Clemson Tigers coach Dabo Swinney says there needs to be 'complete blowup' of college football

NT80 · April 9, 2022

"I think eventually there will be some type of break and another division. Right now, you got everybody in one group, and it's not feasible. Alabama has different problems than Middle Tennessee, but we're trying to make them all the same and it's just not. I think you'll have 40 or 50 teams and a commissioner and here are the rules."

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/33700813/clemson-tigers-coach-dabo-swinney-says-there-needs-complete-blowup-college-football

El Paso Eagle · April 9, 2022

Hope this happens sooner rather than later. Too wide of a gap in college football and it will only get worse.

Cr1028 · April 9, 2022

4 minutes ago, El Paso Eagle said:

Hope this happens sooner rather than later. Too wide of a gap in college football and it will only get worse.

The only problem will be when schools like us try to attain the resources to jump to that highest level and overextend themselves.

NT80 · April 9, 2022

Financially those Top 50 schools can't just play each other. They all want 7 home games and a minimum of 7 wins each season. They will need to play non-Top 50 programs.

Also, will P5 conferences be cutting their dead weight to get down to this exclusive Top 50 teams? No P5 conference contains all P5 power football programs. Vanderbilt, Kansas, Illinois, Oregon St, etc are not better in football than many G5 programs.

untlynchka1 · April 9, 2022

1 hour ago, NT80 said:

Financially those Top 50 schools can't just play each other. They all want 7 home games and a minimum of 7 wins each season. They will need to play non-Top 50 programs.

Also, will P5 conferences be cutting their dead weight to get down to this exclusive Top 50 teams? No P5 conference contains all P5 power football programs. Vanderbilt, Kansas, Illinois, Oregon St, etc are not better in football than many G5 programs.

I agree with what you’re saying 100%, but calling schools dead weight can be cyclical.

I mean 10-15 years ago, Baylor and ISU were the bottom dwellers of the Big 12 and we all would’ve agreed they were never going to seriously compete. Baylor was always the worst with Kansas….and outside of the Seneca Wallace years,ISU was the 3rd worst team in the big 12. Now look at what they are just because they had access to the big leagues.

El Paso Eagle · April 9, 2022

8 hours ago, NT80 said:

Financially those Top 50 schools can't just play each other. They all want 7 home games and a minimum of 7 wins each season. They will need to play non-Top 50 programs.

Also, will P5 conferences be cutting their dead weight to get down to this exclusive Top 50 teams? No P5 conference contains all P5 power football programs. Vanderbilt, Kansas, Illinois, Oregon St, etc are not better in football than many G5 programs.

They could follow the NFL format and play divisional team home and away each year, or they could still play a game or two against lower division teams. Hopefully these would bring big paydays

southsideguy · April 9, 2022

Mean Green 93-98 posted a interesting story on the Eagles Nest about Grambling VB coach cutting the entire team and will be bringing in new players. I think the players will start seeing the dark side of the Portal very soon.

GrandGreen · April 9, 2022

10 hours ago, El Paso Eagle said:

Hope this happens sooner rather than later. Too wide of a gap in college football and it will only get worse.

What will get a lot worse is the importance of sports at those second division clubs.

A lot of you are not old enough to remember NT's 1AA days. I will attempt to enlighten you, if you think the G5 level of sports is not recognized enough, it is nothing like being in an official lower classification.

Playing for a lower level championship may appear great, but it is not that big of an event unless you make it to final four and then for only a couple of weeks.

Also people seem to forget that NT can compete with the bigs in a number of sports. Currently that includes softball, mbb, and soccer.

I don't think on an overall basis, NT sports has ever been in a better place. Why even contemplate going backward?

NT93 · April 9, 2022

55 minutes ago, texx2818 said:

I think for me, at least as shown by UTSA, winning in a low league doesn’t mean shit. You don’t get a chance to play for a natty and it remains the only D1 sport where half the teams have zero shot at actually getting a title.

Half??? More like 10-20%.

UNTLifer · April 9, 2022

The "Big Boys" are admitting they have financial resources that many don't. To me, if I am WB or any Athletic Director at a G5 school, the price just doubled to play us in football.

NT80 · April 9, 2022

9 hours ago, untlynchka1 said:

I agree with what you’re saying 100%, but calling schools dead weight can be cyclical.

I mean 10-15 years ago, Baylor and ISU were the bottom dwellers of the Big 12 and we all would’ve agreed they were never going to seriously compete. Baylor was always the worst with Kansas….and outside of the Seneca Wallace years,ISU was the 3rd worst team in the big 12. Now look at what they are just because they had access to the big leagues.

Exactly. The same with calling a football program P5, their success, or lack of, can vary year to year. We have seen Boise be great, and UCF, BYU, Houston, Cincy, etc.

That's what makes the NCAA BB Tourney so good, the Saint Peter's of the world can be on the same court as a Kentucky and win!

The Top 50 programs in NCAA football will never be the same year to year. The real difference is funding for those programs. Top 50 in funding could be a finite line, but not football success.

Wag Tag · April 9, 2022

What are they really griping about? NIL money! USC and Texas may be the only schools with the financial resources of A&M! When oil is booming double it!!

GrandGreen · April 9, 2022

7 hours ago, texx2818 said:

I think for me, at least as shown by UTSA, winning in a low league doesn’t mean shit. You don’t get a chance to play for a natty and it remains the only D1 sport where half the teams have zero shot at actually getting a title.

Just interested, what means anything to you in football?

Playing in championship games or in the big bowl games. It is highly unlikely that will happen to any but maybe the top 20 football teams in the P5 conferences.

I really don't know what your reference to UTSA means. Winning eleven games is a great season. I have no idea as I doubt you do, that if they had beat NT; what bowl game they would have landed. My guess it would be better than the Fresco Bowl #1.

NorthTexasWeLove · April 9, 2022

22 hours ago, NT80 said:

"I think eventually there will be some type of break and another division. Right now, you got everybody in one group, and it's not feasible. Alabama has different problems than Middle Tennessee, but we're trying to make them all the same and it's just not. I think you'll have 40 or 50 teams and a commissioner and here are the rules."

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/33700813/clemson-tigers-coach-dabo-swinney-says-there-needs-complete-blowup-college-football

I'm trying to do the math to get to 50. Maybe 30, maybe.

GrandGreen · April 10, 2022

14 hours ago, texx2818 said:

The ability to have a chance at winning a national championship at the end of the year. That’s what it means to me. And for most of the NCAA FBS, that’s a pipe dream.

So you had rather have NT drop down divisions to have a better chance of winning a championship.

Although NT would probably field a significantly inferior team to what they have now.

First, if NT dropped down; they would still contend with team with like resources; so there is no guarantee they would fare any better. Second, NT would lose most of their football exposure and most of their fans.

GMG_Dallas · April 10, 2022

Without knowing the ins and outs of how this would work, college football could quickly balance things if they lowered the number of D1 scholarships allowed per team. Spread the talent wealth a bit instead or having fringe G5/P5 recruits ride the pine because they wanted B10 or SEC on their jerseys. College basketball wouldn't be what it is today if they allowed 20 scholarships per program. The NFL can do a longer schedule with a 53 man roster. The college ranks should get closer to that number. Go from 85 to say 70 or 75.

Edited April 10, 2022 by GMG_Dallas

El Paso Eagle · April 10, 2022

4 hours ago, GrandGreen said:

So you had rather have NT drop down divisions to have a better chance of winning a championship.

Although NT would probably field a significantly inferior team to what they have now.

First, if NT dropped down; they would still contend with team with like resources; so there is no guarantee they would fare any better. Second, NT would lose most of their football exposure and most of their fans.

I find it humorous how you continue to grasp onto the thought that we are in the same division as the SEC schools and Big Ten. You can call it what you want too but we're not and we're probably never going to be able to afford that type of financial commitment to our programs

GrandGreen · April 11, 2022

5 hours ago, El Paso Eagle said:

I find it humorous how you continue to grasp onto the thought that we are in the same division as the SEC schools and Big Ten. You can call it what you want too but we're not and we're probably never going to be able to afford that type of financial commitment to our programs

I am glad I humor you because apparently you can not respond to the points raised.

Lets try it again:

Do you think NT would not lose fans and interest if the team dropped down to a lower division?

Why have NT and so many of the undeserving, underfunded schools continued to field football teams despite no real hope for a national championship?

Do you think recruiting would suffer if NT decided to play a lower division of football?

Do you totally discount the name awareness and exposure that D! sports provides to member schools?

Do you really think NT would win more games as a D1 program after a few years as they lost the players that came in when it was a higher level program?

Would you miss seeing NT players the caliber of Cobbs, Fine, Greene, Booger Kennedy etc; because you would see a lot less of them?

In summary, there are different levels of fans and we are in different categories.

Years, ago: I went to a NT game against a FCS team and NT stomped them to the delight of the mostly student crowd; while most of the alumni groups were unimpressed.

Neither group was right or wrong, just differently viewed the contest. NT needs support by as many as possible.

5 hours ago, El Paso Eagle said:

Edited April 11, 2022 by GrandGreen

DentonLurker · April 11, 2022

4 hours ago, GMG_Dallas said:

Without knowing the ins and outs of how this would work, college football could quickly balance things if they lowered the number of D1 scholarships allowed per team. Spread the talent wealth a bit instead or having fringe G5/P5 recruits ride the pine because they wanted B10 or SEC on their jerseys. College basketball wouldn't be what it is today if they allowed 20 scholarships per program. The NFL can do a longer schedule with a 53 man roster. The college ranks should get closer to that number. Go from 85 to say 70 or 75.

I agree with you this would level the playing field a little more, but there’s no way this happens. Why would “the big boys” want this to happen?

GMG_Dallas · April 11, 2022

2 hours ago, DentonLurker said:

I agree with you this would level the playing field a little more, but there’s no way this happens. Why would “the big boys” want this to happen?

Yeah it'll likely never happen. Nothing to gain for those up top. I personally don't watch the college football playoffs or bowls. No point anymore. The bowls are worthless and the playoffs are practically predetermined other than Cincy this past year. Maybe if their viewership dropped, they'd look for honest solutions.

Censored by Laurie · April 11, 2022

bring on promotion & relegation!!

keith · April 11, 2022

14 minutes ago, Censored by Laurie said:

bring on promotion & relegation!!

Was going to suggest the same thing. This would at least allow for movement up or down and not lock in place forever the current state of college football. Things change and the system should allow for it. It also would probably necessitate the elimination of the current conference structure.

MeanGreenHoops · April 11, 2022

52 minutes ago, Censored by Laurie said:

bring on promotion & relegation!!

Funny thing, this is actually a worse idea. More like, bring on a salary cap. Oops, but since that will never happen, bring on promotion & relegation!

untjim1995 · April 11, 2022

21 hours ago, texx2818 said:

Lol the crowds at a lot of our games already look FCS level

19 hours ago, El Paso Eagle said:

I find it humorous how you continue to grasp onto the thought that we are in the same division as the SEC schools and Big Ten. You can call it what you want too but we're not and we're probably never going to be able to afford that type of financial commitment to our programs

Yall are wasting your time here...even though you're both correct

kj86 · April 12, 2022

On 4/11/2022 at 8:30 AM, keith said:

Was going to suggest the same thing. This would at least allow for movement up or down and not lock in place forever the current state of college football. Things change and the system should allow for it. It also would probably necessitate the elimination of the current conference structure.

College fb would explode in popularity if they did this. Every game would have meaning.