http://www.foxsports.com/college-footbal...ame-051616

Interesting take, I have not seen this one before. That setup is a zero sum game, meaning half the teams would have losing records each year. Maybe they wouldn't care since the money is so good.

This is bound to happen. The only question is when. The only problem will be talent dispersal. Since these teams will not be part of the NCAA the whole student/athlete sham becomes an even bigger sham.

The NFL draft will need to become like the baseball draft, teams will select players after they have completed high school and assign them to their "Developmental Team". College teams are already paying for kids to come to their school, (look no further than Leramy Tunsil) now it will have to be above board and regulated. Plus this will improve the NFL product. Players will learn the parent team system rather than playing the spread in college and having to adapt to a pro model in the NFL.

(05-17-2016 12:22 PM)niuco90 Wrote:  This is bound to happen. The only question is when. The only problem will be talent dispersal. Since these teams will not be part of the NCAA the whole student/athlete sham becomes an even bigger sham.

The NFL draft will need to become like the baseball draft, teams will select players after they have completed high school and assign them to their "Developmental Team". College teams are already paying for kids to come to their school, (look no further than Leramy Tunsil) now it will have to be above board and regulated. Plus this will improve the NFL product. Players will learn the parent team system rather than playing the spread in college and having to adapt to a pro model in the NFL.

That sounds horrible, not just for NIU, but also for U of I, Indiana....

(05-17-2016 01:02 PM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  

(05-17-2016 12:22 PM)niuco90 Wrote:  This is bound to happen. The only question is when. The only problem will be talent dispersal. Since these teams will not be part of the NCAA the whole student/athlete sham becomes an even bigger sham.

The NFL draft will need to become like the baseball draft, teams will select players after they have completed high school and assign them to their "Developmental Team". College teams are already paying for kids to come to their school, (look no further than Leramy Tunsil) now it will have to be above board and regulated. Plus this will improve the NFL product. Players will learn the parent team system rather than playing the spread in college and having to adapt to a pro model in the NFL.

That sounds horrible, not just for NIU, but also for U of I, Indiana....

All the things that has made college the great game will be gone, rivalries, conferences, tradition all in the name of money. Money is ruining all aspects of life. The thought of the big ten going away means a brand not only for sports but for academics will be gone. Grads speak in terms that they went to a Big ten School and that has meaning. Just so much greed

The rich get richer.

Why does he quote himself in the article?

I don't think that article is any more realistic than most of the realignment scenarios thrown around on the re-alignment board.

It's an interesting enough story. I do think the big money programs will stay attached to the NCAA as long as it, and the embedded notions of amateurism continue to provide cover for the athletes not being classified as employees.

Even in a media future where everything is niche- I don't think the general structure of anything in sports will change that radically. Much of what makes Ohio State or Alabama or whoever what they are is the constant winning. Their value- and attractiveness to subscribers- is rooted in some version of the current model. College sports as we know it is about selling the illusion of competitiveness to fans in the bottom/middle and greatness to fans of the very good. It's why fans of Iowa hang in-ok teams with 8 wins and a once-a-generation Rose Bowl. So to varying degrees Alabama and Ohio State not only need the Mississippi States and Indianas, but the NIUs, Toledos, and Arkansas States also have some value to them. To me, a more plausible world is one where you're subscribing to the SEC Network app, which also props up some smaller regional conference than some attempt at a national thing.

I can't begin to name the things wrong with this article. He is delusional to say the least.

What I can see, as most with a concept of what is occurring can see, is 5 super conferences, 16 teams each....ACC, B10, P10, SEC, B12. They will then have their own playoff, as they basically do now, or will represent 6/8, more likely 10/12 or like 12, 13 of 16. The latter 1 or 2 will have to eliminate one non-conference game or conference championship and send the 8 division winners. Playoff money can easily take care of a conference title game.

Another scenario would be the 16x5 and then everyone else has a playoff for their own division to be named.

The question at any level eventually becomes playoffs and bowls or just playoffs.

I do think you will see a push for teams to drop down a level.

I guess it would U of I would end up playing us finally

His theory is definitely very different from what we currently know as college football, but I think it is plausible. Money is all that matters in today's college football landscape. What would be interesting is to see what all the leftover college football teams do. Would the new B1G be something like Iowa, Iowa State, Illinois, Northwestern, Purdue, Indiana, Kansas, Kansas State, Minnesota, and Missouri? What would the current G5 conferences do? It would all be very interesting, that's for sure.

(05-17-2016 04:09 PM)huskie1stdown Wrote:  I do think you will see a push for teams to drop down a level.

I think that is what they want.

5 at 16 then everyone else..... MAC, AAC, MWC, etc.

They would then limit scheduling to 1 team not in the Power 5. They could easily do crossovers between entire conferences yearly if they all had the same # teams.

Frankly, I have no idea why they haven't done this already. Makes so much sense. SEC has to be the ones holding the entire process up. They probably don't like any scenario than limits them to less than 50% of the playoff representation....or its $.
That and what to do with the current bowl system. I am sure the 2nd, 3rd level teams aren't too crazy about giving them up, or at minimum making them even less meaningful, if that is possible.

(05-17-2016 05:42 PM)randyfensfanclub1 Wrote:  

(05-17-2016 04:09 PM)huskie1stdown Wrote:  I do think you will see a push for teams to drop down a level.

I think that is what they want.

5 at 16 then everyone else..... MAC, AAC, MWC, etc.

They would then limit scheduling to 1 team not in the Power 5. They could easily do crossovers between entire conferences yearly if they all had the same # teams.

Frankly, I have no idea why they haven't done this already. Makes so much sense. SEC has to be the ones holding the entire process up. They probably don't like any scenario than limits them to less than 50% of the playoff representation....or its $.
That and what to do with the current bowl system. I am sure the 2nd, 3rd level teams aren't too crazy about giving them up, or at minimum making them even less meaningful, if that is possible.

Some of the best games are the NIU vs. Ohio State, Boise vs. Oklahoma match ups, because the stakes are high but the upsets are not out of reach. To limit that type of match up would take some fun out of the season for sure for all fans.

Sadly I don't think that this theory is that far off. I understand why fans like seeing Boise play OU, Houston play UT, or NIU play Ohio State, but those bigger schools hate the match ups and more than likely paying for the privilege of possibly being upset. wouldn't they rather just play each other all the time in these super conferences and not have to worry about the little guy taking money from them? it's Capitalism folks, the goal is to make as much money as possible in a legal fashion. If they can break away from the NCAA and not have to adhere to their rules and schedules why wouldn't they? Then of course it's basically NFL Jr, and college athletics as we know them would certainly be completely different, and not just in football. Sadly, this was where we were heading the moment apparel, stadium, and bowl sponsorship came into college football.

If they did that they would just be killing the golden goose. In their greed they might not see it, but that's what they would be doing. Are all those football fans of the jilted teams going to watch the chosen few? I doubt it. There's the NFL if you want to just watch the best teams.

(05-17-2016 04:09 PM)huskie1stdown Wrote:  I do think you will see a push for teams to drop down a level.

Never in an explicit, pass rules to force it way though. Probably can't rally the votes for that sort of thing. Big money doesn't need to pass rules. Just drive coaching salaries up, facilities costs up, build out the football staffs with crews of "analysts" and eventually maybe some will pack it in organically since G5 TV money will be the first cut when the rights bubble ends.

(05-17-2016 06:14 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  If they did that they would just be killing the golden goose. In their greed they might not see it, but that's what they would be doing. Are all those football fans of the jilted teams going to watch the chosen few? I doubt it. There's the NFL if you want to just watch the best teams.

Agreed. College football vs. minor league football. Who wants to watch minor league football? Not me. Maybe this would be a regeneration of college football without the HUGE money!

(05-18-2016 06:43 AM)HUSKIEFOOTBALLFAN Wrote:  

(05-17-2016 06:14 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  If they did that they would just be killing the golden goose. In their greed they might not see it, but that's what they would be doing. Are all those football fans of the jilted teams going to watch the chosen few? I doubt it. There's the NFL if you want to just watch the best teams.

Agreed. College football vs. minor league football. Who wants to watch minor league football? Not me. Maybe this would be a regeneration of college football without the HUGE money!

If they went P5 80 and the rest, currently at 48 I think and could easily get 60.

I actually think a separation could mean MORE money for those not in the P5. They could make television deals and not have conference network conflicts, ESPN leftover peanuts, 930 starts and online games. People would watch if branded correctly with a playoff and championship. It may be the only tool for survival. Can't be any worse than it is now for those left out. And it wouldn't be much difference in scheduling. Play a P5, 2 new division and a subdivision in non conference. Plus you are selling the opportunity for a national title.

I think the P5 is heading to the 5 power conf at 16 as they were years ago. The bowl system may become nonexistent basically within years, which I never thought was possible. In any 16 team playoff scenario and bowl elimination kills the bottom 1/2 of ever P5 conference more than it hurts any exposure NIU could get if successful. There won't be a split of 24 at top, that is a given. There is more to think about than football, more for them to fall back on. It just makes zero sense. And the conferences like the bowl money, tv exposure which makes the elimination of bowls hard. But I do think it can work, is much more plausible and is being thought about by the lesser conferences as a backup plan.

(05-17-2016 06:04 PM)DogPoundNorth Wrote:  Sadly I don't think that this theory is that far off. I understand why fans like seeing Boise play OU, Houston play UT, or NIU play Ohio State, but those bigger schools hate the match ups and more than likely paying for the privilege of possibly being upset. wouldn't they rather just play each other all the time in these super conferences and not have to worry about the little guy taking money from them? it's Capitalism folks, the goal is to make as much money as possible in a legal fashion. If they can break away from the NCAA and not have to adhere to their rules and schedules why wouldn't they? Then of course it's basically NFL Jr, and college athletics as we know them would certainly be completely different, and not just in football. Sadly, this was where we were heading the moment apparel, stadium, and bowl sponsorship came into college football.

The early OOC games are supposed to be "tune up" games for the big schools. It is more exciting than the NFL method of just having meaningless pre-season games. Since the games still count, they will still draw fans. A team like '15 Ohio State would like to see how their new lineup does against a couple MAC schools before running it against their Big Ten opponents.

(05-18-2016 10:02 AM)Huskie_Jon Wrote:  

(05-17-2016 06:04 PM)DogPoundNorth Wrote:  Sadly I don't think that this theory is that far off. I understand why fans like seeing Boise play OU, Houston play UT, or NIU play Ohio State, but those bigger schools hate the match ups and more than likely paying for the privilege of possibly being upset. wouldn't they rather just play each other all the time in these super conferences and not have to worry about the little guy taking money from them? it's Capitalism folks, the goal is to make as much money as possible in a legal fashion. If they can break away from the NCAA and not have to adhere to their rules and schedules why wouldn't they? Then of course it's basically NFL Jr, and college athletics as we know them would certainly be completely different, and not just in football. Sadly, this was where we were heading the moment apparel, stadium, and bowl sponsorship came into college football.

The early OOC games are supposed to be "tune up" games for the big schools. It is more exciting than the NFL method of just having meaningless pre-season games. Since the games still count, they will still draw fans. A team like '15 Ohio State would like to see how their new lineup does against a couple MAC schools before running it against their Big Ten opponents.

They won't like the "tune up" games if they start costing them playoff games because the teams they scheduled aren't any good. It's bad enough playing Purdue, it's even worse playing a terrible G5 team.