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With Spring Football here, and conference realignment always being a relevant subject, I thought I would get the conversation started on the Super League. The idea of the Power 4 -ish breaking away from the NCAA in football and creating a NFL style league has been floated around recently. What are your thoughts on this idea, and how would you set it up?
I personally don't see it happening. The "Power 2" have too much leverage over the rest of college sports. The advantage of making more money is too important for the B1G and SEC for them to sign up for a format that puts them on a level playing field. The whole point of the conference system is to gain a monetary edge over each other. Why would Alabama and Ohio State want to bring Cincinnati and Wake Forrest back up to their level?
With that being said, here's my proposal for a football only Super League.
- 64 teams / 8 Divisions / 8 teams in each Division
- 12 team schedule / 7 divisional games / 4 cross-divisional games / 1 NCAA game (Remaining FBS)
- 16 team playoff / 8 auto bids for division champions
The remaining FBS schools would have their own league with playoff and championship.
East: Syracuse, Rutgers, Maryland, Penn State, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, Virginia
Southeast: North Carolina, NC State, Clemson, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Miami, Florida State
Mountain: Texas Tech, Colorado, Utah, BYU, Arizona, Arizona State, Boise State, Washington State
West: San Diego State, USC, UCLA, California, Stanford, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington
Each Division would have a "Little Brother Division in the remaining FBS. Every three years, relegation would take place and the bottom from each division (8 schools total) would be sent to play in the lower league. Likewise, the top from the lower league (8 total) would find new homes in the top league. The average of three seasons is taken to determine which team qualifies to move up or down. I won't bother making the lower divisions, but they too would be geography based.
I believe my league keeps geography in mind, rivalries a priority, and is as balanced as I could get it.
Obviously there are a few regions that are loaded (ie: Dixie and Rust Belt). But with an at large system, it should balance out in the playoffs.
Last edited by Chriscross309; 04-10-2024 at 01:52 PM..
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While that makes sense for a lot of reasons, especially environmentally with far less team travel, no, it won't happen. The real reason is money, and television contracts. Now that we have the NIL and the transfer portal, the whole college football "industry" has been thrown into turmoil, and there will have to be a lot of changes to sort it out. Last year 136 FBS scholarship quarterbacks entered the transfer portal, and the NIL offers will only make that continue or grow. There will be no stability, no way to build a successful team, as the best are constantly leaving for a better deal. It's almost like NFL football or MLB baseball if every player was a free agent every year.
While that makes sense for a lot of reasons, especially environmentally with far less team travel, no, it won't happen. The real reason is money, and television contracts. Now that we have the NIL and the transfer portal, the whole college football "industry" has been thrown into turmoil, and there will have to be a lot of changes to sort it out. Last year 136 FBS scholarship quarterbacks entered the transfer portal, and the NIL offers will only make that continue or grow. There will be no stability, no way to build a successful team, as the best are constantly leaving for a better deal. It's almost like NFL football or MLB baseball if every player was a free agent every year.
Agree completely. Even though a format like a Super League would help stabilize how out on control college sports are right now. No kid out of high school is worth a million before ever snapping the ball. It's Ludacris!
With Spring Football here, and conference realignment always being a relevant subject, I thought I would get the conversation started on the Super League. The idea of the Power 4 -ish breaking away from the NCAA in football and creating a NFL style league has been floated around recently. What are your thoughts on this idea, and how would you set it up?
I personally don't see it happening. The "Power 2" have too much leverage over the rest of college sports. The advantage of making more money is too important for the B1G and SEC for them to sign up for a format that puts them on a level playing field. The whole point of the conference system is to gain a monetary edge over each other. Why would Alabama and Ohio State want to bring Cincinnati and Wake Forrest back up to their level?
With that being said, here's my proposal for a football only Super League.
- 64 teams / 8 Divisions / 8 teams in each Division
- 12 team schedule / 7 divisional games / 4 cross-divisional games / 1 NCAA game (Remaining FBS)
- 16 team playoff / 8 auto bids for division champions
The remaining FBS schools would have their own league with playoff and championship.
East: Syracuse, Rutgers, Maryland, Penn State, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, Virginia
Southeast: North Carolina, NC State, Clemson, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Miami, Florida State
Mountain: Texas Tech, Colorado, Utah, BYU, Arizona, Arizona State, Boise State, Washington State
West: San Diego State, USC, UCLA, California, Stanford, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington
Each Division would have a "Little Brother Division in the remaining FBS. Every three years, relegation would take place and the bottom from each division (8 schools total) would be sent to play in the lower league. Likewise, the top from the lower league (8 total) would find new homes in the top league. The average of three seasons is taken to determine which team qualifies to move up or down. I won't bother making the lower divisions, but they too would be geography based.
I believe my league keeps geography in mind, rivalries a priority, and is as balanced as I could get it.
Obviously there are a few regions that are loaded (ie: Dixie and Rust Belt). But with an at large system, it should balance out in the playoffs.
This won't happen like that. Could the P4 breakaway as the ACC, SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 yeah that could happen. But I am more concerned with the Big Ten and SEC breaking away and leaving some great schools and programs in the minor league. The SEC would likely add 2 more to get to 18 to match the Big Ten.
The Big Ten and SEC have the mack daddy TV deals they are not going to demote themselves with the above arrangement. You left Cincy off that list BTW.
This won't happen like that. Could the P4 breakaway as the ACC, SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 yeah that could happen. But I am more concerned with the Big Ten and SEC breaking away and leaving some great schools and programs in the minor league. The SEC would likely add 2 more to get to 18 to match the Big Ten.
The Big Ten and SEC have the mack daddy TV deals they are not going to demote themselves with the above arrangement. You left Cincy off that list BTW.
Not everybody made the cut!
Like I said from the beginning, I don't think this will happen either. But it's how I would do it if someone put me in charge.
Scheduling:
- preseason game against FCS or non-divisional opponent
- each team will play 13 regular season games (9 divisional / 1 protected rival / 3 non-divisional )
Division Championship:
- determined by "round robin" schedule.
- There will be no Divisional championship game.
Playoffs:
- 24 team playoff
- each Divisional Champion will get an automatic bid
- computer formula will rank teams 1-24
- top 8 seats will receive a bye (all will be Divisional Champs)
- first round (8 games total) will be home field of higher seed
- rounds of 16, 8, 4, and Championship will be bowl games (15 bowls)
Revenue:
- League will contract will all interested networks/media platforms
- revenue is based on viewership (higher ratings/high payout)
(My opinion) Eventually highest level college football & basketball will sever from the other NCAA governed sports, and smaller programs.
The rules and regs can no longer be evenly applied. Major football & basketball will now be well compensated minor leagues for NFL & NBA. Previously they have been covertly & under-compensated minor leagues. But now the mask is off, and people are accepting it, for better or worse.
Ps I like the Hokies in the Appalachian division. It's a cool Southern distinction. It was lame when they were corralled in to the Big East..
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