Saban Says He's For Five Conferences

[GrandGreen]

Funny, I didn't think anyone was forcing Alabama or anyone else to schedule games against lesser opponents.

I think the more teams added to the FB division the more likely a break away may happen. However, I don't think it will occur because I think the bigs enjoy playing home games and making a lot of money with little chance of losing. These coaches may want to posture and cite better competition, but in reality there are only a handful of programs that currently always win that would continue to do so. The other 40 to 50 teams are going to have worst records and I doubt many HCs or ADs want the increased pressure to perform.

The truth is that the top teams get most of the money now, so what is their motivation to change the system to a more competitive one?

[stebo]

Ohio State's AD basically stated similar views, as did Big Ten's Jim Delany recently. They aren't exactly southern...

So there are about a handful of people at big time football schools that say it. Mostly it's media and fans calling for this so that they can have something to talk about. So Duke and Kentucky and Syracuse and UCLA would want to break away from the NCAA and play basketball among only the top 70 football schools?

I started my response by saying that I know I am in the minority - I just don't know why I am. It makes zero sense for that group of schools to set up an entire infrastructure to support the 20ish NCAA sports. And I truly believe that the NCAA would not allow them to pick and choose to only participate in other sports. Then the NCAA gets cut out of the money and that just not going to happen.

The big schools want 7, 8, 9 home games each year. They make an obscene amount of money from these home games. Are they going to limit their home games to just 6 so that a handful of football powers can be in the upper echelon alignment? Money talks and BS walks. They need us and we need them. I absolutely think all Div I FBS schools should only play other FBS schools. Cut out the FCS exceptions for bowl eligibility. Also, bring back some serious rules for maintaining FBS status - budget minimums to start. Maybe add a budget maximum as well for parity and as a compromise. The arms race needs to tap the breaks and at the same time the legitimacy of being a Div I FBS school needs to return.

Edited May 16, 2013 by stebo

[FroggyStyle]

B1G- 14

SEC- 14

ACC- 14

Big XII- 10

PAC- 12

--------------

64 teams

If there are to be 70 teams in 5 conferences, then the Big 12 needs to invite 4 and the Pac needs to invite two. I can see Boise, Cincy, BYU, UCF, USF, and UH being those six. I could also see a scenario where Temple, UCONN or Memphis get an invite but that's pretty much it. It's only a matter of time before this happens imo.

[untjim1995]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/calipari-rails-against-ncaa-one-023044010--ncaab.html

Another AQ big name that is expressing the idea of leaving the NCAA as a possibility.

[untjim1995]

B1G- 14

SEC- 14

ACC- 14

Big XII- 10

PAC- 12

--------------

64 teams

If there are to be 70 teams in 5 conferences, then the Big 12 needs to invite 4 and the Pac needs to invite two. I can see Boise, Cincy, BYU, UCF, USF, and UH being those six. I could also see a scenario where Temple, UCONN or Memphis get an invite but that's pretty much it. It's only a matter of time before this happens imo.

The thing is that the Big XII is very unstable, though. All its gonna take is one the big schools to leave and you are going to have chaos. KU, OU, and UT are the big prizes, but OSU, Tech, and KSU may get included with their big brothers. West Virginia will find a home, too, probably in the ACC eventually. But for Iowa State, Baylor, and TCU, there is not much that any of them can do to make it into an AQ league. IF TCU gets knocked back out of AQ, at least they have been used to it. As I have said all along, no two schools are walking on banana peels over their graves like Iowa State and Baylor. ISUs new home is either the MWC or the MAC. Baylor is either MWC or AAC. Either way, its a far drop down from where they are. TCU could go back to the MWC and its fans wouldn't be happy, but they've been used to that league and those teams. Baylor fans may commit a mass suicide if this came to pass...Ken Starr might just sue every single team in an AQ league at that point, plus the NCAA, the federal government, etc...

[stebo]

The thing is that the Big XII is very unstable, though. All its gonna take is one the big schools to leave and you are going to have chaos. KU, OU, and UT are the big prizes, but OSU, Tech, and KSU may get included with their big brothers. West Virginia will find a home, too, probably in the ACC eventually. But for Iowa State, Baylor, and TCU, there is not much that any of them can do to make it into an AQ league. IF TCU gets knocked back out of AQ, at least they have been used to it. As I have said all along, no two schools are walking on banana peels over their graves like Iowa State and Baylor. ISUs new home is either the MWC or the MAC. Baylor is either MWC or AAC. Either way, its a far drop down from where they are. TCU could go back to the MWC and its fans wouldn't be happy, but they've been used to that league and those teams. Baylor fans may commit a mass suicide if this came to pass...Ken Starr might just sue every single team in an AQ league at that point, plus the NCAA, the federal government, etc...

Haven't all those conference schools signed GOR contracts? If they leave, their media/TV money stay with current conference until 2024 or something? Only big conference without that is SEC and none of them are leaving.

Big 12 Commish was on ESPN last week while I was at Sport Clips getting a cut. He likes 10 teams and argued that there was no school that could bring enough value to expand. When asked about conference championship game and being the only big conference without it - he said that you could argue that the Big 12 champ will be the only Tru conference champion because everyone will play everyone. Other bigger conferences will have situations where schools don't play each other in regular season or in the conference championship game. Perfect situation would allow a conference championship for a conference with 10 or 11 teams rather than 12.

[stebo]

OU nor Texas wants a conference championship game.

Agreed, which is combined with all the Grants of Media Rights contracts (that every major conference except SEC has), and you have a very small expansion field now. Even Notre Dame is in on the ACC GOR agreement. Unless the candidate is BYU, a gang of five school (like Houston or SMU) or an Indy military school - the field is pretty small. Florida state can't hop to big 12, their media money stays behind with ACC for 14 years. So they can't add value and that makes me think this is all coming to a close.

The most recent BCS iterations are contracted with the NCAA through 2024. Any break away will be fifteen years from now (if ever)