So let's say the NFL has it right and 32 NFL franchises is the sweet spot. That's the best number for their playoff structure and everything. The average NFL career is currently 3-6 years.

In college football recruiting you always talk about your chances of making it to the NFL. It's a great pitch! SEC teams talk extensively about this in their recruitment of players. It's somewhat true... if you can become a predominant starter in the SEC you will likely sign a NFL contract eventually.

Take that a bit bigger... if you wanted to make college football a minor league for the NFL.... what would be the sweet spot of college football? 64! That idealized sweet spot is roughly the size of the P5. A logical statement could be made by saying, there is a 50% chance of moving on from a 64 team minor league to the 32 team major league.

There is also a parallel between the college football career only lasting 3-5 years while the NFL average career is 3-6 years. Meaning the NFL needs a feeder system that can keep up like college football does.

There is no correlation. A minor league only works if you have the ability to move players up and down. College football has been a training league for the NFL for a long time.

NFL teams have 53 players. Colleges have 100+. By your theory the P5 should only have 16 teams.

The NFL gets a significant number of players from non-P5 schools and even from non-FBS schools.

What I do like about the NFL is the structure and the way they schedule. 2x16 conferences divided into 3 divisions (i.e. pods).

(10-02-2014 06:09 AM)Wolfman Wrote:  There is no correlation. A minor league only works if you have the ability to move players up and down. College football has been a training league for the NFL for a long time.

NFL teams have 53 players. Colleges have 100+. By your theory the P5 should only have 16 teams.

The NFL gets a significant number of players from non-P5 schools and even from non-FBS schools.

What I do like about the NFL is the structure and the way they schedule. 2x16 conferences divided into 3 divisions (i.e. pods).

Where have you been? Here are the scholarship limits as of 2014:

NCAA I FBS up to 85 players on scholarship.
NCAA I FCS up to 63 players on scholarship.
NCAA II up to 36 players on scholarship.
NCAA III Zero
NAIA up to 24 players on scholarship.
NJCAA up to 85 players on scholarship.

The NFL is one League under one "federal" leadership system.

The College level is more like a Confederation of Leagues. The equivalency of the NFL at the College level is not the NCAA. It is each individual Conference. Now the conferences will very likely be guided into following some rather general ideas that have shown to be successful in the NFL. Smaller divisions, more playoff games that matter and improved rivalries based upon Geography.

(10-02-2014 06:23 AM)Wilkie01 Wrote:  Where have you been? Here are the scholarship limits as of 2014:

NCAA I FBS up to 85 players on scholarship.
NCAA I FCS up to 63 players on scholarship.
NCAA II up to 36 players on scholarship.
NCAA III Zero
NAIA up to 24 players on scholarship.
NJCAA up to 85 players on scholarship.

Schools carry more than just their scholarship players.

(10-02-2014 11:31 AM)FIUFan Wrote:  

(10-02-2014 06:23 AM)Wilkie01 Wrote:  Where have you been? Here are the scholarship limits as of 2014:

NCAA I FBS up to 85 players on scholarship.
NCAA I FCS up to 63 players on scholarship.
NCAA II up to 36 players on scholarship.
NCAA III Zero
NAIA up to 24 players on scholarship.
NJCAA up to 85 players on scholarship.

Schools carry more than just their scholarship players.

Yes, but most of those guys are used for anything but blocking dumbies and scout teams. Very few will ever play in the FNL!

(10-01-2014 11:18 PM)ArmoredUpKnight Wrote:  Take that a bit bigger... if you wanted to make college football a minor league for the NFL.... what would be the sweet spot of college football? 64! That idealized sweet spot is roughly the size of the P5. A logical statement could be made by saying, there is a 50% chance of moving on from a 64 team minor league to the 32 team major league.

No, the math doesn't work that way.

There are 30 major league baseball teams, and 30 AAA farm teams. Does that mean a AAA ballplayer has a 100% chance of moving up to the majors? Of course not.