An Open Letter to College Football, from AAC Commish, on CFP expansion hurdles

[NT80]

Refreshing to see a Conference leader actually trying to lead

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AAC pushes back against possible CFP expansion hurdles

An Open Letter to College Football
02.14.2022

http://theamerican.org/news/2022/2/14/an-open-letter-to-college-football.aspx

 

[PlummMeanGreen]

AAC Commish’ Aresta is on top of all this it seems.  

[keith]

While I support the expansion of the CFP to 12 teams, I think the 6+6 model proposed by CFP Management Committee is wrong and is only expansion in the sense that it will expand the play-off for P5 teams.  Some years, the CFP will essentially become a second SEC championship playoff.  You'll get the 5 P5 champions, 1 G5 champion and 6 at-large (all P5).  You could have some years with where 3 or 4+ of these at-large teams come from the SEC with a couple losers of a P5 championship game sprinkled in for good measure.

IMHO, the opportunity to play for a national championship should be the reward for those teams that have been able to win their conference championship.  It should either be a 10 team playoff (10 conference champions) or if you must have an at-large option then a 10+2 option.  Take the 10 conference champions plus 2 at-large.  For the 10 team playoff, the top 6 have first round byes and the bottom 4 have an extra game with the winners filling in the final 8 team bracket.  For the 12 team option, 8 teams have a first round game with the 4 winners advancing to face the top 4 that received 1st round byes in the final 8 team bracket.

[Greenrex]

As illustrated in his Open Letter to College Football, AAC Commissioner Aresco is a very thoughtful and clear thinker and I hope enough others heed his advice although sadly there is reason to believe that will not be the case.

My question is: Who is College Football? Are we talking about the CFP college presidents? Does the majority rule or is there a pecking order that everyone bows down to? It is most certainly not the NCAA !

 

[NT80]

Report: CFP to Remain at 4 Teams Until At Least 2026 Despite Expansion Discussions

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10027392-report-cfp-to-remain-at-4-teams-until-at-least-2026-despite-expansion-discussions?utm_source=cnn.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial

 

[Udomann]

2 minutes ago, NT80 said:

Report: CFP to Remain at 4 Teams Until At Least 2026 Despite Expansion Discussions

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10027392-report-cfp-to-remain-at-4-teams-until-at-least-2026-despite-expansion-discussions?utm_source=cnn.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial

 

I look forward to seeing the same 3 or 4 teams play for the title each year.

*yawn*

[MeanGreenTexan]

It really only needs to be 8.   12 is too many.

- P5 Conf Champs
- Highest Ranked G5
- 2 At-Large

That's it.

[NT80]

8 minutes ago, Udomann said:

I look forward to seeing the same 3 or 4 teams play for the title each year.

*yawn*

Agree. 

It's not a true "playoff" when there are only 4 teams out of 130, and they are "selected" by a biased committee. 

It's the opposite of college basketball and March Madness where there is inclusion of all conference champions and 64 teams.  So much more fun for fans.

[NT80]

12 minutes ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

It really only needs to be 8.   12 is too many.

- P5 Conf Champs
- Highest Ranked G5
- 2 At-Large

That's it.

 

FCS Playoffs have 12.  Much better representation of the league.

They have no problems playing a full season then a normal playoff....like every other level of pro, college, or high school football...except for FB$!

https://www.ncaa.com/brackets/football/fcs/2021

 

[DentonLurker]

I don't really understand any of the arguments that don't allow all conference champions, at minimum, play in the playoffs. All 10 conference champions should be in the playoffs. If not, it's a continued acknowledgement that not all teams are really playing at the highest level. In that case, I think you should just split the P5's out and let them do their thing. To me, it should be 16 teams (10 conference champs + 6 at large). Expanded playoffs work in pretty much every sport played on the planet. But somehow that model doesn't work in college football? I don't buy it.

[MeanGreenTexan]

24 minutes ago, NT80 said:

 

FCS Playoffs have 12.  Much better representation of the league.

They have no problems playing a full season then a normal playoff....like every other level of pro, college, or high school football...except for FB$!

https://www.ncaa.com/brackets/football/fcs/2021

 

Well, the "B" part of "FBS" is the kicker there.   You can't compare FCS to FBS.  It's not the same.

If I'm being honest, I see where North Texas is in the ranks of FBS football, and I'm glad we have the opportunity to play in a meaningful game during the postseason (whether that game was a made-up game in our own backyard, sponsored by our biggest donor... or somewhere else).   FCS teams only allow the top 24 to play in the postseason.  That's it.   

[Udomann]

10 minutes ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

Well, the "B" part of "FBS" is the kicker there.   You can't compare FCS to FBS.  It's not the same.

If I'm being honest, I see where North Texas is in the ranks of FBS football, and I'm glad we have the opportunity to play in a meaningful game during the postseason (whether that game was a made-up game in our own backyard, sponsored by our biggest donor... or somewhere else).   FCS teams only allow the top 24 to play in the postseason.  That's it.   

It also doesn't solve the fact that there are maybe a dozen (plus or minus) FBS teams who will ever have a shot at a meaningful playoff run. UNT will never in the next hundred years "meaningfully" compete with Alabama. FCS seems to be more stable, with even some of the smallish schools (SFA as an example) have a shot at things.

I doubt anyone here can argue that FBS isn't getting more boring, more dull, more predictable by the year. And less interesting. Until that's alleviated, no amount of bowl expansion can fix it.

[MeanGreenTexan]

31 minutes ago, DentonLurker said:

I don't really understand any of the arguments that don't allow all conference champions, at minimum, play in the playoffs. All 10 conference champions should be in the playoffs. If not, it's a continued acknowledgement that not all teams are really playing at the highest level. In that case, I think you should just split the P5's out and let them do their thing. To me, it should be 16 teams (10 conference champs + 6 at large). Expanded playoffs work in pretty much every sport played on the planet. But somehow that model doesn't work in college football? I don't buy it.

You're not being honest with yourself here.   You know exactly why the G5 champs would not be automatically considered.  
Your scenario would have seen #14-ranked Clemson, left out of a 16-team playoff in favor of unranked UTSA, unranked Northern Illinois, and barely-ranked UTSt.   How do you think the masses would have reacted to that?  Not just 1, but 3 teams (actually 4, because UL-L was ranked behind them as well) leapfrogging a perennial contender & media darling...   It's just not going to happen.

[MeanGreenTexan]

5 minutes ago, Udomann said:

It also doesn't solve the fact that there are maybe a dozen (plus or minus) FBS teams who will ever have a shot at a meaningful playoff run. UNT will never in the next hundred years "meaningfully" compete with Alabama. FCS seems to be more stable, with even some of the smallish schools (SFA as an example) have a shot at things.

I doubt anyone here can argue that FBS isn't getting more boring, more dull, more predictable by the year. And less interesting. Until that's alleviated, no amount of bowl expansion can fix it.

Well...    LAMo beat Alabama in 2007, so never say never.

[SMU2006]

I like Mike a lot but this is sort of silly.  This "letter" will get wadded up and thrown in the waste basket.

[Jonnyeagle]

So after studying this it appears the "Alliance" which is every P5 other than the SEC has made this happen as a defensive mechanism against the SEC becoming too powerful.  This way the Pac 10, ACC, Baylor's and the Texas Tech's of the world can hold onto more access for a couple more years and maybe longer.  

[Jonnyeagle]

This is clearly a power play for the P5 conferences other than the SEC.  They are worried that the expanded playoff will mean that the SEC can garner more slots.  And quite frankly it probably will!  So as per the usual those of us down the food chain will keep watching Alabama and Georgia play for the national championship every year while we eat our wings and fart and bitch about it lol.

[keith]

1 hour ago, NT80 said:

 

FCS Playoffs have 12.  Much better representation of the league.

They have no problems playing a full season then a normal playoff....like every other level of pro, college, or high school football...except for FB$!

https://www.ncaa.com/brackets/football/fcs/2021

 

I believe it's actually 24.  16 in the first round with the 8 winners facing off the 8 teams with byes.

Edited February 18, 2022 by keith