Interesting article. And I agree something has to be done and the current NCAA leadership is not leading. SEC, Big Ten 'advisory group' stands as coded threat to NCAA: Figure it out, or we'll go off ourselves
Terry, if you want to merge this with the existing College Football thread go ahead. I thought it might be thought provoking by its self.
Somebody has to do it Bill, I'm not excited that it's the Big10/SEC who have taken that step. I'd have rather that the B12/ACC/Big10/SEC gotten together as a group and worked on a way forward and how to make things better. I think most feel that we are eventually headed to a 64 team Division who governs themselves.
I too think that is where we are headed. The Big10 and the SEC are in the driver's seat. I think the others will fall apart and become part of the Big60!
Clearly that's the direction and it appears those conferences will lead the parade. I'm still not sure about the ultimate number. 64 seems like too many to me and presents the same competitive issues albeit on a smaller scale, but it remains to be seen what exactly they're trying to accomplish, so I'm glad there's somebody smarter than I am trying to figure it out There aren't 64 teams/schools that possess the resources necessary to compete or the ability/desire to acquire them much less be capable of even sniffing a title. In the last 50 years, there has only been 22 schools that have won a natty and I think we can probably all agree that's it's only going to get harder. The difference in attendance sizes between #1 and #64 is 110,000 (M) to 30,000 (Stanford) and total revenue $252 million (the good guys) $55 million (East Carolina) is still too great for it to be meaningfully competitive for the lower echelon schools. So long as the natty is the prize, the resource rich schools will continue to bid whatever it takes to get there to the dismay of those that want to, but can't. Is there a thought at all to a "resource/NIL/salary cap"? Just don't think it's realistic to think we can regulate one. I say take the top 25 big dogs and let 'em eat in the premier league with the Euro soccer model with different tiers and promotion and relegation.
We have over 120 presently competing in the FBS. At least half would not be good candidates for inclusion in the Big 60. Ultimately making money has become the goal, not necessarily a national championship.
While I do agree that there aren't 64 teams capable of sniffing the Nat'l Championship. I'd hate to see it go to say 32 teams, with divisions. I guess we could end up with a new Big 10 being equal to the NFC and a new SEC being equal to the AFC. But if you got it down to 24 teams or even 32 teams, that would leave out a lot of teams, virtually the whole Big12 and ACC. Right now the Big 10 has 18 teams and the SEC 16 teams that's already at 34 teams. I can't see the Big 10 going to any current Big 10 school and say, sorry Purdue or IU or RU or Northwestern...you guys have been great but buh bye find a new home. Same for the SEC, who are they going to cut. I just can't see it going smaller than 64 teams. But I do think they need to form a new division that only includes football, let all the other sports continue on in their old conference mode. Maybe even reinvent the Pac12 so the West Coast teams can have some reasonable travel for minor sports.
I agree Terry and would have included the PC 12 or whatever number in that analysis. I am not overly excited to see two conferences in complete control. But if it has to be that way I am glad Florida is part of one of them.
My best guess is that the numbers will sort themselves out. The NCAA proposal indicates the new subdivision would be voluntary. The "highest resourced" schools that step up to the new subdivision would have a $30,000 minimum for at least 1/2 of all student-athletes set aside into a "enhanced educational trust fund". That's in addition to enabling the schools to pay the kids directly for NIL opportunities and existing scholarship, staff and other administrative costs. At Ohio State, that equates to a minimum $15 million in addition to the uncapped NIL opportunities that could (read that as would) go in excess of the $15 million. Under the NCAA proposal, the schools willing to write that check qualify to take the step up. Given the relatively deep pockets of the B1G/SEC they probably are looking at similar if not larger resource commitments. I don't know how many schools can afford to make that investment, but looking at the revenue data, there ain't that many. That isn't to say that teams in different divisions can't continue to schedule and play - they do today - I guess they just wouldn't get to participate in the championships, etc - which in all practical sense they don't today either.