(01-03-2015 03:51 PM)Underdog Wrote: Conferences’ GORs and TV contracts would have to expire at the same time. Therefore, when 2025 arrives, your proposal would encounter the same problem that exists today.
I somewhat misspoke because the GORs are not really the problem... no one is changing conferences, so that part is moot.
The problem, to the extent that it is one, is exclusively a TV contract one. I say "to the extent that it is one," because, if you consider these examples...
...there's really no empirical weakening of schedules, particularly where the Gold schools are concerned... and to the contrary, as noted I think in this thread's original post, conferences end up with added flexibility unimpeded by some unnatural division constraints and convoluted "rivalry" games compelled by those divisions.
(01-03-2015 03:51 PM)Underdog Wrote: You are also overlooking a very important fact—certain schools only want to be associated with other schools. Consequently, a school like Ohio St would never agree to possibly being demoted to a lower division.
Well, first, I doubt that the Ohio States are going to be feeling all that vulnerable.
Perhaps a more practical example to your point would be an Indiana or a Northwestern (?).
But what you've brought up here is exactly where the egalitarian rubber meets the road...
You have FBS as a division, and as we continue to see it grow to be more and more routine that a Boise takes down a #10 school and more commonly a Houston take down a Pitt kind of school... it becomes exceedingly less defensible for there to be this artificial... dare I say, back of the bus... stereotype that keeps the Indianas and their ilk in their protected status.
People were amazed in 1998 to see Tulane beat against the glass ceiling, and then Marshall the year after that... and since that time, it's went from that trickle to a common occurrence... I submit that things have happened in recent years that were thought to be unrealistic and not pragmatic back then, and similarly, we shouldn't be dismissive to think that in 2030 we will be able to look back to this time and say the same.
And too, before leaving this point, I'd emphasize that being relegated to Silver status only means playing 7 Silver teams in the region for the next two seasons. It isn't permanent, and in fact, since con5 schools have the resources that they do, it is reasonable to think that a given school would emerge to champion their Silver Division sooner or later and regain Gold status.
(01-03-2015 03:51 PM)Underdog Wrote: Furthermore, another reason why P5 and G5 schools are in the same conferences is because the networks are paying for these conferences to exist as they are. As a result, you have to address the association and network issues before further modifying your proposal.
Actually, that's not really the case (ie, "have to address...")
Couple of empirical points for you to consider.
First, in spite of all of the changes to CUSA's membership, there was no contract renegotiation forced even by more than 50% of members being new... which suggests that contracts are built with some escalating/de-escalating clauses to accommodate for changes in membership.
But more important and direct to your point... to be more precise, "the networks are paying for" audience-producing match-ups that they can sell to advertisers. Yes, they desire some stability there, but if anything, if you take a closer look, this arrangement just helps them target their audiences to an even higher degree than they can in relying on current scheduling... thank you Big XII WVU and SEC Missouri and, to some degree, B1G Rutgers.
It's a given that it's the nature of negotiations that two sides decide how to structure their agreement and the compensation due based on that structure. That's nothing new. And just like they always have, they'd do that in this case.
(01-03-2015 03:51 PM)Underdog Wrote: Nevertheless, I believe certain B12 schools will eventually be in other conferences after its GOR expires. What remains of the B12 will raid other G5 conferences….
And then? Is that college football nirvana? Will we have reached a place where we can feel good about it all? Pardon my perspective, but I don't see how we should. The system then just continues to be as faulty as it ever was. Just a new edition of faulty-ness.
To resolve the fundamental problems with this system, we have to parse away the scheduling problems inherent with these 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 sized groups that, in turn, keep us from getting to what every other sports association in the world has... a path for every team to its championship, competitors determined by preordained criteria, and by virtue of results on the field of play.
We are being reasonable when we expect MLB to place 5 teams in a division, and 3 divisions to a league... we are being reasonable when we expect NBA to do the same... and for the NFL to have 4 teams in 4 divisions in each of the two leagues. It is sensible. It is fair. And particularly in a sport that can't practically be played anymore than once a week and where you have a calendar that obligates you to confine the schedule to about 4 months, it is only logical.