CBS With an Optimistic Look at Playoff and Bowl Access

[HartbeatHusky]

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoo...l/19508098/are-the-playoffs-bcs-20-for-nonaqs

CBS is now making the case that access for non-aq's to the playoff and Big 6 is going to increase under this system. They make some pretty good points about what teams would have made the playoffs in the recent past including BE and MWC teams. They also indicate that based on what they are hearing at least 3 of the Big 6 bowls are not going to be contracted and will continue to be at large and the selection committee will be selecting the teams based on the rankings. The selection committee is not perfect but they at least will be more impartial towards the bowls than if the bowls themselves were making the selections.

 

[metsfan2323]

Finally! A sports reporter with a critical thinking brain. This has been my viewpoint since March. In spite of all the gloom and doom the reality is Big East football will soon be better than ever (if its allowed to happen without further disruptions)

 

[Marty Jackson]

Other than that Mrs. Lincoln how was the play?

This article ignores the end all be all which is money. By contracting with the most lucrative bowls, the big 4 and ACC are guaranteeing themselves millions of dollars each year regardless if they win the nc.
This article borders on stupidity.

 

[Dann]

im just going to observe this thread for now.

 

[metsfan2323]

Other than that Mrs. Lincoln how was the play?

This article ignores the end all be all which is money. By contracting with the most lucrative bowls, the big 4 and ACC are guaranteeing themselves millions of dollars each year regardless if they win the nc.
This article borders on stupidity.

The only thing that matters is winning. Money follows the winners. UCONN's basketball success largely led to the UCONN 2000 initiative. We are still talking about an amateur sport. You can't pay the players.

 

[Marty Jackson]

The only thing that matters is winning. Money follows the winners. UCONN's basketball success largely led to the UCONN 2000 initiative. We are still talking about an amateur sport. You can't pay the players.

Don't know where to start...
In order to win in big time football you need money. Money builds the stadium and facilities. Money hires the best coaches. Money helps to build the brand. Money allows you to scout the best recruits.
This new deal guarantees that every year a conference like the SEC will get 1 team in the champions bowl. Most likely they will have 2 or maybe three in the playoffs. That could be an additional $30-50M annually (nobody knows the exact amount yet)... How can a conference that hopes to get one team in every couple years compete with that?
This hasn't been about winning since the BCS was created. It's about money, how to get more of it, and how to keep that revenue stream going.

 

[metsfan2323]

Money builds the stadium and facilities. Money hires the best coaches. Money helps to build the brand. Money allows you to scout the best recruits.

Good God is our 9 year old stadium outdated already? From all reports our facilities are state of the art.

Winning is what builds the brand. (Flutie Effect)

Is it more expensive to scout a 4 star recruit than a 3 star recruit?

If you are saying the SEC is better because they can afford to bring a prostitute to every recruit or buy them a car, well, then I am glad I don't root for an SEC school and I don't want my school to have that kind of money.

 

[Marty Jackson]

Good God is our 9 year old stadium outdated already? From all reports our facilities are state of the art.

Winning is what builds the brand. (Flutie Effect)

Is it more expensive to scout a 4 star recruit than a 3 star recruit?

Good lord. Not sure if you're kidding or just obtuse...
They are state of the art. But now we need a bb facility. And a hockey arena. And in 10 years when we need to upgrade Gampel? Or how about when our facilities aren't state of the art?
How do we get those? Beg harder?
Ask Boise, one of the winningest programs over the past 10 years how winning has paid off. Northwestern, a school with zero athletic success will make 10-20 times the amount of Boise because of their inclusion in the Big10.
How about WVU. By your argument they went to the Big12 to win more games? No. They went because win or lose they are guaranteed millions because of their affiliation in the Big12.
And no it doesn't cost more to scout a four star recruit than a three star recruit. But I'd be willing to bet $1M allows you to scout a lot more recruits than $50K...
The SEC might argue that 4 star recruits are in fact more expensive to sign than 3 star recruits.

 

[Nostical]

Good God is our 9 year old stadium outdated already? From all reports our facilities are state of the art.

The stadium needs expansion, a new HD scoreboard video screen, and retooling the gaps between the decks where fans lurk instead of sitting in their seats. Other than that it's perfect!

 

[metsfan2323]

Good lord. Not sure if you're kidding or just obtuse...
They are state of the art. But now we need a bb facility. And a hockey arena. And in 10 years when we need to upgrade Gampel? Or how about when our facilities aren't state of the art?
How do we get those? Beg harder?
Ask Boise, one of the winningest programs over the past 10 years how winning has paid off. Northwestern, a school with zero athletic success will make 10-20 times the amount of Boise because of their inclusion in the Big10.
How about WVU. By your argument they went to the Big12 to win more games? No. They went because win or lose they are guaranteed millions because of their affiliation in the Big12.

Fine we'll agree to disagree. You can keep score by looking at financial statements and i'll keep score by looking at the scoreboard.

 

[SubbaBub]

Back OT: Maybe I'm wrong in my math but there are said to be 6 BCS-level bowls with 12 spots. 4 of those spots go to the playoff teams. 12-4=8. Of the eight remaining spots there are 3 "contract" bowls, (AQ spots to you and me) with agreements to host a partner conference team even if the conference champ is selected for the playoff. Those 3 bowls have or will have agreements to fill 5 of the remaining 8 spots. 8-5=3. There are 3 spots for "at-large" teams that the selection committee intend to place in the 3 empty BCS spots.

It's safe to assume that in most years the 4 Playoff teams will be SEC champ, Big12 champ/Pac12, Big 10 champ, and Big12 champ/Pac12 champ/Next highest ranked team.

Now the contract bowls are filled. No BE team will ever get one of those 5, ever.

Of the 9 teams placed, they are sure to include, 2 SEC (1p, 1c), 2 BiG(1p, 1c), 2 B12 (1p, 1c), 1 P12 (1c) and 1 ACC (1c), with the last spot filled by an undefeated Non-AQ or a third team from either the SEC, BiG, or a second team from the P12 or the ACC if either champ makes the playoff.

So of the 3 remaining spots, the candidates are in sort of a particular order: B1G (3/4), SEC (3/4), ND, BE Champ, MAC Champ, BYU, CUSA Champ.

Realistically, the BE Champ (1 loss division) is picked over the 3/4 place teams but behind a 2 loss ND. A BE Champ (2 loss division) is in a toss up over the 3/4 place teams who in a normal year have 2-3 losses.

If the unthinkable occurs and the ACC champ actually makes the playoff, seriously...no I mean it, the laws of physics don't prevent it....stop laughing....OK, I'll just move on. IF the ACC champ ever makes the playoffs, the second place ACC team, goes to the Orange Bowl. That leaves 2 spots and I'm less inclined to think a 2-3 loss BE team gets in.

I feel like I'm being told it's raining, but only my leg is getting wet.

 

[whaler11]

I guess mock the ACC all you like and their playoff chances but FSU is Phil Steele's preseason pick for the championship. He may not be right but he's certainly legitimate If FSU can win the BCS they can qualify for the playoff.

A two loss Big East team is never going to be one of the top 12 bowl picks in the country. It's silly to cry about. That's just how it is.

 

[UCFBfan]

Now the contract bowls are filled. No BE team will ever get one of those 5, ever.

Of the 9 teams placed, they are sure to include, 2 SEC (1p, 1c), 2 BiG(1p, 1c), 2 B12 (1p, 1c), 1 P12 (1c) and 1 ACC (1c), with the last spot filled by an undefeated Non-AQ or a third team from either the SEC, BiG, or a second team from the P12 or the ACC if either champ makes the playoff.

So of the 3 remaining spots, the candidates are in sort of a particular order: B1G (3/4), SEC (3/4), ND, BE Champ, MAC Champ, BYU, CUSA Champ.

I agree with you that at this current moment that seems to be how the bowls will shake out. However, we still don't have a definite on what this selection committee will hold as standards. If a BE team has a decent OOC schedule and goes undefeated in league play they have a good shot. Heck, if they have a good OOC schedule and lose one league game they'd have a shot. I think it's still too early to hit the large panic button just yet. It's not a bright outlook but until the committee is more defined we just don't know.

In the end, the BE needs to make some kind of agreement with the bigger bowls so it's not shut out of the money. If we lose out on that prize we slide down to the levels of C-USA, MWC, and friends. Our programs just won't be able to contend with the bigger programs if we don't get a decent piece of the massive pie that's bound to be served for those 12 team spots.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I think one of the things everyone is missing is that no one is going to care about the "contract BCS bowls", because after the playoff, all the rest of the bowls are equally irrelevant. The BCS brand will be even more diluted than it was before, because the only games that will matter are the playoffs. The Orange Bowl is going to be ringing up some horrendous ratings and have 20K+ empty seats, as will the Sugar, Fiesta and even the Rose for that matter. It's going to be like basketball, where if you are not in the tournament, only hardcore fans of the two teams and gamblers will remotely care what happens.

I do not see this system lasting more than a few years, because the ratings for the playoffs will be monstrous, and the ratings for the bowl games will be terrible. The Big East should shoot for the best matchups it can get in whichever bowls it can get, but people should stop tearing their hair out over this. It is temporary.

 

[traitor71]

Good God is our 9 year old stadium outdated already? From all reports our facilities are state of the art.

It's like buying a computer, the second you walk out of the store with it, something faster or more "hip" is taking its place on the shelf. The facilities argument has always confused me as I have seen some of these places that have "bad" facilities and it makes me wonder what the hell a good facility has. An x box in every locker? 50 inch flat screens for all?

 

[SubbaBub]

I agree this is not the final arrangement, but to say that the Rose and other traditional bowls won't matter lacks an understanding of what they mean to other parts of the CFB nation.

For many people this is their annual vacation. Going to California, Florida, or New Orleans in January to see there favorite team play a big game is a not to miss activity. The Rose will matter, the Champions bowl will matter, the Orange will matter depending on who's playing. The Fiesta might not of left out of the rotation. When we ask why the NNBE gets left out of bowl contracts, this is why.

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[Marty Jackson]

I agree with you that at this current moment that seems to be how the bowls will shake out. However, we still don't have a definite on what this selection committee will hold as standards. If a BE team has a decent OOC schedule and goes undefeated in league play they have a good shot. Heck, if they have a good OOC schedule and lose one league game they'd have a shot. I think it's still too early to hit the large panic button just yet. It's not a bright outlook but until the committee is more defined we just don't know.

In the end, the BE needs to make some kind of agreement with the bigger bowls so it's not shut out of the money. If we lose out on that prize we slide down to the levels of C-USA, MWC, and friends. Our programs just won't be able to contend with the bigger programs if we don't get a decent piece of the massive pie that's bound to be served for those 12 team spots.

Gosh Darnit.... I thought if we just won, all our problems go away.

 

[Excalibur]

Fine we'll agree to disagree. You can keep score by looking at financial statements and i'll keep score by looking at the scoreboard.

Fine, but you'll have to dig pretty deep to find the Big East scores.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I agree this is not the final arrangement, but to say that the Rose and other traditional bowls won't matter lacks an understanding of what they mean to other parts of the CFB nation.

For many people this is their annual vacation. Going to California, Florida, or New Orleans in January to see there favorite team play a big game is a not to miss activity. The Rose will matter, the Champions bowl will matter, the Orange will matter depending on who's playing. The Fiesta might not of left out of the rotation. When we ask why the NNBE gets left out of bowl contracts, this is why.

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If the Sugar and Orange Bowls were so great and such a "can't miss" activity, then why did both bowls have trouble selling full price tickets? The Orange was basically giving tickets away, and the Sugar tickets were selling for 70%+ discounts to face on StubHub. Both bowls had good matchups between teams with large fanbases. The crux of the problem is that the games don't matter so the fans don't care. And the playoff will suck all the casual interest away from the other bowls.

If you are college football, you can try to fight history by maintaining these expensive bowls in random destinations that have marginal interest and where you need to convince your alums to fork over about $1k a piece all in or the school eats the ticket, or you can expand the playoff to 8 or 16 teams, where ratings would be off the chart, the games could be held on home fields, and the middlemen (the bowls) are cut out completely. Seems like a pretty simple decision to make.

 

[SubbaBub]

If the Sugar and Orange Bowls were so great and such a "can't miss" activity, then why did both bowls have trouble selling full price tickets? The Orange was basically giving tickets away, and the Sugar tickets were selling for 70%+ discounts to face on StubHub. Both bowls had good matchups between teams with large fanbases. The crux of the problem is that the games don't matter so the fans don't care. And the playoff will suck all the casual interest away from the other bowls.

If you are college football, you can try to fight history by maintaining these expensive bowls in random destinations that have marginal interest and where you need to convince your alums to fork over about $1k a piece all in or the school eats the ticket, or you can expand the playoff to 8 or 16 teams, where ratings would be off the chart, the games could be held on home fields, and the middlemen (the bowls) are cut out completely. Seems like a pretty simple decision to make.

You know why. Forced ticket guarantees.

I was one of the first here to stump for an 8 team playoff with first games at home sites. I'd personally like to see them all go away, but that's not happening so long as the NCAA allows them



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[nelsonmuntz]

You know why. Forced ticket guarantees.

I was one of the first here to stump for an 8 team playoff with first games at home sites. I'd personally like to see them all go away, but that's not happening so long as the NCAA allows them



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I will tell you when it's gonna happen. When a 9-3 Virginia wins the ACC, gets matched against a 9-3 Tennessee, and both sell 5k of their 20k ticket guarantee because a) fans won't care about the game and b) those that do will be buying on stub hub. It won't take to many more $2MM baths by the schools before they cry uncle and demand to shut the whole bowl system down.