12-29-2016, 01:45 PM
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kristidosh/2...828412a1f9
With no national champion since BYU in 1984, it's not shocking that the conferences outside of the Power 5 might be a little low on hope when it comes to their odds of ever winning a title under the current College Football Playoff system. Fans and commentators alike have asked: why doesn't the Group of 5 stage their own championship.
ESPN's Brett McMurphy is reporting that a "growing number of Group of 5 officials" favor adding a separate playoff for their schools. For those who are unfamiliar, the Group of 5 is comprised of the American Athletic Conference, Conference USA, Mid-American Conference, Mountain West Conference and Sun Belt Conference.
"It's time to have a realistic conversation about creating a playoff for the Group of 5," Northern Illinois athletic director Sean Frazier told ESPN. "Why not?"
I can give you 83.5 million reasons why not.
That's how much the Group of 5 conferences will split this year from the College Football Playoff - even without a team in the semifinals.
An industry source told ESPN there has been interest from NBC, CBS and ESPN in televising a Group of 5 playoff. But would it command $83.5 million annually?
If Conference USA's new television deal recently is any indication, I'd say no. While the Big Ten nearly tripled its previous contract when it struck its new deal this year, Conference USA saw its per school payouts plummet from $1.1 million to $200,000. Although it's merely one data point, it's not exactly a great indicator of the Group of 5's current value.
Frazier also assumes the College Football Playoff would keep paying the Group of 5 the current payout, so any television money from the new playoff created would be in addition to - not a replacement of - the current $83.5 million annually. But that's a pretty big assumption to make.
Currently, the highest ranked Group of 5 member plays in a New Year's 6 bowl. Frazier's vision would see the five conference champions and three at-large teams or independents play in an eight-game playoff.
But how would that impact the ability to send a team to the New Year's 6? Somehow they're going to squeeze in three extra games for the Group of 5 between conference championship games and the New Year's 6? And then that team is going to go on and be healthy enough and have the stamina to play against a Power 5 team in a New Year's 6 bowl?
And you can definitely kiss the $83.5 million goodbye if you aren't sending a team to the New Year's 6, because then you aren't even part of the College Football Playoff system anymore.
And if you're trying to stage three playoff games after the conference championships, your teams probably aren't playing in many bowl games - if any. But let's assume you can replace any revenue and exposure from bowl games with the new playoff. Sure, some Group of 5 schools lose more money than they make going to bowl games, but let's not forget this new playoff they'd be creating also creates expenses - game day, promotion, manpower, etc.
American Athletic Conference commissioner Mike Aresco says he has no interest in seeing a Group of 5 playoff come to fruition.
"The answer is an emphatic no," Aresco said. "We compete for national championships like anyone else in FBS, including the Power 5, and have no interest in any kind of separate championship."
Several athletic directors from the Group of 5 also shared their opposition with ESPN anonymously:
"You mean compete for a junior varsity championship?" one Group of 5 AD said. "No thanks."
"Absolutely would not want a separate playoff," said a Group of 5 AD, "and I can't put enough exclamation points behind that."
I understand the frustration from the Group of 5 because, let's face it, there's not a lot of hope that they can produce a team that makes the semifinals, much less the national championship. And unfortunately, there's not a lot they can do about that since their teams start at a deficit when it comes to strength of schedule, a key factor in the College Football Playoff selection process.
Unfortunately, I don't think there's a solution that allows the Group of 5 to have their cake and eat it too. I believe they'll have to choose: money or playoff. Which is ultimately more important to them?
With no national champion since BYU in 1984, it's not shocking that the conferences outside of the Power 5 might be a little low on hope when it comes to their odds of ever winning a title under the current College Football Playoff system. Fans and commentators alike have asked: why doesn't the Group of 5 stage their own championship.
ESPN's Brett McMurphy is reporting that a "growing number of Group of 5 officials" favor adding a separate playoff for their schools. For those who are unfamiliar, the Group of 5 is comprised of the American Athletic Conference, Conference USA, Mid-American Conference, Mountain West Conference and Sun Belt Conference.
"It's time to have a realistic conversation about creating a playoff for the Group of 5," Northern Illinois athletic director Sean Frazier told ESPN. "Why not?"
I can give you 83.5 million reasons why not.
That's how much the Group of 5 conferences will split this year from the College Football Playoff - even without a team in the semifinals.
An industry source told ESPN there has been interest from NBC, CBS and ESPN in televising a Group of 5 playoff. But would it command $83.5 million annually?
If Conference USA's new television deal recently is any indication, I'd say no. While the Big Ten nearly tripled its previous contract when it struck its new deal this year, Conference USA saw its per school payouts plummet from $1.1 million to $200,000. Although it's merely one data point, it's not exactly a great indicator of the Group of 5's current value.
Frazier also assumes the College Football Playoff would keep paying the Group of 5 the current payout, so any television money from the new playoff created would be in addition to - not a replacement of - the current $83.5 million annually. But that's a pretty big assumption to make.
Currently, the highest ranked Group of 5 member plays in a New Year's 6 bowl. Frazier's vision would see the five conference champions and three at-large teams or independents play in an eight-game playoff.
But how would that impact the ability to send a team to the New Year's 6? Somehow they're going to squeeze in three extra games for the Group of 5 between conference championship games and the New Year's 6? And then that team is going to go on and be healthy enough and have the stamina to play against a Power 5 team in a New Year's 6 bowl?
And you can definitely kiss the $83.5 million goodbye if you aren't sending a team to the New Year's 6, because then you aren't even part of the College Football Playoff system anymore.
And if you're trying to stage three playoff games after the conference championships, your teams probably aren't playing in many bowl games - if any. But let's assume you can replace any revenue and exposure from bowl games with the new playoff. Sure, some Group of 5 schools lose more money than they make going to bowl games, but let's not forget this new playoff they'd be creating also creates expenses - game day, promotion, manpower, etc.
American Athletic Conference commissioner Mike Aresco says he has no interest in seeing a Group of 5 playoff come to fruition.
"The answer is an emphatic no," Aresco said. "We compete for national championships like anyone else in FBS, including the Power 5, and have no interest in any kind of separate championship."
Several athletic directors from the Group of 5 also shared their opposition with ESPN anonymously:
"You mean compete for a junior varsity championship?" one Group of 5 AD said. "No thanks."
"Absolutely would not want a separate playoff," said a Group of 5 AD, "and I can't put enough exclamation points behind that."
I understand the frustration from the Group of 5 because, let's face it, there's not a lot of hope that they can produce a team that makes the semifinals, much less the national championship. And unfortunately, there's not a lot they can do about that since their teams start at a deficit when it comes to strength of schedule, a key factor in the College Football Playoff selection process.
Unfortunately, I don't think there's a solution that allows the Group of 5 to have their cake and eat it too. I believe they'll have to choose: money or playoff. Which is ultimately more important to them?
