I figured this would be best in its own thread rather than be added to the current "New Realignment" or "Future of Rice Athletics" threads. (Although many of our comments will surely be with Rice in mind.)

https://www.espn.com/college-football/st...rs-respond

During the off-season, ESPN surveyed more than 200 coaches, players and administrators with a wide-ranging questionnaire on the future of college football.

"... ®espondents told ESPN that big issues such as realignment, name, image and likeness and the transfer portal are likely just precursors to more seismic shifts in the sport's landscape.

"Among the significant changes expected in the coming years are a diminished role for the NCAA, an expansion of the College Football Playoff, continued realignment and, ultimately, a pay-for-play model that would treat players as employees.

"Nearly 80% of respondents believe schools will pay athletes directly within the next decade. Nearly 75% think the sport will eventually follow some sort of professional model, perhaps with schools forming conferences based on their willingness to pay players. And virtually everyone (98%) thinks more realignment is in store -- sooner than later."

The article is wide-ranging and quote-worthy.

Read it & weep, rejoice, discuss ...

I fully expect an official divide to happen between the mid-major and power conferences. I don't know what that will look like at the end, but I wouldn't expect a complete disassociation. There are mutual interests.

Those schools will always need us to help fill their schedules. Even if a new 'collegiate athletics association' of our creation decided to play by its own rules, I would fully expect that rivalries with those in the 'semi-professional ' league would continue as they do today. The only difference being that we play for our own championships.

(08-01-2022 11:00 PM)Ourland Wrote:  I fully expect an official divide to happen between the mid-major and power conferences. I don't know what that will look like at the end, but I wouldn't expect a complete disassociation. There are mutual interests.

Those schools will always need us to help fill their schedules. Even if a new 'collegiate athletics association' of our creation decided to play by its own rules, I would fully expect that rivalries with those in the 'semi-professional ' league would continue as they do today. The only difference being that we play for our own championships.

To the bolded, you forgot the following:

Those schools will always need the (everything except the P2) to help fill their rosters.

I often wonder if/when the NFL starts to see this as a threat worth responding to.

Today, many of the best college players move on to the NFL early to make (more?) money.

When Alabama starts paying its top players millions, which seems inevitable, the NFL's talent pool at the very least gets somewhat delayed (fewer early NFL departures).

When student athletes become employees, what's to stop colleges from increasing (or eliminating outright) eligibility limits?

I've seen comments that college football is moving in the direction of becoming the equivalent of the minor leagues for the NFL (where players are paid), but that's absurd -- minor leagues don't make big bucks in any sport that I'm aware of, why on earth would the big colleges settle for that model? When there are a hundred or more college football teams with some level of parity, the minor league model makes at least some sense, but when a smaller number of teams (roughly the equivalent of the NFL's team count, say...) emerges as an organization some day, with billions in TV deals, they won't settle for second fiddle.

The only thing I can logically see to stop college football from incurring on the NFL's turf (ha ha) from an eligibility standpoint is some kind of agreement with the NFL -- which i could see happening, to avoid a mutually destructive conflict -- but once BIG College Football officially becomes the undeniably for-profit enterprise that it already-is-but-won't-admit-it, such an agreement would be pure collusion.

At some level it feels like a grand (and really very, very interesting) psychology experiment. Which fundamentally-illogical loyalty will end up retaining the passion that so many Americans (myself included) invest in for sport, their loyalty to the professional teams their colleges put their brand on, or their loyalty to their city/state's NFL franchise's players hired from all over the country? I'd bet a nickel on colleges, which is why I'm wondering when the NFL starts getting "involved" and what that involvement looks like.

(08-02-2022 06:36 AM)tanqtonic Wrote:  

(08-01-2022 11:00 PM)Ourland Wrote:  I fully expect an official divide to happen between the mid-major and power conferences. I don't know what that will look like at the end, but I wouldn't expect a complete disassociation. There are mutual interests.

Those schools will always need us to help fill their schedules. Even if a new 'collegiate athletics association' of our creation decided to play by its own rules, I would fully expect that rivalries with those in the 'semi-professional ' league would continue as they do today. The only difference being that we play for our own championships.

To the bolded, you forgot the following:

Those schools will always need the (everything except the P2) to help fill their rosters.

I don't know about that. Their conference schedules are going to be so unforgiving that I think they'll always need small schools to play at home. If not, we completely break apart. It depends on how the playoff is restructured.

(08-02-2022 09:21 AM)Ourland Wrote:  

(08-02-2022 06:36 AM)tanqtonic Wrote:  

(08-01-2022 11:00 PM)Ourland Wrote:  I fully expect an official divide to happen between the mid-major and power conferences. I don't know what that will look like at the end, but I wouldn't expect a complete disassociation. There are mutual interests.

Those schools will always need us to help fill their schedules. Even if a new 'collegiate athletics association' of our creation decided to play by its own rules, I would fully expect that rivalries with those in the 'semi-professional ' league would continue as they do today. The only difference being that we play for our own championships.

To the bolded, you forgot the following:

Those schools will always need the (everything except the P2) to help fill their rosters.

I don't know about that. Their conference schedules are going to be so unforgiving that I think they'll always need small schools to play at home.

They could double up in conference.
Two Red River Shootouts in one season?
Best two out of three?

(08-02-2022 09:21 AM)Ourland Wrote:  

(08-02-2022 06:36 AM)tanqtonic Wrote:  

(08-01-2022 11:00 PM)Ourland Wrote:  I fully expect an official divide to happen between the mid-major and power conferences. I don't know what that will look like at the end, but I wouldn't expect a complete disassociation. There are mutual interests.

Those schools will always need us to help fill their schedules. Even if a new 'collegiate athletics association' of our creation decided to play by its own rules, I would fully expect that rivalries with those in the 'semi-professional ' league would continue as they do today. The only difference being that we play for our own championships.

To the bolded, you forgot the following:

Those schools will always need the (everything except the P2) to help fill their rosters.

I don't know about that. Their conference schedules are going to be so unforgiving that I think they'll always need small schools to play at home. If not, we completely break apart. It depends on how the playoff is restructured.

I think my point is independent of schedules.

I have zero doubt the P2 will need the small fry for schedule filling. Only so many games you can eke out with 36 teams.

The P2 will always need the bottom 150 teams to poach from when their players do the two and out. Or for Baylor to restock from when Alabama poaches from them.

The big fish will always feed off the little fish. Darwinism.

(08-02-2022 10:42 AM)tanqtonic Wrote:  The big fish will always feed off the little fish. Darwinism.

True, but what is in it for the krill?

(08-02-2022 08:46 AM)erice Wrote:  At some level it feels like a grand (and really very, very interesting) psychology experiment. Which fundamentally-illogical loyalty will end up retaining the passion that so many Americans (myself included) invest in for sport, their loyalty to the professional teams their colleges put their brand on, or their loyalty to their city/state's NFL franchise's players hired from all over the country? I'd bet a nickel on colleges, which is why I'm wondering when the NFL starts getting "involved" and what that involvement looks like.

I definitely think the answer to this question is different in region-by-region, state-by-state and city-by-city.

(08-02-2022 10:42 AM)tanqtonic Wrote:  

(08-02-2022 09:21 AM)Ourland Wrote:  

(08-02-2022 06:36 AM)tanqtonic Wrote:  

(08-01-2022 11:00 PM)Ourland Wrote:  I fully expect an official divide to happen between the mid-major and power conferences. I don't know what that will look like at the end, but I wouldn't expect a complete disassociation. There are mutual interests.

Those schools will always need us to help fill their schedules. Even if a new 'collegiate athletics association' of our creation decided to play by its own rules, I would fully expect that rivalries with those in the 'semi-professional ' league would continue as they do today. The only difference being that we play for our own championships.

To the bolded, you forgot the following:

Those schools will always need the (everything except the P2) to help fill their rosters.

I don't know about that. Their conference schedules are going to be so unforgiving that I think they'll always need small schools to play at home. If not, we completely break apart. It depends on how the playoff is restructured.

I think my point is independent of schedules.

I have zero doubt the P2 will need the small fry for schedule filling. Only so many games you can eke out with 36 teams.

The P2 will always need the bottom 150 teams to poach from when their players do the two and out. Or for Baylor to restock from when Alabama poaches from them.

The big fish will always feed off the little fish. Darwinism.

There will be a P4 IMO. The B12 and ACC will make the cut. There would be serious litigation if they were left out. So, that's about 55-60 schools.

(08-02-2022 11:08 AM)Hambone10 Wrote:  

(08-02-2022 10:42 AM)tanqtonic Wrote:  The big fish will always feed off the little fish. Darwinism.

True, but what is in it for the krill?

Live what life you have like Hunter Biden, I guess.

(08-02-2022 12:53 PM)tanqtonic Wrote:  

(08-02-2022 11:08 AM)Hambone10 Wrote:  

(08-02-2022 10:42 AM)tanqtonic Wrote:  The big fish will always feed off the little fish. Darwinism.

True, but what is in it for the krill?

Live what life you have like Hunter Biden, I guess.

Just don't live a coked-up existence like Trump, Jr.

(08-02-2022 11:08 AM)Hambone10 Wrote:  

(08-02-2022 10:42 AM)tanqtonic Wrote:  The big fish will always feed off the little fish. Darwinism.

True, but what is in it for the krill?

(08-02-2022 01:36 PM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote:  

(08-02-2022 12:53 PM)tanqtonic Wrote:  

(08-02-2022 11:08 AM)Hambone10 Wrote:  

(08-02-2022 10:42 AM)tanqtonic Wrote:  The big fish will always feed off the little fish. Darwinism.

True, but what is in it for the krill?

Live what life you have like Hunter Biden, I guess.

Just don't live a coked-up existence like Trump, Jr.

In all honesty, I am in awe of Hunter. Living life like a veritable Tom T Hall song -- Faster Horses, Younger Women, Older Whiskey, and More Money. I know this sounds facetious but I am truly truly in awe. Doing the Charlie Sheen thing without being a media star....

(08-02-2022 02:32 PM)tanqtonic Wrote:  

(08-02-2022 01:36 PM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote:  

(08-02-2022 12:53 PM)tanqtonic Wrote:  

(08-02-2022 11:08 AM)Hambone10 Wrote:  

(08-02-2022 10:42 AM)tanqtonic Wrote:  The big fish will always feed off the little fish. Darwinism.

True, but what is in it for the krill?

Live what life you have like Hunter Biden, I guess.

Just don't live a coked-up existence like Trump, Jr.

In all honesty, I am in awe of Hunter. Living life like a veritable Tom T Hall song -- Faster Horses, Younger Women, Older Whiskey, and More Money. I know this sounds facetious but I am truly truly in awe. Doing the Charlie Sheen thing without being a media star....

He's definitely a dirt bag.

(08-02-2022 03:56 PM)Ourland Wrote:  

(08-02-2022 02:32 PM)tanqtonic Wrote:  

(08-02-2022 01:36 PM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote:  

(08-02-2022 12:53 PM)tanqtonic Wrote:  

(08-02-2022 11:08 AM)Hambone10 Wrote:  True, but what is in it for the krill?

Live what life you have like Hunter Biden, I guess.

Just don't live a coked-up existence like Trump, Jr.

In all honesty, I am in awe of Hunter. Living life like a veritable Tom T Hall song -- Faster Horses, Younger Women, Older Whiskey, and More Money. I know this sounds facetious but I am truly truly in awe. Doing the Charlie Sheen thing without being a media star....

He's definitely a dirt bag.

No doubt on that. I am still in awe of him in a seriously warped way.....

(08-02-2022 03:56 PM)Ourland Wrote:  He's definitely a dirt bag.

That apple didn't fall too far from the tree.