One thing that really made me a fan was the tradition and the variety.

I loved watching those pass happy Big 12 teams have exciting shootouts, USC being a star loaded NLF factory in the Pac-10, and watching TCU/BYU/Utah/Boise try and go undefeated for a chance in a BCS bowl. And it was fun watching Big East teams occasionally shock everyone like that season USF went into SEC territory.

IMO realignment has made college football a knock off NFL.

(04-30-2014 05:34 PM)TrojanCampaign Wrote:  One thing that really made me a fan was the tradition and the variety.

I loved watching those pass happy Big 12 teams have exciting shootouts, USC being a star loaded NLF factory in the Pac-10, and watching TCU/BYU/Utah/Boise try and go undefeated for a chance in a BCS bowl. And it was fun watching Big East teams occasionally shock everyone like that season USF went into SEC territory.

IMO realignment has made college football a knock off NFL.

Not yet but I'm finding more interest in the NFL every day. I went from being indifferent to keeping up with its teams on Sundays during the fall.

I still think everyone will still cheer for their Alma Mater no matter what. I think what will drive fans from the stadium is the tendency of every athletic department to squeeze the last available dollar from their fan bases. For example, it would cost a family of four to sit in my section at Rutgers stadium almost $2800 for a 6 game home season with parking. Add in travel and incidental costs, you are looking at $4000 plus any bowl expenses. Does the average family have that kind of disposable income now?

No. Then again I follow college football because that's what is being played by the schools I follow ... I don't follow college football as a kind of general thing. I'm not going to stop paying attention to how Kent State is doing based on whether or not they have a game with UCF or Temple or UMass this year, nor am I going to stop paying attention to the Buckeyes based on whether or not they are in a division with Rutgers.

Realignment itself, no: adding A&M is exciting. Mizzou, bleh. So it's a wash.

The constant money grubbing and the sick justifications of crime (Penn State, Miami (anyone even remember Miami - payments for injuries, snorting coke off the breasts of topless cheerleaders etc etc etc???), the Carolina Way) oh hell yes. I'm on the very edge of giving up my tickets. I'm sick of hearing this crap justified as "capitalism." I deal with "capitalism" Monday through Friday. On Saturday, I don't want to hear any more about precious "capitalism" - those bastards can just run off to Galt's Gulch and masturbate themselves to death to a pic of Ayn Rand.

Nope, prefer it to pro ball

Yeah.

only for uconn/g5 fans it seems

(04-30-2014 06:11 PM)Proud Bammer Wrote:  Realignment itself, no: adding A&M is exciting. Mizzou, bleh. So it's a wash.

The constant money grubbing and the sick justifications of crime (Penn State, Miami (anyone even remember Miami - payments for injuries, snorting coke off the breasts of topless cheerleaders etc etc etc???), the Carolina Way) oh hell yes. I'm on the very edge of giving up my tickets. I'm sick of hearing this crap justified as "capitalism." I deal with "capitalism" Monday through Friday. On Saturday, I don't want to hear any more about precious "capitalism" - those bastards can just run off to Galt's Gulch and masturbate themselves to death to a pic of Ayn Rand.

Come on man...give us a break. Mizzou provided you with all the excitement you needed so far... oh wait. That was Auburn we played in Atlanta

(04-30-2014 05:34 PM)TrojanCampaign Wrote:  One thing that really made me a fan was the tradition and the variety.

I loved watching those pass happy Big 12 teams have exciting shootouts, USC being a star loaded NLF factory in the Pac-10, and watching TCU/BYU/Utah/Boise try and go undefeated for a chance in a BCS bowl. And it was fun watching Big East teams occasionally shock everyone like that season USF went into SEC territory.

IMO realignment has made college football a knock off NFL.

That would be No.

Most of the exciting situations that you describe can occur under the new alignment, and many new ones can as well. Southern Cal's downturn is not the result of realignment. The Texas A&M-Alabama and Missouri-Auburn games in SEC football and Duke-Syracuse matchups in ACC basketball are great examples of exciting games created by realignment.

(04-30-2014 06:11 PM)Proud Bammer Wrote:  The constant money grubbing and the sick justifications of crime ...

Yeah, that's a fair point. I'm only in my fifties, so I missed the time before that stuff started.

I'm actually pretty dang excited that the AAC conference games will be nationally broadcasted in fb and basketball. I'm sick of having to find streams for away games on sketchy websites with video quality of a '90s home movie. Now I can just tune into one of the ESPN channels. Additionally, fresh faces like Uconn and Temple, plus old foes Cincy and USF will spice up the schedule.

It is disappointing that H and H schedules may be harder to come by and that some leagues are wanting to go to/have gone to 9 games. Also kind of sucks that the bowls are quickly turning away from P5 vs G5. How many P5 vs G5 bowl games where there be? Maybe 6 or 7?

It definitely sucks that the divide is growing but I think we're a lot better off this year than last.

Even though it's caused a lot of anxiety over the future of our program, realignment still hasn't made the overall product less fun to watch for me. I like the NFL too, but if I had to pick one, it would still be college football all the way.

As an ACC fan it's made me much more excited about football and basketball. Drop UMD and add Cuse, Pitt, Louisville and ND. What's not to like? The deregulation of the championship game is even more exciting. With 3 permanent partners. We'll get to see every team in the league every other year instead of twice every 12 years for some teams.

(04-30-2014 07:15 PM)john01992 Wrote:  only for uconn/g5 fans it seems

Obviously, it wouldn't affect t-shirt fans.

Well, no it has not.

I know it has for me but honestly who can blame me? My school went from playing Louisville, Memphis, Central Florida, and East Carolina to playing the Sunbelt. It has ruined my passion for college athletics and made me realize that greed and "markets" are all that matters in college sports not the product on the field like it used to be.

Yeah I'm a bigger UC fan but I mean why in the world do I wanna see ohio state play Maryland or Rutgers. Even though Nebraska is more big ten style than the other two I miss watching them playing Texas and Oklahoma. This realignment has messed up the rivalries big time.

(04-30-2014 07:15 PM)john01992 Wrote:  only for uconn/g5 fans it seems

Alabama fan who actually attended classes at UA.

College football? No. I'll still enjoy the games.

Playoffs/Bowl games? Absolutely. I don't give a crap about more P5 vs. P5 matchups... and I definitely dont' give a damn about the mythical champion.