Conferences have gained power over individual schools recently. That is as far as the NCAA or CFP are concerned.
Obviously they always had power. The CFP could have gave one million to each FBS members with the performance bonus for conferences. That would have helped UMASS and made promotion less desirable. Having to wait for the next contract instead of getting an invite.

The invitation rule is similar and complicates some decisions.
Take Missouri state leave the valley and get less revenue .
Loose games vs some ranked strong programs to be FBS in the Sun Belt. Definitely a win lose situation making the gamble higher risk.

Another example Is The Access Bowl the pay out is less.
The Big Twelve didn't lose as much money or OSU gain vs BCS.

The conference IS individual schools. If anything, it has somewhat narrowed the spectrum of power within the conferences between the historically powerful schools and those on the other end. As more decisions of major consequence have to be made at the conference level, that equals the power between the schools as they all have a single vote.

The Fiesta Bowl payout was five million.
I thought I remember the payment being over ten million in the past.

There is less reward for performance and more guaranteed money. Easier to afford stipends and figure future earnings. Less of a chance to reap a financial benefit if very successful.

Army and BYU have great histories yet receive very little.
So school X gets UAB'S Cusa spot they automatically receive a million plus more than these two .

I guess it has pluses and minuses but it is new or more focused direction.

(01-24-2015 06:52 PM)MJG Wrote:  The Fiesta Bowl payout was five million.
I thought I remember the payment being over ten million in the past.

There is less reward for performance and more guaranteed money. Easier to afford stipends and figure future earnings. Less of a chance to reap a financial benefit if very successful.

Army and BYU have great histories yet receive very little.
So school X gets UAB'S Cusa spot they automatically receive a million plus more than these two .

I guess it has pluses and minuses but it is new or more focused direction.

If BYU or Army have an issue with that, they can apply for the open CUSA spot.

We are in a unique time.

Up until the 70's the bulk of infractions investigations were done by conferences and it wasn't unheard of a conference imposing harsher penalties than the NCAA.

The NCAA handled TV and the league wasn't much of an economic power unless (like the ACC) there was a profitable post-season tournament.

The league was a scheduling framework, a rules framework, and assigned officials.

There is no reason to assume the current situation is permanent.

(01-24-2015 07:31 PM)johnbragg Wrote:  

(01-24-2015 06:52 PM)MJG Wrote:  The Fiesta Bowl payout was five million.
I thought I remember the payment being over ten million in the past.

There is less reward for performance and more guaranteed money. Easier to afford stipends and figure future earnings. Less of a chance to reap a financial benefit if very successful.

Army and BYU have great histories yet receive very little.
So school X gets UAB'S Cusa spot they automatically receive a million plus more than these two .

I guess it has pluses and minuses but it is new or more focused direction.

If BYU or Army have an issue with that, they can apply for the open CUSA spot.

BYU makes more being independent so does Army.
U Mass makes more being in the A10 than joining the MAC all sports.

My point is former national championship teams get very little. While new programs receive much more seems odd.
Army may not be a power now but they helped popularize the sport. BYU is clearly the top non P5 program .

The P5 conferences have wrangled a lot of power away from the NCAA and a fair amount from the individual schools. The networks, espn in particular, have also usurped a lot of the power. I just wonder if the next round of contracts bring the status quo, or if we see the P5 achieve some degree of power over the networks through collective bargaining or outright merger.