Because we are an educated bunch on this message bored I will mention at the start with no proof as an axiom that college football is regional. In order to involve the most possible regions you have to use the proxy that the sport itself uses which are conferences and divisions. I think the division level is superior to the conference level because 1 team (Bama, Clemson, Ohio State, Oklahoma, etc) could end up making the playoff stale even after expansion to 12.
That leads to my second point namely that with an expanded playoff the conference champion games are now a burden with little reward other than monetary, however how a conference determines their champion should be left to the conference.

Without further delay the is the most rational plan to increase the interest in the sport is:
1. Give the power 5 two automatic bids to the tournament one a piece for each of the division champions. 10 slots taken up. (This gives every team the hope and ensures fan enthusiasm for division races even if powerhouse U is dominating in the other division)
2. Group of five. Top 3 ranked conference champions would get bids.
3. The remaining 3 bids would be given to the highest ranked teams as at-large bids.
4. The tournament will be played every other weekend for rest and to provide space for the traditional bowls on the off weeks.
5. Teams declining bowl games would be ineligible for the tournament the following year. ( Without this the bowls are dead).
6. All 1st round games would be home games and only conference champions would be permitted to host games (meaning that the three group of 5 conference champions would get to host a game)
7. Quarter finals shall be played in rotating fashion among the BCS/New Year's 6 on New Year's Day and the rest of the playoff calendar based on that.

I think this is the best possible format moving forward. This plan:
1. Makes the tournament truly national
2. Gives every team a chance of making the tournament
3. Saves the bowls (which are unique to our beloved sport)
4. Provides ample rest for athletes
5. Maintains New Year's Day tradition as a convergence of the old and the new (Bowls and Playoffs)
6. Cranks up interest in a playoff that has become predictable and boring unless your team is in it.
7. Maintains interest in conference championship games as now a home field advantage is on the line in the first round.
8. Makes money for all parties after Name, Image, and Likeness comes through.

If a conference like the SEC is dominant they could still get 5 teams in so I truly believe this plan works well for everyone.

If you're going to 16, every conference should get 1 automatic bid, not "Power 5"s 2 automatic bids and G5's get 3 to share between them. Let's not get ridiculous.

I like this format:

16 teams

2 rounds first 2 weekends of December on campus of higher seed

2 rotated bowls Jan 1 for 4 teams

1 title game week later

All teams that lose in the playoffs on campus get kicked into bowl system. Conference title games are eliminated

(06-11-2021 09:08 AM)schmolik Wrote:  If you're going to 16, every conference should get 1 automatic bid, not "Power 5"s 2 automatic bids and G5's get 3 to share between them. Let's not get ridiculous.

Right now the g5 is cut out entirely. It gives a guaranteed seat at the table and a home game that they would never be able to arrange otherwise. The plan does give the lion's share to the Power 5 conferences but so what... They turn on more televisions and are the reason that college football is valuable.
Is it elitist, sure but frankly this is a FAR better deal than they are getting now with the recent proposal.

(06-11-2021 09:16 AM)bluesox Wrote:  I like this format:

16 teams

2 rounds first 2 weekends of December on campus of higher seed

2 rotated bowls Jan 1 for 4 teams

1 title game week later

All teams that lose in the playoffs on campus get kicked into bowl system. Conference title games are eliminated

I like it, but there would be some teams that have more rest than others. It would be different if it was Friday Saturday, but an extra week ... Maybe that's a bit too much of an advantage for the more well rested team.

(06-11-2021 09:05 AM)Big Ron Buckeye Wrote:  Because we are an educated bunch on this message bored I will mention at the start with no proof as an axiom that college football is regional. In order to involve the most possible regions you have to use the proxy that the sport itself uses which are conferences and divisions. I think the division level is superior to the conference level because 1 team (Bama, Clemson, Ohio State, Oklahoma, etc) could end up making the playoff stale even after expansion to 12.
That leads to my second point namely that with an expanded playoff the conference champion games are now a burden with little reward other than monetary, however how a conference determines their champion should be left to the conference.

Without further delay the is the most rational plan to increase the interest in the sport is:
1. Give the power 5 two automatic bids to the tournament one a piece for each of the division champions. 10 slots taken up. (This gives every team the hope and ensures fan enthusiasm for division races even if powerhouse U is dominating in the other division)
2. Group of five. Top 3 ranked conference champions would get bids.
3. The remaining 3 bids would be given to the highest ranked teams as at-large bids.
4. The tournament will be played every other weekend for rest and to provide space for the traditional bowls on the off weeks.
5. Teams declining bowl games would be ineligible for the tournament the following year. ( Without this the bowls are dead).
6. All 1st round games would be home games and only conference champions would be permitted to host games (meaning that the three group of 5 conference champions would get to host a game)
7. Quarter finals shall be played in rotating fashion among the BCS/New Year's 6 on New Year's Day and the rest of the playoff calendar based on that.

I think this is the best possible format moving forward. This plan:
1. Makes the tournament truly national
2. Gives every team a chance of making the tournament
3. Saves the bowls (which are unique to our beloved sport)
4. Provides ample rest for athletes
5. Maintains New Year's Day tradition as a convergence of the old and the new (Bowls and Playoffs)
6. Cranks up interest in a playoff that has become predictable and boring unless your team is in it.
7. Maintains interest in conference championship games as now a home field advantage is on the line in the first round.
8. Makes money for all parties after Name, Image, and Likeness comes through.

If a conference like the SEC is dominant they could still get 5 teams in so I truly believe this plan works well for everyone.

An interesting concept. I would say why not simplify it? Take the current 65 members of the P5 and add to them the 3 service academies (only if they want inclusion) and the next 12 (next 15 if the academies say no) G5 as measured by their non subsidized level of investment in athletics, their actual attendance, venue size, and based upon their desire to move up. Then restructure the P conferences into 4 geographically oriented 20 member conferences each with 4 divisions of five schools. That's 16 divisions yielding 16 division winners. Play conference semis and finals (1 extra week) and keep a 4 team champs only playoff for the title.

Here's what you get:
1. Reduction in overhead costs of 1 possibly 2 (AAC) sets of conference overhead.
2. You only expand the season 1 week for 16 schools. And those 16 are also eligible for bowls as will be the losers of the conference finals.
3. We keep your bowl participation requirement.
4. This gives access to more former G5 schools but means to access the playoff structure they have to best at least 4 other schools of standing to do so (win their division).
5. All schools enter the mix and advance solely on their own play. (No damned committees).
6. The networks via regional grouping keep all 4 regions engaged until the national semis.
7. The 4 conferences negotiate all contracts as one. This levels the economic playing field as much as is possible and gives the schools much more leverage than they have now. It also sets the framework for national officiating standards eliminating conference paid home officials.
8. All games are contained within the 80.
9. It makes a breakaway or a wholly separate upper tier within the NCAA imperative.

(06-11-2021 09:08 AM)schmolik Wrote:  If you're going to 16, every conference should get 1 automatic bid, not "Power 5"s 2 automatic bids and G5's get 3 to share between them. Let's not get ridiculous.

Agree. And the only way 16 makes any sense is if all 10 conferences get bids. Otherwise you will get 4 loss teams who haven't proven anything getting in. Even with only 8 champs, you will still occasionally get a 4 loss team.

Here's my method/eligibility and misc changes

10 Conference champions
6 CCG losers (3 of each classification)
ND and BYU (and any other indies who care) join a conference
Nuke the ESPN-owned bowls
"Sweet Sixteen" 2nd Saturday in Dec

(06-11-2021 01:28 PM)Erictelevision Wrote:  Here's my method/eligibility and misc changes

10 Conference champions
6 CCG losers (3 of each classification)
ND and BYU (and any other indies who care) join a conference
Nuke the ESPN-owned bowls
"Sweet Sixteen" 2nd Saturday in Dec

So two teams in the same conference's division can't make the Playoff in the same year?

FAIL.

The other thing that I forgot to say earlier is that the importance of the regular season will be maintained. Every game has potential playoff ramifications unlike now where maybe one game per week is of consequence.

Schmolik: that's a bummer for the 2nd place team, but they presumably had a shot to rectify this on the field. A sports championship is NOT A RIGHT!

(06-11-2021 01:18 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(06-11-2021 09:08 AM)schmolik Wrote:  If you're going to 16, every conference should get 1 automatic bid, not "Power 5"s 2 automatic bids and G5's get 3 to share between them. Let's not get ridiculous.

Agree. And the only way 16 makes any sense is if all 10 conferences get bids. Otherwise you will get 4 loss teams who haven't proven anything getting in. Even with only 8 champs, you will still occasionally get a 4 loss team.

Of course, last year one of the 10 conference champions had five losses and hadn't proven anything.

(06-11-2021 03:55 PM)Erictelevision Wrote:  Schmolik: that's a bummer for the 2nd place team, but they presumably had a shot to rectify this on the field. A sports championship is NOT A RIGHT!

Havent you heard? Everyone deserves a trophy or medal.

Everyone deserves to make the playoffs.

(06-11-2021 06:52 PM)ken d Wrote:  

(06-11-2021 01:18 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(06-11-2021 09:08 AM)schmolik Wrote:  If you're going to 16, every conference should get 1 automatic bid, not "Power 5"s 2 automatic bids and G5's get 3 to share between them. Let's not get ridiculous.

Agree. And the only way 16 makes any sense is if all 10 conferences get bids. Otherwise you will get 4 loss teams who haven't proven anything getting in. Even with only 8 champs, you will still occasionally get a 4 loss team.

Of course, last year one of the 10 conference champions had five losses and hadn't proven anything.

They were better than everyone in their conference, while those 4 loss teams proved several teams in their conference were better.

FCS with three fewer teams than the FBS has a 24 team field with auto bids to all leagues wanting one.

24 sounds large until you consider the pro leagues take a far higher percentage of teams. The NCAA men’s basketball tournament takes a slightly higher percentage and has the NIT, CBI, and CIT. The NCAA baseball tournament takes an even higher percentage of teams than a 24 team field.

(06-11-2021 07:50 PM)PicksUp Wrote:  

(06-11-2021 03:55 PM)Erictelevision Wrote:  Schmolik: that's a bummer for the 2nd place team, but they presumably had a shot to rectify this on the field. A sports championship is NOT A RIGHT!

Havent you heard? Everyone deserves a trophy or medal.

Everyone deserves to make the playoffs.

So you are basically saying that conferences are kids with Baby Boomers as parents who insist their little darling get a medal?

Huhn, you may be onto something there.

(06-11-2021 09:05 AM)Big Ron Buckeye Wrote:  Because we are an educated bunch on this message bored I will mention at the start with no proof as an axiom that college football is regional. In order to involve the most possible regions you have to use the proxy that the sport itself uses which are conferences and divisions. I think the division level is superior to the conference level because 1 team (Bama, Clemson, Ohio State, Oklahoma, etc) could end up making the playoff stale even after expansion to 12.
That leads to my second point namely that with an expanded playoff the conference champion games are now a burden with little reward other than monetary, however how a conference determines their champion should be left to the conference.

Without further delay the is the most rational plan to increase the interest in the sport is:
1. Give the power 5 two automatic bids to the tournament one a piece for each of the division champions. 10 slots taken up. (This gives every team the hope and ensures fan enthusiasm for division races even if powerhouse U is dominating in the other division)
2. Group of five. Top 3 ranked conference champions would get bids.
3. The remaining 3 bids would be given to the highest ranked teams as at-large bids.
4. The tournament will be played every other weekend for rest and to provide space for the traditional bowls on the off weeks.
5. Teams declining bowl games would be ineligible for the tournament the following year. ( Without this the bowls are dead).
6. All 1st round games would be home games and only conference champions would be permitted to host games (meaning that the three group of 5 conference champions would get to host a game)
7. Quarter finals shall be played in rotating fashion among the BCS/New Year's 6 on New Year's Day and the rest of the playoff calendar based on that.

I think this is the best possible format moving forward. This plan:
1. Makes the tournament truly national
2. Gives every team a chance of making the tournament
3. Saves the bowls (which are unique to our beloved sport)
4. Provides ample rest for athletes
5. Maintains New Year's Day tradition as a convergence of the old and the new (Bowls and Playoffs)
6. Cranks up interest in a playoff that has become predictable and boring unless your team is in it.
7. Maintains interest in conference championship games as now a home field advantage is on the line in the first round.
8. Makes money for all parties after Name, Image, and Likeness comes through.

If a conference like the SEC is dominant they could still get 5 teams in so I truly believe this plan works well for everyone.

Why not just have a 130 team tournament then?
Any system that makes it easier for Coastal Carolina to make the playoffs than say Florida State, Penn State, Purdue, etc is a flawed system.
Personally hoping the Rose Bowl pulls out and keeps the BIG-PAC setup.

I think 12 is actually bigger than it really needs to be. I think a 5-1-2 (or 6-2) is plenty sufficient and 6 is way more at large bids than is necessary.

The powers at be want that big 4 game mid-December round to rake in more money and because they want to to try to weed out that G5 champ early by making them start the playoff on a hostile turf.

(06-12-2021 02:44 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  FCS with three fewer teams than the FBS has a 24 team field with auto bids to all leagues wanting one.

24 sounds large until you consider the pro leagues take a far higher percentage of teams. The NCAA men’s basketball tournament takes a slightly higher percentage and has the NIT, CBI, and CIT. The NCAA baseball tournament takes an even higher percentage of teams than a 24 team field.

Great logic.
There's so much parity in FCS, not so much in FBS.
It should be about earning your way, not be handed things.
Every G5 must be forced to win play-in games and then play a few days later or the system is a farce.

Pooch: its "flawed" because you disapprove of how teams get bids? I see.