Mike Aresco: "I'm Fine With The Playoff Staying At 4 Teams"

[Drew]

CFP committee against expanding field for now

"The College Football Playoff management committee, which is comprised of the 10 FBS commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick, are in unanimous agreement that the CFP should not expand beyond four teams right now.

"I'm not there yet," said American Athletic commissioner Mike Aresco, who has been vocal in his support of UCF, which is the only undefeated team left in the country and finished No. 12 in the selection committee's final ranking. "I am open to the notion, but I'm not campaigning for it. The last thing I want to do is give anyone the impression I'm campaigning to expand it, because I'm not. I'm happy with the four."

The unanimous support for four teams might surprise some, considering two teams from the SEC are playing for the national title, and the public outcry for expansion grew following UCF's win over No. 7 Auburn in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. The Knights declared themselves national champions -- with a parade and bonuses for the coaching staff -- but a weak strength of schedule held them back in the eyes of the selection committee."

 

[Exit 4]

I'm puzzled.

 

[uconnphil2016]

If his primary focus is expanding beyond four, it dilutes the idea that UCF was a top four team. He's saying this because he wants to make it known that the AAC is worthy of making a 4 team playoff....that's just my guess

 

[UConnDan97]

Or it's part of his upcoming negotiation strategy somehow. Didn't want to upset a tv partner with four letters???

 

[whaler11]

Burn the witch

 

[manbyrd]

Doesn't want to stick his neck out? Let a P5 commissioner campaign for it and keep pushing for the P6.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Or it's part of his upcoming negotiation strategy somehow. Didn't want to upset a tv partner with four letters???

Agreed. I said it in another thread but UConn/AAC's only angle to play nice with ESPN and become the House Brand Lite to the ACC.

I think the AAC has some value to ESPN to fill up time slots cheaply, but in order to still be attractive programming and to not fall further into the G5 abyss, the league is going to need a bigger payday.

They won't sniff P5 $, but I think a decent pay increase ($7M/team?) greatly benefits the AAC and in turn helps ESPN. If they low ball the AAC and the league fades into oblivion they lose a lot of cheap content for ESPN2.

 

[whaler11]

They are going to expand the next time revenues sag and they need a boost. It’s the last bullet they have. They aren’t going to waste it because UCF printed some banners.

 

[Exit 4]

They are going to expand the next time revenues sag and they need a boost. It’s the last bullet they have. They aren’t going to waste it because UCF printed some banners.

Agreed. So look for it to be announced in 2021 or so for 2023 ish time period. The cable package retreat should be in the 4th inning by then.

Btw, for all the talk by college presidents about there not being time enough for school, all we are talking about is one more weekend for four schools and effectively 2 more weekends for two schools (although, that really is just one more weekend considering we already have a 4 team playoff).

Since ESPN has so much control over college football in general, it should not be an impossible task to transition the existing historical bowls into the format.

 

[The Viking]

I always laugh when they worry about student athletes at the college football factories - at most 5-10% are even serious students and the whole country knows it.

 

[uconnphil2016]

I always laugh when they worry about student athletes at the college football factories - at most 5-10% are even serious students and the whole country knows it.

This is why the whole argument that players shouldn't be paid because they're getting a free education is BS. They're getting something that masquerades as legitimate education so that the product can roll on. Colleges should either scale back the time demands and make the 'free tuition' worthwhile for student athletes, or offer prospective student athletes the option to choose between a scholarship or being paid the equivalent of tuition and not even being students. Obviously, there would be tons of specifics to iron out there, but I'd guess that at least 50% of players would take the money over the free degree.

 

[Palatine]

There is a lot of money on the table for an eight team playoff. The P5 must be very worried about their ability to control college football in an eight team format to ignore the addition billions eight teams would mean.

 

[Chuck]

My two cents as a casual fan:

• If Aresco makes too big a deal out of this, it makes him the champion of the G5. He wants to be the scrappiest member of a P6. He's trying to "act like he's been there before."
• He was told that his only chance of getting a New Year's Day game is to shut his mouth and stand in line with what the networks and P5 want. Hopefully the AAC has learned that this is a losing proposition. Every time someone tells you to put your personal best interest aside for a possible future benefit, you should get it in enforceable writing.
• He is angling for his next job and doesn't want to look like he is contradicting himself when he winds up at a P5 school or a network.

 

[bobbyinaz]

What would they have to be afraid of? They essentially get to make the rules per the vote by the entire NCAA including the AAC.

Plus, if you read the article you would see that in addition to Aresco's comments both the Sunbelt commissioner & the CUSA commissioner made statements supporting the current system.

The fact that UConn is not a part of the P5 sucks but, regardless of what many believe there is no groundswell to change the current system

 

[Palatine]

What would they have to be afraid of? They essentially get to make the rules per the vote by the entire NCAA including the AAC.

Plus, if you read the article you would see that in addition to Aresco's comments both the Sunbelt commissioner & the CUSA commissioner made statements supporting the current system.

The fact that UConn is not a part of the P5 sucks but, regardless of what many believe there is no groundswell to change the current system

It's obvious what they are afraid of. Open the playoff to eight teams and outsiders (ala UCF) could win. It would raise the profile and value of non-P5 leagues. And, perhaps, hurt the value of the P5 relative to those leagues. Eight teams make it hard to protect their monopoly which apparently is more important to the P5 than the money on the table for an 8 team playoff.

 

[bobbyinaz]

It's obvious what they are afraid of. Open the playoff to eight teams and outsiders (ala UCF) could win. It would raise the profile and value of non-P5 leagues. And, perhaps, hurt the value of the P5 relative to those leagues. Eight teams make it hard to protect their monopoly which apparently is more important to the P5 than the money on the table for an 8 team playoff.

What makes you think that opening to 8 teams would "force" inclusion of any G5 teams? The committee put UCF at #12 in their final poll.

Last time I looked #12 would still be on the outside looking in at an 8 team playoff. All an 8 team playoff would do would make 4 more P5 fanbases happy

 

[HuskyHawk]

My two cents as a casual fan:

• If Aresco makes too big a deal out of this, it makes him the champion of the G5. He wants to be the scrappiest member of a P6. He's trying to "act like he's been there before."
• He was told that his only chance of getting a New Year's Day game is to shut his mouth and stand in line with what the networks and P5 want. Hopefully the AAC has learned that this is a losing proposition. Every time someone tells you to put your personal best interest aside for a possible future benefit, you should get it in enforceable writing.
• He is angling for his next job and doesn't want to look like he is contradicting himself when he winds up at a P5 school or a network.

Exactly right in my view. Aresco does not want fairness for the G5. He wants to elevate his league to the exclusion of the others. He wants in, while keeping others out.

 

[uconnfan68]

CFP committee against expanding field for now

"The College Football Playoff management committee, which is comprised of the 10 FBS commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick, are in unanimous agreement that the CFP should not expand beyond four teams right now.

"I'm not there yet," said American Athletic commissioner Mike Aresco, who has been vocal in his support of UCF, which is the only undefeated team left in the country and finished No. 12 in the selection committee's final ranking. "I am open to the notion, but I'm not campaigning for it. The last thing I want to do is give anyone the impression I'm campaigning to expand it, because I'm not. I'm happy with the four."

The unanimous support for four teams might surprise some, considering two teams from the SEC are playing for the national title, and the public outcry for expansion grew following UCF's win over No. 7 Auburn in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. The Knights declared themselves national champions -- with a parade and bonuses for the coaching staff -- but a weak strength of schedule held them back in the eyes of the selection committee."

Time for another commissioner.

 

[uconnfan68]

My two cents as a casual fan:

• If Aresco makes too big a deal out of this, it makes him the champion of the G5. He wants to be the scrappiest member of a P6. He's trying to "act like he's been there before."
• He was told that his only chance of getting a New Year's Day game is to shut his mouth and stand in line with what the networks and P5 want. Hopefully the AAC has learned that this is a losing proposition. Every time someone tells you to put your personal best interest aside for a possible future benefit, you should get it in enforceable writing.
• He is angling for his next job and doesn't want to look like he is contradicting himself when he winds up at a P5 school or a network.

He’s well past full retirement age. Doubt he’s in the job market.

 

[Rocktheworld]

If his primary focus is expanding beyond four, it dilutes the idea that UCF was a top four team. He's saying this because he wants to make it known that the AAC is worthy of making a 4 team playoff....that's just my guess

Roughly what I was going to say.

There is no P6 if the playoff has to double its participants so little ol AAC gets a spot every third year

 

[Nostical]

I'd guess that at least 50% of players would take money over the free degree.

I'd say the degree would be paramount. Most parents won't allow their sons take an easy paycheck over a degree/diploma and the opportunity it provides for kickstarting a brighter future.

 

[weyuo]

This is why the whole argument that players shouldn't be paid because they're getting a free education is BS. They're getting something that masquerades as legitimate education so that the product can roll on. Colleges should either scale back the time demands and make the 'free tuition' worthwhile for student athletes, or offer prospective student athletes the option to choose between a scholarship or being paid the equivalent of tuition and not even being students. Obviously, there would be tons of specifics to iron out there, but I'd guess that at least 50% of players would take the money over the free degree.

It isn't just education they get for free. They get free housing, free meals, free healthcare at a level no one else on campus gets, free tutors, free transportation around the country to audition on television in front of millions for a career after college. So don't say they just get a free education because they also get free training in state of the art facilities to enhance their chances at a lucrative job once college is over. And, whether in training or during games they have medical staff on hand to attend to any injury. Now how many other students on campus have a medical staff following them around? They get a lot more than just an education so the pay thing, let them start paying for what everyone else has to pay for, healthcare, books, food, housing, transportation, tutors and....tuition.

 

[UConnDan97]

I'd say the degree would be paramount. Most parents won't allow their sons take an easy paycheck over a degree/diploma and the opportunity it provides for kickstarting a brighter future.

I think you're so wrong about "most", my friend. That might be how you want it to be, but that ain't how it is.

Let's just take the NBA draft, for example. Last year, the first senior player drafted was at #29, after most of the first round was done. Of the 50 collegiate players taken (not counting foreign draft picks), only 13 were seniors:

2017 NBA draft - Wikipedia

Nope. I'd say that many are quite fine with a big pay day for their kids. And who can blame them? You can always take Sociology 107W when you're 40 years old...

 

[Palatine]

What makes you think that opening to 8 teams would "force" inclusion of any G5 teams? The committee put UCF at #12 in their final poll.

Last time I looked #12 would still be on the outside looking in at an 8 team playoff. All an 8 team playoff would do would make 4 more P5 fanbases happy

I'll let you figure it out on your own.

 

[metsfan2323]

Because if the AAC wants something the P5 will do the opposite.