Warning From Aq Conferences

[MCMLXXX]

http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2010/12/09/jim-delany-warns-non-aq-leagues-dont-expect-more-than-youre/

[NorthTexan95]

http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2010/12/09/jim-delany-warns-non-aq-leagues-dont-expect-more-than-youre/

There's nothing good I can say about Jim Delany and the "big" conferences.

[runt96]

http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2010/12/09/jim-delany-warns-non-aq-leagues-dont-expect-more-than-youre/

I so hope TCU can take out Wisc.

[PlummMeanGreen]

There's nothing good I can say about Jim Delany and the "big" conferences.

Sometimes you want to know why Divine Providence doesn't move just a big quicker sometimes with some self-proclaimed big shots.

Delaney has been doing this kind of rant for years; hell, I thought he had already died to be truthful about the matter.

G-R-E-E-D....Anyone found a cure for it yet?

[DeepGreen]

What a power grabbing jerk!

[Yellow Snow]

Sometimes you want to know why Divine Providence doesn't move just a big quicker sometimes with some self-proclaimed big shots.

Delaney has been doing this kind of rant for years; hell, I thought he had already died to be truthful about the matter.

G-R-E-E-D....Anyone found a cure for it yet?

Delany is a tool... I'll give you that for sure.

Aside from the arrogance, he does have a point. TCU wouldn't be playing in the Rose Bowl (for example) under the old system. I don't know where greed comes in here. The AQ conferences actually GAVE UP exclusivity with the BCS bowls to the benefit of the smaller conferences. Didn't HAVE to do that.

[Cerebus]

Delany is a tool... I'll give you that for sure.

Aside from the arrogance, he does have a point. TCU wouldn't be playing in the Rose Bowl (for example) under the old system. I don't know where greed comes in here. The AQ conferences actually GAVE UP exclusivity with the BCS bowls to the benefit of the smaller conferences. Didn't HAVE to do that.

And the BCS doesn't HAVE to keep its tax exempt status either...

[UNTflyer]

" We've Jerry-rigged the free market system to the benefit of those institutions and a lot are institutions that don't even fill their stadiums."

Umm, no. You've Jerry-rigged the college football championship to where only a select few will ever be considered, and that is to YOUR conferences' benefit. As for not filling the stadiums, the fans of the non-AQ schools know where we stand. We know that there is ZERO chance of winning a national championship, and to all but the most die-hard fans it makes non-AQ football like watching minor league baseball.

Look at the arenas of the "Mid-major" basketball programs. They sell out games, and they sell out quite frequently. Because they know that no matter how remote, they have a shot at the national title. The cards are not stacked to make it impossible.

[UNTflyer]

What would generate higher revenues? Four BCS bowls with only one being of any championship significance? Or 15 playoff games with everything on the line?

If it's all about money, it's a no-branier.

[NT80]

The ONLY football championship at ANY level awarded by computer, without a playoff.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

Delaney: I think the only question is, 'Does one team's 12-0 and another team's 12-0 equate?'

Exactly, butthole. And, the way to determine it is to have them play one another, not to exclude one because of conference affiliation.

Greedy, cowardly bastards.

[forevereagle]

Delaney: I think the only question is, 'Does one team's 12-0 and another team's 12-0 equate?'

Exactly, butthole. And, the way to determine it is to have them play one another, not to exclude one because of conference affiliation.

Greedy, cowardly bastards.

I don't think Delaney actually wants to find out because he is afraid that the answer is yes.

[Texas Stranger]

Delaney should be thankful none of his Bowl teams are playing Appalachian State.

[Rudy]

This is getting out of hand. I know there are other problems to fix, but the lawmakers in D.C. need to step in.

[Yellow Snow]

" We've Jerry-rigged the free market system to the benefit of those institutions and a lot are institutions that don't even fill their stadiums."

Umm, no. You've Jerry-rigged the college football championship to where only a select few will ever be considered, and that is to YOUR conferences' benefit. As for not filling the stadiums, the fans of the non-AQ schools know where we stand. We know that there is ZERO chance of winning a national championship, and to all but the most die-hard fans it makes non-AQ football like watching minor league baseball.

Look at the arenas of the "Mid-major" basketball programs. They sell out games, and they sell out quite frequently. Because they know that no matter how remote, they have a shot at the national title. The cards are not stacked to make it impossible.

I’m not trying to piss anybody off here, it’s just that I don’t get where you guys are seeing this greed coming from. The non-AQ teams are better off now than they were with the old system. Is it fair now? I don’t know, but it is definitely closer than it was prior to the BCS.

With the old system, smaller conferences didn’t even have a chance to get a team playing for the national championship. The voters held that power. Sure the bowls were free to choose who they wanted (aside from the select few bowls that had conference tie ins… (Rose, Orange, etc.), but they didn’t take teams like TCU or Utah or whoever when they had the chance. The way it is now, there is a system in place to force these bowls to pick non-AQ schools if they meet the criteria.

There is nothing stopping the MWC and the WAC or Conf-USA from getting together and creating a January 1st, huge bowl game between the conference champs. Make it a giant super bowl type production. Do you think people would watch this? The big money is in the draw… the matchup. That is why there are comments about “filling their own stadiums” coming from these commissioners. It’s true. There isn’t enough support for some of these teams (TCU for example) to fill their own stadium on a regular basis, and yet they seem to expect to be placed in bowl games in lieu of teams that draw infinitely better, worthy or not. Now they want more.

The BCS was designed to guarantee a 1 verses 2 match-up, not to “be fair” to any other teams. Other than the championship game, the bowls want to be free to pick who they desire, or at the very least pick teams from the conferences they are affiliated with. That’s how the bowl makes money. I don’t think it is greedy to want to hold an event that makes money for the event holders; otherwise the event can’t keep continuing on. This is why all of these little bowls are popping up, dying, popping up again, dying, and so on. Tax exempt status is a joke – I agree with you there. All athletic departments need to lose tax exempt status, but that’s a different argument.

The original “power” that these conferences wield today was initially bestowed on them by the power of each teams fan base. It was a popularity contest from the start (and still is) – voters acted accordingly. This “power” held by the major AQ teams is a direct result of each school’s commitment to winning (cheating in some cases) and their large fan following. If Utah would have been kicking ass and taking names from the 60’s until now, believe me they would already be in an AQ conference.

As an Iowa State fan, I know the frustration of “popular teams” being purely mediocre at best and put up on a pedestal. No doubt in my mind that TCU is a national championship caliber team this year. The trouble is that their fan following hasn’t historically propped them up in the popularity contest called college football as much as Auburn’s has.

[Denia Park Pedro]

I’m not trying to piss anybody off here, it’s just that I don’t get where you guys are seeing this greed coming from. The non-AQ teams are better off now than they were with the old system. Is it fair now? I don’t know, but it is definitely closer than it was prior to the BCS.

With the old system, smaller conferences didn’t even have a chance to get a team playing for the national championship. The voters held that power. Sure the bowls were free to choose who they wanted (aside from the select few bowls that had conference tie ins… (Rose, Orange, etc.), but they didn’t take teams like TCU or Utah or whoever when they had the chance. The way it is now, there is a system in place to force these bowls to pick non-AQ schools if they meet the criteria.

There is nothing stopping the MWC and the WAC or Conf-USA from getting together and creating a January 1st, huge bowl game between the conference champs. Make it a giant super bowl type production. Do you think people would watch this? The big money is in the draw… the matchup. That is why there are comments about “filling their own stadiums” coming from these commissioners. It’s true. There isn’t enough support for some of these teams (TCU for example) to fill their own stadium on a regular basis, and yet they seem to expect to be placed in bowl games in lieu of teams that draw infinitely better, worthy or not. Now they want more.

The BCS was designed to guarantee a 1 verses 2 match-up, not to “be fair” to any other teams. Other than the championship game, the bowls want to be free to pick who they desire, or at the very least pick teams from the conferences they are affiliated with. That’s how the bowl makes money. I don’t think it is greedy to want to hold an event that makes money for the event holders; otherwise the event can’t keep continuing on. This is why all of these little bowls are popping up, dying, popping up again, dying, and so on. Tax exempt status is a joke – I agree with you there. All athletic departments need to lose tax exempt status, but that’s a different argument.

The original “power” that these conferences wield today was initially bestowed on them by the power of each teams fan base. It was a popularity contest from the start (and still is) – voters acted accordingly. This “power” held by the major AQ teams is a direct result of each school’s commitment to winning (cheating in some cases) and their large fan following. If Utah would have been kicking ass and taking names from the 60’s until now, believe me they would already be in an AQ conference.

As an Iowa State fan, I know the frustration of “popular teams” being purely mediocre at best and put up on a pedestal. No doubt in my mind that TCU is a national championship caliber team this year. The trouble is that their fan following hasn’t historically propped them up in the popularity contest called college football as much as Auburn’s has.

I really don't see the merit of this arguement. Is it a beauty pagent or an athletic contest? Unless every team, popular or not, knows what it has to do to be the champion and unless it's all determined on the field and not in somebody or some computer's opinion of who's best then all we have are meaningless exhibition games. BCS games are no different from the other meaningless exhibition games/bowls.

Just because it's what we've had doesn't mean it isn't absurd.

[UNTflyer]

With the old system, smaller conferences didn’t even have a chance to get a team playing for the national championship.

And they still don't. Boise State and TCU could have played in any of the last three national championship games and won.

[UNTLifer]

Where does the greed come in? Roughly 50% of the schools control 95% of the revenue.

[meangreendork]

The greed is there. If the larger conferences really gave a damn about a fair system in which the best team in the NCAA gets to walk away with the crystal football, then they won't care about teams that don't fill stadium seats. They won't care about TCU not selling as many tickets as an AQ conference team.

But since the major conferences like to keep the bowl money for themselves, there's no real motivation to let a non-AQ team into their set of bowl games. Why would I risk millions of dollars of revenue AND my precious record to play Boise or TCU or Utah or Nevada? If I play them in the regular season as part of my OOC schedule and I happen to lose, then my record is shot, fans don't show up, I might lose my bowl berth for a less-popular bowl. So what I will do is get together with other people who are too scared to lose to "Sisters of the Poor" and lock them out.

And in order to do that, our ranking system won't be based on a series of brackets where anyone can topple my team. It'll be based on polls and computer calculations of some sort or another with pretty much no transparency into how those logarithms work. I see what happens with the NCAA basketball tournament where any school with enough guys to fill the roster can trash what are considered to be the best teams in the NCAA. I don't want that.

So why risk my status in real competition when I can win in a popularity contest where my peers vote in my favor because I'll vote in their favor?

An aside: The arrogance that these BCS guys are spewing gets more and more vile everyday. I mean, I like free enterprise and controlling your revenue stream, but this, as a sport, should be about competition on the field. And as they're getting a huge tax shelter here, they should also be watched for how they do it.

Edited December 10, 2010 by meangreendork

[UNTflyer]

All athletic departments need to lose tax exempt status, but that’s a different argument.

I don't necessarily believe that, but Congress can use that tax-exempt status as a carrot to implement a fair system.

College football is the only sport among all the NCAA sports where the championship game is determined by OPINION. As such, it is subject to bias and nepotism. It is discriminatory toward conferences and schools that are not "traditional" powerhouses. It heavily favors schools with high revenue and political power and is very skewed by preseason polls based on perception.

I think the NCAA needs to step in and make a playoff system similar to the basketball tournament. Automatic qualification for the 11 conference champions with 5 at-large bids going to the highest ranked teams that did not win their conference. A 4-week playoff starting the first weekend of December with the Championship game on New Year's Day.

[greenminer]

A super division of the big six is inevitable; they will drop out of the NCAA and create they're own before they acknowledge we are all (120 of us) supposed to be treated equally...and before any playoff is created.

[oldguystudent]

I kept having to look at the URL because I thought I was reading an article from the Onion.

As for the old system shutting out teams from the big bowls, I give you the 1984 season. BYU handed Michigan its 6th loss in the Holiday Bowl and took the #1 ranking from both the AP and Coaches polls. That event in and of itself led the big money conferences to circle the wagons. They simply were NOT going to let such a small school grab the national spotlight like that ever again.

If they follow through with their blatant bluff and returned to the old bowl system, the BYUs of the world could rise once again and embarrass the heck out of the big boys and their big money swagger.

Mark it. They will NOT return to the old affiliated bowl system.

[cwb]

A super division of the big six is inevitable; they will drop out of the NCAA and create they're own before they acknowledge we are all (120 of us) supposed to be treated equally...and before any playoff is created.

This is why we (non-AQ) need to shut up and enjoy our pie. Why, at this time, does any North Texas fan give a rat's ass who the NC is? It is not going to be the Mean Green for a long time. We put ourselves in this position with a lack of historical support along with Kent, Akron, NM State and others. If and I hope when we get to a Boise or TCU level on the field a constant full stadium, we can then join the bitch session.

Look, I want to be there as bad as anyone. But, what have we done to deserve a donation from Michigan or Georgia? As far as playoffs, if you want them so bad, you better hope we move up the food chain fast or we will be outside looking in as in miner's above senario.

[meangreendork]

This is why we (non-AQ) need to shut up and enjoy our pie. Why, at this time, does any North Texas fan give a rat's ass who the NC is? It is not going to be the Mean Green for a long time. We put ourselves in this position with a lack of historical support along with Kent, Akron, NM State and others. If and I hope when we get to a Boise or TCU level on the field a constant full stadium, we can then join the bitch session.

Look, I want to be there as bad as anyone. But, what have we done to deserve a donation from Michigan or Georgia? As far as playoffs, if you want them so bad, you better hope we move up the food chain fast or we will be outside looking in as in miner's above senario.

I don't think it's what we, as a fanbase, have done. Really, it shouldn't even be about fanbase or butts in seats at stadiums. It should just be about players, and when our players get to the point where they can face down a BCS team (and they're close based on the KState performance), we want to be ready and the field to be leveled out. Plus, it's not just talking on behalf of UNT, it's also talking on behalf of TCU, Utah, Nevada, Boise and the rest of the teams whose players are performing and should be rewarded with an opportunity to prove how good they are.

I don't think anyone wants a donation from anyone. What they want is a level field of play when it comes to rankings, or they want the AQ confs to just be up-front about it and say, "look, we don't want you here" so the rest of the NCAA can split off and do it's own thing or the politicians can slam the AQ confs with serious oversight for abusing the hell out of their tax status.

When we're choosing the best team in NCAA football, it should come to two sets of numbers. Win and loss record, and score at the end of a game. If these AQ conferences think they're so bloody tough, then they should be able to take on all challengers and win at any time instead of spouting trash talk that they're unwilling to, and probably unable to back up.

[UNTflyer]

A super division of the big six is inevitable; they will drop out of the NCAA and create they're own before they acknowledge we are all (120 of us) supposed to be treated equally...and before any playoff is created.

Then in that case they should lose all NCAA status in all other sports - plain and simple.