10 Remedies for College Football
Feb 4, 2024 8:40:54 GMT -8
TheGlove, bigorangebeaver, and 4 more like this
Post by jefframp on Feb 4, 2024 8:40:54 GMT -8
Copied from an article I read this morning:
What follows are 10 “fixes” that would help reshape the sport for the better. Of course, some insist college football needs no fixing, pointing to TV ratings that continue to impress. I contend TV ratings are more about cultural shift than increased interest in college football.
Are all the fixes realistic, given the financial dynamics in play today? Probably not, but this model is more about starting from scratch and doing what’s best for both the game and those who love it.
1) Let's begin with one we all can agree on. Fewer commercials. It doesn’t matter if you’re at home or freezing your fanny off in the Horseshoe, sitting through the networks’ 3-4-3-4 advertising format – three breaks in the first and third quarters; four breaks in the second and fourth quarters – turns what should be an 800-meter dash into a 5K. The networks want their money’s worth. I get it.
The greed patrol in charge of broadcasts says, “Aw, they’ll get used to it.” Harrumph. The point is, we don’t want to get used to it.
2) Separate the haves from the havenots by placing the haves (Power Five conferences) in one mega-group and everyone else in another. It’s not a new idea and actually has a good chance of happening, because the current state of the game, with NIL and immediate transfer eligibility, is not maintainable.
Left unsaid was what becomes of the non-revenue sports? How do they support themselves financially while participating in sensible conference affiliations that minimize travel? Because there is no way colleges go backward by turning the majority of current non-revenue varsity sports into club sports. Nor should they. Football will need to continue to pay the freight. That may not seem fair to some but unless football cuts all ties with its college institutions, the rich uncle is on the hook to support the other sports.
3) Maintain regional rivalries by grouping the two 64-team conferences into four divisions that make geographical sense. East, West, North, South. Each team plays seven games within its division and four outside of it, on a rotating basis. The 12th game is against a Group of Five opponent, preferably within the same region. h To make things even more interesting, institute a relegation system similar to European soccer, where, each season, the three highest-ranked teams from the Group of Five the previous year move up to the Power Five, and the lowest- three ranked teams from Power Five move down.
4) The 13-person playoff selection committee needs to be reduced to three respected caretakers of college football, including a commissioner who would break ties. As committees grow beyond three people, they fall into agenda-seeking and stray off course as they overthink things.
5) Pay the players. Cap the total. And place the money in a trust that can be accessed three years after the athlete first enrolls. Football and basketball players already get paid. It’s called name, image and likeness. Sure, paying players is ripe for abuse, but better to get the cash payments out in the open than to have boosters doing the bidding in secret.
6) Enforce NIL rules, and place a ceiling on NIL money available to each school, something like $2 million, without specifying how the money should be spent. If a school wants to pay the starting quarterback $1.5 million, go for it, but that leaves $500k for everyone else. And absolutely restrict NIL to the current roster. No paying incoming freshmen or transfers until they have played a full season.
NIL has been manipulated beyond its original intent, which was to allow athletes to profit off their “celebrity.” That still happens, but NIL has become a payto- play scheme that benefits the highest bidder.
7) Limit the number of incoming transfers to three. Ohio State dipped into the transfer portal in January and added five highly-sought transfers, including three from Alabama. One of the three, safety Caleb Downs, said NIL money was not the reason he chose Ohio State. But was it a reason? Keeping the transfer number at three would slow the race to raise as many millions of dollars as currently is happening, and also maintain some sense of competitive balance.
8) Eliminate one of the two transfer portal windows. Instead of allowing immediate transfers from Dec. 4 to Jan. 2, and again from April 15 to April 30, create one window that runs from mid-January to March 1 – before spring practice begins. There needs to be compromise, and giving players six weeks to determine if they want to stay or go is fair to both sides. Caveat: If a coach leaves, players get two weeks to enter the portal, regardless of when the exit happened.
9) Venues. Currently, only first-round games will be played at the home stadiums of the higher seeds.
Pageantry, tradition and school spirit matter, helping separate college from the NFL, which is why the quarterfinals also should be played at the homes of the higher seeds, saving the semifinals and championship game for bowl sites. The less sterile the atmosphere the better. Plus, it cuts travel expenses for thousands of fans.
10) Make the Rose Bowl the permanent site of the championship game.
A beautiful sport deserves the most beautiful venue in the game.
What follows are 10 “fixes” that would help reshape the sport for the better. Of course, some insist college football needs no fixing, pointing to TV ratings that continue to impress. I contend TV ratings are more about cultural shift than increased interest in college football.
Are all the fixes realistic, given the financial dynamics in play today? Probably not, but this model is more about starting from scratch and doing what’s best for both the game and those who love it.
1) Let's begin with one we all can agree on. Fewer commercials. It doesn’t matter if you’re at home or freezing your fanny off in the Horseshoe, sitting through the networks’ 3-4-3-4 advertising format – three breaks in the first and third quarters; four breaks in the second and fourth quarters – turns what should be an 800-meter dash into a 5K. The networks want their money’s worth. I get it.
The greed patrol in charge of broadcasts says, “Aw, they’ll get used to it.” Harrumph. The point is, we don’t want to get used to it.
2) Separate the haves from the havenots by placing the haves (Power Five conferences) in one mega-group and everyone else in another. It’s not a new idea and actually has a good chance of happening, because the current state of the game, with NIL and immediate transfer eligibility, is not maintainable.
Left unsaid was what becomes of the non-revenue sports? How do they support themselves financially while participating in sensible conference affiliations that minimize travel? Because there is no way colleges go backward by turning the majority of current non-revenue varsity sports into club sports. Nor should they. Football will need to continue to pay the freight. That may not seem fair to some but unless football cuts all ties with its college institutions, the rich uncle is on the hook to support the other sports.
3) Maintain regional rivalries by grouping the two 64-team conferences into four divisions that make geographical sense. East, West, North, South. Each team plays seven games within its division and four outside of it, on a rotating basis. The 12th game is against a Group of Five opponent, preferably within the same region. h To make things even more interesting, institute a relegation system similar to European soccer, where, each season, the three highest-ranked teams from the Group of Five the previous year move up to the Power Five, and the lowest- three ranked teams from Power Five move down.
4) The 13-person playoff selection committee needs to be reduced to three respected caretakers of college football, including a commissioner who would break ties. As committees grow beyond three people, they fall into agenda-seeking and stray off course as they overthink things.
5) Pay the players. Cap the total. And place the money in a trust that can be accessed three years after the athlete first enrolls. Football and basketball players already get paid. It’s called name, image and likeness. Sure, paying players is ripe for abuse, but better to get the cash payments out in the open than to have boosters doing the bidding in secret.
6) Enforce NIL rules, and place a ceiling on NIL money available to each school, something like $2 million, without specifying how the money should be spent. If a school wants to pay the starting quarterback $1.5 million, go for it, but that leaves $500k for everyone else. And absolutely restrict NIL to the current roster. No paying incoming freshmen or transfers until they have played a full season.
NIL has been manipulated beyond its original intent, which was to allow athletes to profit off their “celebrity.” That still happens, but NIL has become a payto- play scheme that benefits the highest bidder.
7) Limit the number of incoming transfers to three. Ohio State dipped into the transfer portal in January and added five highly-sought transfers, including three from Alabama. One of the three, safety Caleb Downs, said NIL money was not the reason he chose Ohio State. But was it a reason? Keeping the transfer number at three would slow the race to raise as many millions of dollars as currently is happening, and also maintain some sense of competitive balance.
8) Eliminate one of the two transfer portal windows. Instead of allowing immediate transfers from Dec. 4 to Jan. 2, and again from April 15 to April 30, create one window that runs from mid-January to March 1 – before spring practice begins. There needs to be compromise, and giving players six weeks to determine if they want to stay or go is fair to both sides. Caveat: If a coach leaves, players get two weeks to enter the portal, regardless of when the exit happened.
9) Venues. Currently, only first-round games will be played at the home stadiums of the higher seeds.
Pageantry, tradition and school spirit matter, helping separate college from the NFL, which is why the quarterfinals also should be played at the homes of the higher seeds, saving the semifinals and championship game for bowl sites. The less sterile the atmosphere the better. Plus, it cuts travel expenses for thousands of fans.
10) Make the Rose Bowl the permanent site of the championship game.
A beautiful sport deserves the most beautiful venue in the game.
