MWC Proposes 16 Team Playoff

[HuskyHawk]

Per CBS Sports, MWC has proposed a 16 team playoff to replace the BCS when the current deal expires.
http://dennis-dodd.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6270202/32830148
Jerry Palm comments here
http://rpibcsguy.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/26191645/32832113

 

[Stinger92860]

This could bring expansion to a halt if implemented. There should be no more than 2 per conference. I would think that 15 games in this system would generate more than 650 million.

 

[Jarhead_1775]

Presidents and chancellors throughout the country are laughing out loud right now. No way Ohio state gives up their annual bcs payout without sanctions, that is.

 

[sportsart]

I hope Comcast jumps in and makes it happen ...duck the BCS.

I'd watch every playoff games. BCS not so much.

 

[tzznandrew]

It's not going to happen.

It makes too much sense.

 

[upstater]

This could bring expansion to a halt if implemented. There should be no more than 2 per conference. I would think that 15 games in this system would generate more than 650 million.

NCAA gets $700 million from basketball and takes $300 million to run its operations. In the end, the schools receive a couple hundred thousand each on average. Divided by 120 football schools, that $400 million would mean a lot less than what the BCS schools are currently taking in. $23 million alone for BCS bowls for the B10 and SEC, not to mention with expanded bids, that's probably $30-$32 billion. Add in another 5 bowls at $4 million a pop, and you're talking $50-55 million in bowl money currently for the Big10, or $4-5 million per school. Sure that's only a difference of $1 or 1.5 million a year per school but the recruiting advantage is also dented.

 

[mets1090]

I don't think I've ever watched a BCS game from start to finish besides UConn's Fiesta Bowl. I would probably watch every playoff game start to finish barring blowouts. I bet you could say the same for a lot of college fans.

 

[coachcap]

All these proposals coming out of the Mountain West (16 team playoff, merger of MWC-CUSA with Big East) smack of desperation. The MWC will do anything to avoid losing Boise & is throwing things against the wall to see what sticks. That the imbeciles in Providence are lending a hand to this lunacy defies logic & will force the football schools into a schism.

 

[mattp]

let's not pretend someone proposing a 16 team playoff that makes all the sense in the world is news. every year we hear dozens of these proposals and they all make more sense than the current system but they'll never happen until the "lightweight" teams grow some balls and start their own playoff. it's not rocket science, they just have to actually do it. after a few years the bigger teams will join in if it makes enough money, and if it doesn't it'll become football's version of the NIT and probably disappear. either way at least you can say you tried.

the truth is i have a feeling there'll be big changes after the BCS contract expires. if the BCS is smart they'll figure out a way to include more teams, if they do the opposite it might just be the impetus required to make a real positive change.

 

[ctchamps]

let's not pretend someone proposing a 16 team playoff that makes all the sense in the world is news. every year we hear dozens of these proposals and they all make more sense than the current system but they'll never happen until the "lightweight" teams grow some balls and start their own playoff. it's not rocket science, they just have to actually do it. after a few years the bigger teams will join in if it makes enough money, and if it doesn't it'll become football's version of the NIT and probably disappear. either way at least you can say you tried.

the truth is i have a feeling there'll be big changes after the BCS contract expires. if the BCS is smart they'll figure out a way to include more teams, if they do the opposite it might just be the impetus required to make a real positive change.

There is a playoff system with lightweight teams already in existence in Div. II. It isn't any threat to the BCS system. And the proposal by the MWC conference won't get legs either. The only way the BCS can be broken, and this championship playoff idea gets into play, is if one of the media players is willing to offer big $$ to run it. The bowl system would have to come up with matching $$ which we know is unlikely to happen since a good portion of the $ to run the bowl system is subsidized by the universities.

The big question is why aren't any media people insisting on this format. It certainly is worth consideration to try it for a few years to determine if there is a fan interest in this format and they can recoup dollars off their investiment.

My 2 cents: thhe insight into the Fiesta bowl which revealed the monies given to various government officials is a key component in answering this mystery.

 

[SubbaBub]

A 16 team could never work logistically. It's not like BB where you can play 5 games in 5 days . Fans can't travel to multiple rounds of games. So the idea of using the current bowls as quarters or semis won't work.

Early rounds could be held on campuses but that doesn't address the time constraints. The realistic window for these games is from the second weekend in December to the second weekend in January, but excludes two weekends in December for finals. The regular season will not be shortened because they would lose revenue from.games. That leaves three weekends for any playoff or 8 teams max.

The bowls are important to college football. Because of other affilliatons, I've been going since before Uconn went FBS, including 3 BCS bowls. The weather, travel, taking over a city is very cool. The players and University brass also love them. It also an important benchmark of a successful season. Get back to me in six weeks should Uconn not make it. If you're a true fan, then you will understand.

So with all that in mind:
8 team playoff
Round 1 held week after conference championship games on campus of higher seed. Final four to BCS championship.
Bowl system remains mostly as is but without the Final Four. First round losers are eligible for bowl games.
The final four is held on NYD at two sites in the same geographic area (ie. Florida ) so fans can set up.base for two rounds.
Title game is held the next weekend at the same site. Bowl.committes can bid to host the BCS just like the WC or Olympics.
The former BCS bowls can go back to their previous formats, ie., the Rose Bowl can still host the BT and Pac. With first round losers eligible, they could still have the conference champs.
By having the first round before finals, everyone can get their travel squared away.

It's either the plus one or something like this.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

 

[Vowelguy]

A 16-team playoff would be an absolute abomination. Just putrid. College football has the best regular season and most of the best rivalries in American sports because the games gnikcvf matter.

Completely agree. I have long been against a playoff.

That said, if I were in charge this is what I could accept:
- a 12-team playoff
- top 4 conference champions get a 1st round bye
- next 4 conference champions get a 1st round home game
- top 4 conference runners-up play on the road

This keeps a huge emphasis on winning the conference title, and regular season games.

Under this scenario and the current rankings, you'd end up with this 1st round:

#1 LSU, #3 Okl St, #4 Boise St, #5 Clemson byes
#2 Alabama @ #26 Cincinnati
#7 Oregon @ #17 Houston
#8 Kansas St @ #11 Michigan St
#12 Va Tech @ #6 Stanford

-------------------
Second round:

Lowest remaining seed @ #1 LSU
@ #3 Okl St
@ #4 Boise St
Highest remaining seed @ #5 Clemson