Swofford pro Conference Champs in playoffs

[nelsonmuntz]

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/s...sses-some-florida-state-seminoles-speculation

"Swofford also shared the conference's view on how the league would like to see a future four-team playoff work. The preference is for conference champions to be strongly considered, and to have the bowl games used as sites for the playoff. The league also would like to keep the BCS structure for teams that do not make a playoff."

Looks like Swofford is making a play for Notre Dame, trying to force them into a league. Probably the last card he has to play.

 

[SubbaBub]

Conference champs is the only logical end. Anything else is a power play by the SEC and ND. If they limited to the top 6 that would be a fair compromise.

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[junglehusky]

Interesting. A move to force ND (assuming ND doesn't get a "ND rule" which I'm guessing they eventually would), but also to reduce the SEC's financial windfall that would come from having 2 teams in the top 4, potentially.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I think that the final structure will a) have a mechanism for at-large teams that didn't win their conference. The Top 6 proposal would be a good compromise, and b) if there is any mechanism for ND to have a reasonable chance to participate in the playoff, enable ND to stay independent.

I don't think anyone connected to the playoffs thinks 4 teams is anything but a bridge to 8 or 16. The money is just too big not to expand it. I don't see conferences making a ton of strategic plans around a 4 team playoff structure that will be temporary.

 

[The Funster]

I think that the final structure will a) have a mechanism for at-large teams that didn't win their conference. The Top 6 proposal would be a good compromise, and b) if there is any mechanism for ND to have a reasonable chance to participate in the playoff, enable ND to stay independent.

I don't think anyone connected to the playoffs thinks 4 teams is anything but a bridge to 8 or 16. The money is just too big not to expand it. I don't see conferences making a ton of strategic plans around a 4 team playoff structure that will be temporary.

I agree with this. I can see them staying at 4 teams long enough to force ND into a conference. Then, once ND committs they'll make the move to 8. I can't see them going to 16 though. Four additional games might be to unwieldy.

 

[mattp]

of course Swofford wants conference champs only. otherwise the ACC will send as many teams to the playoffs as the Big East, which is zero. the SEC will send two many years, and occasionally another conference might send two, but more often than not the ACC, BE, B12 and P12 are going to be fighting over that fourth spot. if it's conference champs only the ACC will probably send their champ to the final four half the time

 

[freescooter]

I agree with this. I can see them staying at 4 teams long enough to force ND into a conference. Then, once ND committs they'll make the move to 8. I can't see them going to 16 though. Four additional games might be to unwieldy.

The 1AA playoff went to 20 recently and teams are leaving 1AA in droves! The NCAA tournament in basketball is now at 68, which was a compromise from a 96 team proposal...they will get 10 16 teams eventually...I wouldn't be surprised if they skip right over 8 and go to 12 or even 16 right off the bat. I also think at the end of the day Notre Dame gets what it wants...th0ugh it would technically apply to Army, too...the last thing any network wants is to have this elaborate playoff and have an ubeaten Irish team getting the AP national title...and while it hasn't happened in many years, it isn't impossible to concieve of a good Notre Dame team being ranked in the Top 5 either unbeaten or with 1 loss being the 3rd 1 loss team in the country and claiming the national title...you could envision a scenario where ND beats Michigan or USC at South Bend then those teams go on to a "National Championship."

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I don't think there is any connection between teams leaving FCS and the number of schools in the FCS playoffs.

I would be surprised if there is not a 16 team playoff within 10 years, and I also expect the bowls to go the way of the beeper. The economics of a playoff are tremendous, and those of the bowls are terrible. Pretty simple to see which side will win.

 

[freescooter]

I don't think there is any connection between teams leaving FCS and the number of schools in the FCS playoffs.

I wasn't suggesting there was a connection..I was pointing out that despite the shrinking numbers the playoff has continued to expand. I think that is exactly what will happen at the FBS level...just as the number of bowls has expanded to the point that under certain conditions losing teams can earn bids, once a playoff is created, it will expand very quickly. It will include every conference champ and likely as many or more at large teams within 10 years.

 

[The Funster]

A 16 game playoff adds as much as 4 games to a season and would mean that title game participants could play as many as 17 games. I'm assuming that long December layoff will be a thing of the past?

 

[SubbaBub]

8 teams works under the current schedule and allows everyone except the final four to participate in Bowl games. ND could even stay as an independent. Eventually someone in power will realize this.

 

[SAMCRO]

IMO, once the Prez's, AD's, and Bowl people realize how much $$$ is on the table, they won't care how many games a school plays. 1AA play up to 15-16 games, some HS state champs play 15+ games. I remember years ago the Presidents were saying they couldn't go to a playoff b/c the number of games it would force student-ATHLETES to play. Then they added conf championship games, and then a 12th game to the regular season. So now we are up to teams playing 14 games (15 if they shcedule Hawaii). Discount EVERYTHING you hear these administrators say unless it is about making more money. That is priority 1, 2, and 3 in their decision making.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

The financial hit a school and/or conference takes from bowl games is hard to justify. If the schools wanted a post season for the second tier teams, they would do an "NIT" for the second 16, which would be much better financially for the schools than the bowls.

 

[freescooter]

The financial hit a school and/or conference takes from bowl games is hard to justify. If the schools wanted a post season for the second tier teams, they would do an "NIT" for the second 16, which would be much better financially for the schools than the bowls.

Nelson, I htink the tricky part here is that the schools, or rather the conferences, want to control the post season, yet they and everyone else knows that turning it over to the NCAA to run makes the most sense...there is some concern that ultimately that will happen...in fact if the NCAA wasn't so busy looking for extra text messages, it would put forward its own plan for a 1A NCAA tournament that would "compete" with the plus 1 tbox currently being proposed and watch as the BCS plan ultimately died on the vine...An NCAA run plan, even one that took the remaining conference champs and say 10 at large teams, would very quickly displace the BCS in legitmacy. NCAA Champ beats BCS Champ just like in basketball NCAA Champ ultimately displaced NIT Champ. I'd guess it would take about 2 years, maximum 5.