and South Dakota State (FCS).