Sun Belt commissioner: Cut back on 'money' games vs. Power 5

Harry · July 20, 2015

Sun Belt Conference commissioner Karl Benson wants the league's football programs to work on shedding their "addiction" to big-money, non-conference matchups with heavily favored, Power Five programs.

More non-league games with "peer conferences" would improve the chances of a Sun Belt team going unbeaten and getting a bid to one of six prestigious New Year's Day bowl games, the commissioner said at the conference's media day Monday.

"As nice as it is and as great as it is to win a game against one of the 'Big Five' — I don't want to minimize that — but right now, in the system that we have, competition with our peer conferences is so important," Benson said. "Those are the games that we really need to focus on."

This season, the combined schedules of the Sun Belt's 11 teams include 35 non-conference games against the other nine conferences classified in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. Of those, 19 are against so-called "Power Five" teams in the ACC, SEC, Big Ten, Pac 12 and Big 12. The other 16 are against teams from Conference USA, the Mid-American Conference, the American Athletic Conference and the Mountain West Conference.

"The Sun Belt's goal is to be the best conference of our four peer conferences," Benson said.

But giving up big-money games will be harder for some Sun Belt institutions than others, apparently.

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cdizzle86 · July 20, 2015

I think all non power conference should adopt this philosophy. Let the big boys fight each other. Or if we really have to play the big guys to pay the bills then play the lower tier teams like Indiana, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, etc.

KRAM1 · July 20, 2015

I think all non power conference should adopt this philosophy. Let the big boys fight each other. Or if we really have to play the big guys to pay the bills then play the lower tier teams like Indiana, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, etc.

Yep!

GrandGreen · July 21, 2015

No, it is not all that simple. The money that those games generate substantially helps the G5 teams upgrade their program. Does anyone really think that cutting a large part of your budget is going to help a team against other G5 programs that continue to play P5 teams and receive that extra money?

I also highly doubt that for example a G5 team that goes 11-1 with their only loss to a P5 power is going to be rated lower than an undefeated team that plays no p5's. Overall strength of schedule will alway be a large part of any rating system.

North Texas Shep · July 21, 2015

It would be great if every other year we compete with a bigger school. There is no need to go for the money shot every year (Yes, that is what it seems like). I hate looking at the schedule and seeing us whore out to some damn team. Now if someone wants to whore out to us, no problem. It would be great to play teams in the MWC, MAC, AAC, and CUSA in a season. Great idea, but I will not assume us undefeated in that situation would go to a huge bowl. That is silly. It would be great to be able to compete for the win every week. Scheduling those teams make that idea impossible in most cases.

untcampbell · July 21, 2015

G5 schools should get together and set a minimum price (probably some legal way to get around the price fixing element) that these schools will take to play a P5.

And it should be a lot of money. I suppose this would just cause the P5 schools to change the rules to play (even) lower tier schools and bypass the G5's but fundamentally, playing 12 games against P5 level competition will ensure very few will make it to the playoffs physically unscathed and undefeated. If they want weeks off, they need to pay richly for them.

G5's let them off the hook when playing P5's at anything less than a couple of million bucks. I say $3 million should be the starting price based on the gap SEC teams get from the playoff pool vs what the SBC gets.

GMG

greenjoe · July 21, 2015

I like the way UNTcampbell thinks. 1million dollars for a "sure win" is nothing for the big conference schools. 3 mil might be more than the traffic will bear, but 2 mil sounds about right. The notion that a big conference school would not play a lesser conference school over a stinkin' million dollars is absurd. They'll pay. And if they don't we can schedule 7 home games against teams we can be more competitive with.

GO MEAN GREEN

Ben Gooding · July 21, 2015

I like this and I think this needs to be sent to the right people. To add to this... I'd wait to set this policy until the P5 agrees to quit playing FCS schools in order to really leave them no choice but to pony up.

UNTcrazy727 · July 21, 2015

I don't have a problem with us playing one body bag game a year as long as we have an attractive home OOC slate....and no, I don't consider Army or SMU and Abilene Christian as an attractive home schedule. Nor should anyone else! It really pisses me off when I look back and realize how much the AD misled alumni and students to get the new stadium built.

oldguystudent · July 21, 2015

no, I don't consider Army or SMU and Abilene Christian

I'm fine with anybody from any G5 conference. Even Idaho. I don't much like going down to FCS.

I'm sure we'll get the argument of "BUT WE NEED RECOGNIZABLE NAMES IN APOGEE!"

Indiana was a recognizable name. We beat them. Nobody gave a shit. Go any higher up the ladder, we're toast at home, and ain't nobody got time for watching that.

I just want to see good football. I think we can stand up with most of the G5 at Apogee. Start beating them consistently, and you start getting coverage and attention.

Then. And only then, do I think we should begin endeavoring to play the big boys, after we've reaped the recruiting benefits of years of consistent G5 winning.

forevereagle · July 21, 2015

G5 schools should get together and set a minimum price (probably some legal way to get around the price fixing element) that these schools will take to play a P5.
And it should be a lot of money. I suppose this would just cause the P5 schools to change the rules to play (even) lower tier schools and bypass the G5's but fundamentally, playing 12 games against P5 level competition will ensure very few will make it to the playoffs physically unscathed and undefeated. If they want weeks off, they need to pay richly for them.
G5's let them off the hook when playing P5's at anything less than a couple of million bucks. I say $3 million should be the starting price based on the gap SEC teams get from the playoff pool vs what the SBC gets.

GMG

Technically, it would be collusion for the G5 schools to set a minimum price for a game. On the other side of that, what the P5 schools do is anti-competitive in its' own right, so I doubt they would make a big deal out of it since it would likely bring out their bad behavior and put an end to it.

Ben Gooding · July 21, 2015

I'm fine with anybody from any G5 conference. Even Idaho. I don't much like going down to FCS.
I'm sure we'll get the argument of "BUT WE NEED RECOGNIZABLE NAMES IN APOGEE!"
Indiana was a recognizable name. We beat them. Nobody gave a shit. Go any higher up the ladder, we're toast at home, and ain't nobody got time for watching that.
I just want to see good football. I think we can stand up with most of the G5 at Apogee. Start beating them consistently, and you start getting coverage and attention.
Then. And only then, do I think we should begin endeavoring to play the big boys, after we've reaped the recruiting benefits of years of consistent G5 winning.

A bad North Texas team beat an awful Indiana team and that is why no one cared. If we beat them in 2013 then people would have respected that W regardless of how bad Indiana may have been, but because we were winning football games.

Army of Dad · July 21, 2015

I'm fine with anybody from any G5 conference. Even Idaho. I don't much like going down to FCS.
I'm sure we'll get the argument of "BUT WE NEED RECOGNIZABLE NAMES IN APOGEE!"
Indiana was a recognizable name. We beat them. Nobody gave a shit. Go any higher up the ladder, we're toast at home, and ain't nobody got time for watching that.
I just want to see good football. I think we can stand up with most of the G5 at Apogee. Start beating them consistently, and you start getting coverage and attention.
Then. And only then, do I think we should begin endeavoring to play the big boys, after we've reaped the recruiting benefits of years of consistent G5 winning.

The problem with that is we are already projecting out a good number of years for future opponents. What's our first schedule opening, 2020?

So I guess the real question is there a belief that we will be a winning team over the next 5 years to put us in the position you describe?

Ben Gooding · July 21, 2015

Technically, it would be collusion for the G5 schools to set a minimum price for a game. On the other side of that, what the P5 schools do is anti-competitive in its' own right, so I doubt they would make a big deal out of it since it would likely bring out their bad behavior and put an end to it.

Bring out their "bad behavior" and put an "end to it" huh?

G5's have to push back and this is a damn fine idea as to how to push back. Demand more money or just play G5/FCS only in OOC. The P5 may try to hold out, but the bottom line is that the P5 will NEVER exclusively play only P5. They wouldn't be able to sustain it and they know it. They (P5) need us (G5) just as bad as some G5 programs need P5 games. This is where the cards fall in our favor. Take advantage of them at the most premium rate.

NTXCoog · July 21, 2015

I don't think there's inherently anything wrong with money games, but they can become a problem. I like Benson's description of it as an addiction. It's kind of like alcohol. There's nothing inherently wrong with it, but if you abuse it and let it ruin your life, then it's a problem.

Money games can be a great budget booster, but the budget can't be dependent on it for its primary source of income. It's almost like welfare. It can be very helpful as a temporary solution, and when mixed with taking steps to be self dependent, it can really allow you to move up.

As a permanent solution though, it fails. The worst thing for the addiction aspect is when you intentionally do things that hurt the program to keep the money games similar to not taking a job because the welfare will be lost. When taking a money game as a short term solution hinders the long term development of the fanbase, that's when it becomes a problem.

forevereagle · July 21, 2015

Bring out their "bad behavior" and put an "end to it" huh?
G5's have to push back and this is a damn fine idea as to how to push back. Demand more money or just play G5/FCS only in OOC. The P5 may try to hold out, but the bottom line is that the P5 will NEVER exclusively play only P5. They wouldn't be able to sustain it and they know it. They (P5) need us (G5) just as bad as some G5 programs need P5 games. This is where the cards fall in our favor. Take advantage of them at the most premium rate.

Wow, we actually agree on this.

10Eagle10 · July 21, 2015

What's our first schedule opening, 2020?

We do still have an opening in 2019, however that slot is probably being reserved for the annual bodybag game.

Unless RV is planning on doing something really crazy like gifting us a 7 game home schedule. I can dream, right?

GTWT · July 21, 2015

I like playing top schools. True our chances of beating UT or OU may not be great but we did scare the bejeebers of the horns once & we beat the other UT. AND, as UNT90 would tell you, it's nice being able to balance the budget.

Edited July 21, 2015 by GTWT

oldguystudent · July 21, 2015

Without pointing to any one particular post, it's been a really good year for me. I've been completely free of the distractions of womanly attention. I've made it through seven months of a personal challenge to go without beer for a year. I've lost about four inches off the old belt, almost back into undergrad college weight. I got promoted at work. My kid won valedictorian. I took two amazing vacations in Arkansas and Oregon. Things are fantastic.

Then I come here.

Here's what I expect the news copy to read someday:

10/4/2XXX

Denton, TX:

For the third straight year in a six-year deal, the University of North Texas Mean Green routed the Louisiana State Tigers 189-3 in front of a standing room only crowd of 67,943 at Apogee Stadium during a nationally televised game that began at the perfectly comfortable hour of 7:00 p.m. The Mean Green quarterback, overcoming recent setbacks of suffering multiple compound fractures in both his femurs and five discs in his spine along with total blindness in both eyes after a freak coed gymnastics stunt last week, took to the field and threw for 15 touchdowns, running for three himself, and then took to the field on special teams, blocked a field goal, and ran it back for a touchdown -- twice. The head coach, in a regular show of his generosity, once again donated the entire proceeds of his contract to the University of North Texas Athletic Department. After the final whistle had blown, the entire male fanbase, at the enthusiastic encouragement of wives and girlfriends, enjoyed complimentary oral fireworks at the behalf of a spirited volunteer core of coeds. After five straight national championships, the North Texas Mean Green aim to ascend to the Southern division of the NFC in the National Football League by next fall. ESPN has offered 75% of total NFL revenue for them to make the move.

Meanwhile, here at gmg.com:

ONLY AT NORTH TEXAS! WHY ARE WE ONLY HOSTING COLLEGE TEAMS! WHY DOES OUT STADIUM ONLY HOLD 65,000? WHY DON'T THE URINALS HAVE CHAIRBACKS? THE BOARD OF REGENTS CLEARLY JUST DOESN'T CARE! AUSTIN IS ALWAYS PUTTING US DOWN! MY POST GAME ORAL FIREWORKS TOOK TOO LONG TO COMPLETE, SO I GOT STUCK IN TRAFFIC BECAUSE OF THE POORLY DESIGNED PARKING LOTS! FIRE EVERYBODY!

flyonthewall · July 21, 2015

Without pointing to any one particular post, it's been a really good year for me. I've been completely free of the distractions of womanly attention. I've made it through seven months of a personal challenge to go without beer for a year. I've lost about four inches off the old belt, almost back into undergrad college weight. I got promoted at work. My kid won valedictorian. I took two amazing vacations in Arkansas and Oregon. Things are fantastic.
Then I come here.
Here's what I expect the news copy to read someday:
10/4/2XXX
Denton, TX:
For the third straight year in a six-year deal, the University of North Texas Mean Green routed the Louisiana State Tigers 189-3 in front of a standing room only crowd of 67,943 at Apogee Stadium during a nationally televised game that began at the perfectly comfortable hour of 7:00 p.m. The Mean Green quarterback, overcoming recent setbacks of suffering multiple compound fractures in both his femurs and five discs in his spine along with total blindness in both eyes after a freak coed gymnastics stunt last week, took to the field and threw for 15 touchdowns, running for three himself, and then took to the field on special teams, blocked a field goal, and ran it back for a touchdown -- twice. The head coach, in a regular show of his generosity, once again donated the entire proceeds of his contract to the University of North Texas Athletic Department. After the final whistle had blown, the entire male fanbase, at the enthusiastic encouragement of wives and girlfriends, enjoyed complimentary oral fireworks at the behalf of a spirited volunteer core of coeds. After five straight national championships, the North Texas Mean Green aim to ascend to the Southern division of the NFC in the National Football League by next fall. ESPN has offered 75% of total NFL revenue for them to make the move.
Meanwhile, here at gmg.com:
ONLY AT NORTH TEXAS! WHY ARE WE ONLY HOSTING COLLEGE TEAMS! WHY DOES OUT STADIUM ONLY HOLD 65,000? WHY DON'T THE URINALS HAVE CHAIRBACKS? THE BOARD OF REGENTS CLEARLY JUST DOESN'T CARE! AUSTIN IS ALWAYS PUTTING US DOWN! MY POST GAME ORAL FIREWORKS TOOK TOO LONG TO COMPLETE, SO I GOT STUCK IN TRAFFIC BECAUSE OF THE POORLY DESIGNED PARKING LOTS! FIRE EVERYBODY!

no beer in oregon, really? Dont answer

Greendylan · July 21, 2015

My crazy pie-in-the-sky rules for money games:

1. No more than one per year--ever.

2. Once every three or four years we should have none.

3. NEVER play an in-state opponent that isn't willing to play a return game at Apogee.

4. If we're playing a perennial top-15 type of program, don't accept anything less than seven figures.

That's it.

Ben Gooding · July 21, 2015

My list would include...

1. Never play a Big12 team or ATM.

2. Never accept anything less than 2 million (if its a bottom feeder P5 accept no less than 900k and we can do a game of this nature every year)

3. Always icorporate travel expenses into contract

4. Play P5 every other year unless the latter part of rule 2 applies

This list is of course my best case scenario list. If all G5's established these guidelines the P5 would have no choice but to adhere to them. This should be the standard set by all G5 conference commisioners. Quit begging for scraps and demand them.

GMG