Interview on Mike+Mike with Bob Bowlsby

Stan R · July 22, 2014

I think it is pretty clear that what the P5 schools want is to change the rules only enough to provide them legal cover. They don't want to change the game, they just don't want to be facing lawsuits, providing full employment benefits (health care) to players, etc. There is not some conspiracy to screw the lower level schools.

They are watching all these trials that they are in the middle of losing and throwing ideas out there to help mitigate their loses. They are only freaking out because they haven't been able to turn any of the new ideas into hard legislation within the NCAA and time is running out before some of these trials return verdicts against them.

The P5 schools are out of control and have billions at stake. That's why they have changed course and temperament so severely.

Yup. Perfectly stated.

Cerebus · July 22, 2014

I think it is pretty clear that what the P5 schools want is to change the rules only enough to provide them legal cover. They don't want to change the game, they just don't want to be facing lawsuits, providing full employment benefits (health care) to players, etc. There is not some conspiracy to screw the lower level schools.

They are watching all these trials that they are in the middle of losing and throwing ideas out there to help mitigate their loses. They are only freaking out because they haven't been able to turn any of the new ideas into hard legislation within the NCAA and time is running out before some of these trials return verdicts against them.

The P5 schools are out of control and have billions at stake. That's why they have changed course and temperament so severely.

If that is their real reasoning then they are idiots. The future findings against the NCAA in the Jenkins case will be pretty easily applicable to whatever the P5 call themselves. They will be real employees, they will have to offer them health care, they will see a huge cost war for player services.

Cerebus · July 22, 2014

If they do this, then the NCAA needs to play hardball with them. No games between NCAA teams and the P5, and no access to the NCAA tournament for teams that have a football team not in the NCAA.

ColoradoEagle · July 22, 2014

If they do this, then the NCAA needs to play hardball with them. No games between NCAA teams and the P5, and no access to the NCAA tournament for teams that have a football team not in the NCAA.

I'm pretty sure a P5 tournament would dwarf a non-P5 NCAA tournament.

UNTexas · July 22, 2014

I guess there are some things that need to be clarified, but if the P5 is making a complete break like they're talking, then I assume UNT and the rest of the "Gang of Five" conferences won't be playing P5 schools anymore--as in, at all.

If they do split, I hope it's legislated they cannot play anyone but themselves during regular season. Unless it's a bowl or something. I'd love to see them go straight into conference play with injuries from beating the crap out of each other. Or just never play them. Ever.

Hopefully, nothing changes except taking better care of student athletes with things like spending money to take a girl out to dinner, or scholarships are good from freshman year until graduation, or all revenue sports get the same scholarships as football.

I forgot to mention. Jones mentioned Spring ball. He needs to shut up.

Edited July 22, 2014 by UNTexas

pastorgrant · July 22, 2014

I'm pretty sure a P5 tournament would dwarf a non-P5 NCAA tournament.

I don't think that's necessarily true. There are only about 60 teams total in the P5 conferences. To make it any kind of playoff, it would have to be limited to a sweet 16. Also 3 of the last 4 winners were not in P5 conferences this year.

UNT90 · July 22, 2014

G5s have no one to blame but themselves for not filing a class action lawsuit when it became clearly apparent that the BCS crap was depriving the G5s of a chance to compete and grossly widening the gap between the P5 and G5.

G5s were more than happy to take the scraps (beat down money games) and whore themselves out to these programs. We will do it twice next year alone. All to have some scraps thrown their way to be kept away from the competitive table.

Co-dependency sucks.

pastorgrant · July 22, 2014

G5s have no one to blame but themselves for not filing a class action lawsuit when it became clearly apparent that the BCS crap was depriving the G5s of a chance to compete and grossly widening the gap between the P5 and G5.
G5s were more than happy to take the scraps (beat down money games) and whore themselves out to these programs. We will do it twice next year alone. All to have some scraps thrown their way to be kept away from the competitive table.
Co-dependency sucks.

I'm looking forward to getting a shot at Tennessee and Iowa next year. Maybe we'll take a W and a paycheck.

ColoradoEagle · July 22, 2014

I don't think that's necessarily true. There are only about 60 teams total in the P5 conferences. To make it any kind of playoff, it would have to be limited to a sweet 16. Also 3 of the last 4 winners were not in P5 conferences this year.

I'm not talking about skill level, I'm talking about viewership and advertising dollars. There are some non-P5 schools out there that people will tune in for, but not in the huge numbers they would for ACC/Big 10, and, to a lesser extent, PAC-12 and Big XII.

UNTexas · July 22, 2014

I'm looking forward to getting a shot at Tennessee and Iowa next year. Maybe we'll take a W and a paycheck.

If this nonsense goes through then hopefully we cancel the Tennessee game and any other P5 body bag games that follow.

I completely agree with UNT90's last post too.

Edited July 22, 2014 by UNTexas

greenminer · July 23, 2014

Cerebus, were you referring to the new football tournament, or March Madness?

If the P5 breakoff, I imagine they'd try and take basketball with them. Is it possible the NCAA has leverage with the NCAA basketball tournament to keep every one together in football?

Cerebus · July 23, 2014

If the P5 breakoff, I imagine they'd try and take basketball with them.

From what I have read, the p5 breakoff want to both make its own rules, and still stay part of the NCAA tournament.

TIgreen01 · July 23, 2014

If that is their real reasoning then they are idiots. The future findings against the NCAA in the Jenkins case will be pretty easily applicable to whatever the P5 call themselves. They will be real employees, they will have to offer them health care, they will see a huge cost war for player services.

Yep, that's why I said, in my first post, that the g5 needs to call them on this obvious bluff. It's too little, too late...and they know it.

UNTflyer · July 23, 2014

Fast forward 20 years:

The SEC/Big Ten/PAC 12 decide the ACC and Big 12 can no longer compete and form their own 42 team league of professional football players to advertise their universities.

Edited July 23, 2014 by UNTflyer

untjim1995 · July 23, 2014

These Power Conferences will make their own legislative body, in which all things will be legal for paying players, admissions standards will be dropped for the athlete, and they will create a true playoff system for football, basketball, and baseball.

They will have all of the money, media, and legal backing. For football, losses won't hurt as much anymore because they will create a 16 team playoff, thus making scheduling much more flexible. In basketball, expect the Big East to get absorbed into the P5 basketball tournament. And, yes, this tournament will dwarf the current March Madness in media interest and tv coverage. Everyone loves the David and Goliath story--as long as it involves Goliath.

Look, we are going to have to get to play local colleges that we care about in a regional conference--the dollars will finally cause the old SWC powers that aren't in the P5 already to have to play in a conference with us--unless they quit. SMU, Tulsa, Tulane, and Rice could all do just that, too. It might be too much for these schools to handle that kind of drop down in class, especially SMU, who has had the hardest time accepting being former SWC royalty to being left behind in the G5 leagues. One more further drop down would probably cause most of their older alumni to just go away. But, for schools like us, UTEP, UTSA, any of the private schools that do stick with still playing sports at this level, NMSU, La Tech, and ULL, the changes won't be quite as devastating a drop down as what SMU--and UH, for that matter--will have to deal with.

The question still remains--will UNT fans show up to watch football against teams that mentioned above as conference mates, even if we are dropped down to a new 1-aa level again? No one seems to know that answer...

eagle2014 · July 23, 2014

We really need to work on improving all around so we don't get left behind if this happens. The sooner we can move up the better.

Mean Green 93-98 · July 23, 2014

admissions standards will be dropped for the athlete

It will be interesting to see what happens with that. Because within the P5, that could be a battle royal, with almost all the SEC and some of the Big XII pushing for reduced admission standards against the BIG and Pac 12, who will strongly oppose that.

the dollars will finally cause the old SWC powers that aren't in the P5 already to have to play in a conference with us

We already are in a conference with Rice; that only leaves Houston and SMU. But I don't see how the dollars presently will force them to do anything. Even if it is not P5, the AAC is a clear step above C-USA.

The question still remains--will UNT fans show up to watch football against teams that mentioned above as conference mates, even if we are dropped down to a new 1-aa level again? No one seems to know that answer...

Calling it a "new 1AA" is true in some respects, but it is not parallel in all respects. There is no doubt that it would be a higher level of competition in the impending subdivision than there is in 1AA/"FCS."

Would it draw fans? It has been ages since we have had a significant enough P5 team at home to actually draw fans, so I don't see that it would make a huge difference.

Edited July 23, 2014 by Mean Green 93-98

untjim1995 · July 23, 2014

We really need to work on improving all around so we don't get left behind if this happens. The sooner we can move up the better.

As much as I wish that was possible, this thing will probably break down and split within a couple of years. There probably isn't any non-AQ teams that are going to get included in this move upward, unless its a UConn or Cincy from the AAC.

MeanMag · July 25, 2014

There is too much talent for 60 teams to be able to take on, unless they plan on changing the rules so much to allow playing 15 people on each side of the ball.

Edited July 25, 2014 by MeanMag