(04-27-2021 08:42 AM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  

(04-26-2021 10:53 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  I think you hit diminishing returns if you go neutral site too early.

Getting 20,000 to travel three times at those prices is a big challenge. NFL is biggest thing going and doesn’t go neutral until the end. Hoops asks less than a tenth that number to travel early on.

It does get problematic especially if you go beyond 8.

With 8 and the bowls hosting the quarterfinals then its just 2 more weekends with semifinals and a final. 3 neutral site games to handle. Go to 16 and you're adding another round in there so it becomes 7 neutral site games.

One way to make it more simple is you can have the round of 16 two weeks before NYD at home sites of the higher seed. However not many schools are going to want to end their season in Manhattan Kansas or a place like that.

Thus an expanded NYD bowl contract with 10 games and all 10 conferences with an automatic bid would generate more fan friendly inventory. Then take the top 4 teams after the bowls are over into the playoff.

G5 could take the same percentage of money they were getting before but have their champion guaranteed to compete in a major bowl. If the total contract value goes up by 50% that would still be a larger dollar value for those conferences.

The path to more dollar value is going to be a larger CFP contract more bowl games and having all the bowls a factor in the playoff, IMO.

Don't forget CCG's. They are also neutral site so you are looking at an Alabama potentially having 4 neutral site games to end the year.

I think having the QF's on campus is the way to go and the current rotation for the NY6 as semifinal hosts