Conferences yield too much power to bowl games

[Sean Miller Fan]

Bowl games need teams more than teams need bowl games. What? If bowl games went away forever, the NCAA and P5 would have many options on what to do.

1. Play a 13th game as part of the schedule
2. Play a rivalry game as a bowl game
3. Extend the CFP
4. Create your own bowl games like say the P5 all got together and matched their teams up at the end of the season but didn't need to contract with a bowl game to do it.

My point is that bowl games only exist because the P5 allows them to.....and they allow them to because of the illegal bribes and kickbacks the bowl execs give, but that's neither here nor there.

The current bowl contract has 4 more years after this one. For the next bowl contract, I'd like to see the P5 join together and tell the bowls, the game has changed and the conferences are assigning teams to bowl games based on merit by conference record.

Using the ACC as an example. After Clemson, FSU, and UNC, Pitt would PICK its bowl next. Lets say they lose out on the TaxSlayer to Penn State, they would choose the Music City. After that, Miami is up and pick the Pinstripe. Then, Louisville chooses the Belk again and Duke is back at the Sun Bowl. Those locations aren't ideal for Louisville and Duke since they were just there but they could have beaten Pitt and had a better bowl to choose from.

It would be great if bowl games were merit-based and not 95% based on fan travel. I know I say this is a biased fan whose team will always be passed over due to fan travel but I think any casual observer would agree that most things in life are more fair if they were merit based.

I'm sure the people who like to disagree with everthing I write will say this is impossible and bowl games would never agree to that. Really? What's the Belk Bowl going to do if ALL P5 conferences tell it that in order to affiliate with their conferences, teams have to be chosen on merit? It is it going to schedule an AAC vs CUSA matchup instead so they can have more say? Or will it shut down because it can't risk a Pitt vs Vanderbilt-type matchup every 5 years. Come on. The bowls have no choice but to do anything the P5 says.

The ACC had the right idea to create these tiers of bowls but it goes against everything college sports is about to have a 6-2 team with the 3rd best record in the league (lets not forget FSU was 6-2 also with a loss to a team we beat) to miss out on the top 6 ACC bowls after the NY6. What kind of message is that to the players? The fans? Work hard, have a really good season, and you're reward will be based on how many fans will travel to the bowl game. Huh?

The P5 has the opportunity to fix this, not just for Pitt or Vanderbilt or Northwestern or BC, but it would create a more exciting end to the college football season if the teams got to choose their conference-affiliated bowl games based on conference record (with tiebreakers such as head to head, overall record, CFP rank, etc).

 

[ThePanthers]

Bowl games are about travel and bringing fans and making money for the host cities along with the bowl.

The ACC has the setup it does because a lot of their schools do not travel like the BIG and SEC.

If it was solely based on record, the bowl lineup would be worse. They want the option to select schools that will bring the fans.

You are way off on this one as usual.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Yes, Pitt reforming the bowl system because we got screwed. It would be like Belgium determining NATO practices.

 

[FreeportPanther]

Bowl games need teams more than teams need bowl games. What? If bowl games went away forever, the NCAA and P5 would have many options on what to do.

1. Play a 13th game as part of the schedule
2. Play a rivalry game as a bowl game
3. Extend the CFP
4. Create your own bowl games like say the P5 all got together and matched their teams up at the end of the season but didn't need to contract with a bowl game to do it.

My point is that bowl games only exist because the P5 allows them to.....and they allow them to because of the illegal bribes and kickbacks the bowl execs give, but that's neither here nor there.

The current bowl contract has 4 more years after this one. For the next bowl contract, I'd like to see the P5 join together and tell the bowls, the game has changed and the conferences are assigning teams to bowl games based on merit by conference record.

Using the ACC as an example. After Clemson, FSU, and UNC, Pitt would PICK its bowl next. Lets say they lose out on the TaxSlayer to Penn State, they would choose the Music City. After that, Miami is up and pick the Pinstripe. Then, Louisville chooses the Belk again and Duke is back at the Sun Bowl. Those locations aren't ideal for Louisville and Duke since they were just there but they could have beaten Pitt and had a better bowl to choose from.

It would be great if bowl games were merit-based and not 95% based on fan travel. I know I say this is a biased fan whose team will always be passed over due to fan travel but I think any casual observer would agree that most things in life are more fair if they were merit based.

I'm sure the people who like to disagree with everthing I write will say this is impossible and bowl games would never agree to that. Really? What's the Belk Bowl going to do if ALL P5 conferences tell it that in order to affiliate with their conferences, teams have to be chosen on merit? It is it going to schedule an AAC vs CUSA matchup instead so they can have more say? Or will it shut down because it can't risk a Pitt vs Vanderbilt-type matchup every 5 years. Come on. The bowls have no choice but to do anything the P5 says.

The ACC had the right idea to create these tiers of bowls but it goes against everything college sports is about to have a 6-2 team with the 3rd best record in the league (lets not forget FSU was 6-2 also with a loss to a team we beat) to miss out on the top 6 ACC bowls after the NY6. What kind of message is that to the players? The fans? Work hard, have a really good season, and you're reward will be based on how many fans will travel to the bowl game. Huh?

The P5 has the opportunity to fix this, not just for Pitt or Vanderbilt or Northwestern or BC, but it would create a more exciting end to the college football season if the teams got to choose their conference-affiliated bowl games based on conference record (with tiebreakers such as head to head, overall record, CFP rank, etc).

Pretty looney rationale there. The bowls make money, the conferences make money, the networks make money, the host cities make money, therefore it is working to achieve exactly what it is intended to achieve, MAKE MONEY! From their perspective, why fix it if it isn't broken?

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Bowl games are about travel and bringing fans and making money for the host cities along with the bowl.

The ACC has the setup it does because a lot of their schools do not travel like the BIG and SEC.

If it was solely based on record, the bowl lineup would be worse. They want the option to select schools that will bring the fans.

You are way off on this one as usual.

OK. Specifically which bowls would the ACC lose if they had to choose based on merit. Remember, if the MC and Taxslayer defected totally to the B10, they would be so far down the list, they would risk getting IU, NW, RU, Maryland, Ill, or Min. Lets not pretend the entire B10 travels well.

The ACC wouldnt lose the Belk, Pinstripe, or Russell Athletic. The Sun, who cares.

And I said this would only be done if the entire P5 agreed on it as a way to reform their post-season to make it merit based. Obviously, the ACC couldnt and shouldn't do this alone.

 

[Atlanta Panther]

While I agree with your argument, it'll never happen. The SEC and Big 10 with their huge land grant schools would never go for it because the system is skewed for them now...how do you think that UPS wound up with a better bowl than we did?

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Pretty looney rationale there. The bowls make money, the conferences make money, the networks make money, the host cities make money, therefore it is working to achieve exactly what it is intended to achieve, MAKE MONEY! From their perspective, why fix it if it isn't broken?

Errrr. Try again.

The vast majority of bowl games outside the NY6 (maybe 90%), do not make the teams or conferences any money at all. The payout they list isnt what it seems and the teams/conferences rarely see all that money.

90-95% of bowl distribution money comes from NY6 games. The other games are break-even or a loss for the schools/conferences.

Read Death to the BCS. It reveals how these smaller bowl games operate and stay in business. Its crazy. But, be sure, the ACC is not making a cent off most bowl games.

 

[FreeportPanther]

OK. Specifically which bowls would the ACC lose if they had to choose based on merit. Remember, if the MC and Taxslayer defected totally to the B10, they would be so far down the list, they would risk getting IU, NW, RU, Maryland, Ill, or Min. Lets not pretend the entire B10 travels well.

The ACC wouldnt lose the Belk, Pinstripe, or Russell Athletic. The Sun, who cares.

And I said this would only be done if the entire P5 agreed on it as a way to reform their post-season to make it merit based. Obviously, the ACC couldnt and shouldn't do this alone.

If the P5 was obsessed with Merit, why not expand the playoff to 16 teams and bracket a tournament like the Final Four for BB? It is done for the lower NCAA football divisions, just not the Division 1. Know Why? Because of the power of the existing bowl structure and network of college presidents who are just fine with the status quo.
Tilting at windmills!

 

[Pitt79]

4. Create your own bowl games like say the P5 all got together and matched their teams up at the end of the season but didn't need to contract with a bowl game to do it.

The NCAA could do this if they where smart, they could still have the games, control them themselves and cut out the middle man. Of course even then if it was about making money they'd still logically have to decide to choose teams based on who they think will travel and spend, above football playing merit.

 

[DonOtenlong]

Bowl games need teams more than teams need bowl games. What? If bowl games went away forever, the NCAA and P5 would have many options on what to do.

1. Play a 13th game as part of the schedule
2. Play a rivalry game as a bowl game
3. Extend the CFP
4. Create your own bowl games like say the P5 all got together and matched their teams up at the end of the season but didn't need to contract with a bowl game to do it.

My point is that bowl games only exist because the P5 allows them to.....and they allow them to because of the illegal bribes and kickbacks the bowl execs give, but that's neither here nor there.

The current bowl contract has 4 more years after this one. For the next bowl contract, I'd like to see the P5 join together and tell the bowls, the game has changed and the conferences are assigning teams to bowl games based on merit by conference record.

Using the ACC as an example. After Clemson, FSU, and UNC, Pitt would PICK its bowl next. Lets say they lose out on the TaxSlayer to Penn State, they would choose the Music City. After that, Miami is up and pick the Pinstripe. Then, Louisville chooses the Belk again and Duke is back at the Sun Bowl. Those locations aren't ideal for Louisville and Duke since they were just there but they could have beaten Pitt and had a better bowl to choose from.

It would be great if bowl games were merit-based and not 95% based on fan travel. I know I say this is a biased fan whose team will always be passed over due to fan travel but I think any casual observer would agree that most things in life are more fair if they were merit based.

I'm sure the people who like to disagree with everthing I write will say this is impossible and bowl games would never agree to that. Really? What's the Belk Bowl going to do if ALL P5 conferences tell it that in order to affiliate with their conferences, teams have to be chosen on merit? It is it going to schedule an AAC vs CUSA matchup instead so they can have more say? Or will it shut down because it can't risk a Pitt vs Vanderbilt-type matchup every 5 years. Come on. The bowls have no choice but to do anything the P5 says.

The ACC had the right idea to create these tiers of bowls but it goes against everything college sports is about to have a 6-2 team with the 3rd best record in the league (lets not forget FSU was 6-2 also with a loss to a team we beat) to miss out on the top 6 ACC bowls after the NY6. What kind of message is that to the players? The fans? Work hard, have a really good season, and you're reward will be based on how many fans will travel to the bowl game. Huh?

The P5 has the opportunity to fix this, not just for Pitt or Vanderbilt or Northwestern or BC, but it would create a more exciting end to the college football season if the teams got to choose their conference-affiliated bowl games based on conference record (with tiebreakers such as head to head, overall record, CFP rank, etc).

Like saying Republicans hold too much power in the Senate. It's the system and no one is in a position to change it. Obv it works well for the Big 10* and SEC; no other conference matters.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

The NCAA could do this if they where smart, they could still have the games, control them themselves and cut out the middle man. Of course even then if it was about making money they'd still logically have to decide to choose teams based on who they think will travel and spend, above football playing merit.

Ding. Ding. Ding. We have a winner! I have been posting this for years.

Bye bye bowl games. NCAA just needs to call up the Tennessee Titans (or Carolina Panthers, you get the idea) and tell them they want to play ACC #5 vs B10 #6 there as an NCAA-owned bowl game. The ACC and B10 would have full control of the teams and keep every dime. Wouldn't need bowl execs, bowl scouts, etc.

 

[FreeportPanther]

You mean "ding dong". The logistics would be enormous, as well as fighting a very well established and ingrained hand and glove relationship that has existed for years. Good luck, as soon as you get this done, start working on peace in the Middle East and a better mouse trap.

 

[DonOtenlong]

Ding. Ding. Ding. We have a winner! I have been posting this for years.

Bye bye bowl games. NCAA just needs to call up the Tennessee Titans (or Carolina Panthers, you get the idea) and tell them they want to play ACC #5 vs B10 #6 there as an NCAA-owned bowl game. The ACC and B10 would have full control of the teams and keep every dime. Wouldn't need bowl execs, bowl scouts, etc.

Who do you think the NCAA is? The system is to provide lucrative exhibitions for White Zombie Big 10*/SEC fans. Nothing more. You consider all these machinations and you wind up in the same place. As said elsewhere, work on mideast peace or something else feasible and meaningful.

 

[NTOP]

Bowl games are about travel and bringing fans and making money for the host cities along with the bowl.

The ACC has the setup it does because a lot of their schools do not travel like the BIG and SEC.

If it was solely based on record, the bowl lineup would be worse. They want the option to select schools that will bring the fans.

You are way off on this one as usual.

The ACC has a good number of smaller-enrollment schools. BC/Cuse/WF/Duke/Miami/GT/Pitt/UVA. And the bigger schools like VT/UNC, etc. look small vs. the degree mills that inhabit the BIG & SEC. So huge fan turnout for bowl games is the exception, not the rule....Clemson & FSU the outliers.
The real problem is the proliferation of bowls, as backwaters like Shreveport, etc. are involved. Cut the non-playoff bowls to no more than 25.....things improve.

 

[FreeportPanther]

The ACC has a good number of smaller-enrollment schools. BC/Cuse/WF/Duke/Miami/GT/Pitt/UVA. And the bigger schools like VT/UNC, etc. look small vs. the degree mills that inhabit the BIG & SEC. So huge fan turnout for bowl games is the exception, not the rule....Clemson & FSU the outliers.
The real problem is the proliferation of bowls, as backwaters like Shreveport, etc. are involved. Cut the non-playoff bowls to no more than 25.....things improve.

Don't forget the proliferation of TV cable sports networks and their endless appetite for programming! They are a huge driving force behind the explosion of bowls. That and backwater places trying to help their economies and increase their visibility to business and tourism.

 

[Jpripper88]

If the P5 was obsessed with Merit, why not expand the playoff to 16 teams and bracket a tournament like the Final Four for BB? It is done for the lower NCAA football divisions, just not the Division 1. Know Why? Because of the power of the existing bowl structure and network of college presidents who are just fine with the status quo.
Tilting at windmills!

I think 16 teams would very much devalue the regular season. That would be 1/4 of the teams getting in. 8 is the max I think they should entertain.

 

[ThePanthers]

The ACC has a good number of smaller-enrollment schools. BC/Cuse/WF/Duke/Miami/GT/Pitt/UVA. And the bigger schools like VT/UNC, etc. look small vs. the degree mills that inhabit the BIG & SEC. So huge fan turnout for bowl games is the exception, not the rule....Clemson & FSU the outliers.
The real problem is the proliferation of bowls, as backwaters like Shreveport, etc. are involved. Cut the non-playoff bowls to no more than 25.....things improve.

Oh trust me, I would love to have like only 25 bowl games and get rid of all the 5-7, 6-6, heck even 7-5 schools. Ain't going to happen though. They are adding 3 more for 2016.

 

[FreeportPanther]

I think 16 teams would very much devalue the regular season. That would be 1/4 of the teams getting in. 8 is the max I think they should entertain.

Not sure, works for basketball. There 68 teams are included! The more the merrier, Cinderella equals ratings and interest equals $$$$! Most lucrative sporting event there is!

 

[Jpripper88]

Not sure, works for basketball. There 68 teams are included! The more the merrier, Cinderella equals ratings and interest equals $$$$! Most lucrative sporting event there is!

Basketball regular season doesn't have much value. The tournament has all the value. And, I think many (most?) think the 68 is too big. Very, very mediocre teams, who are not cinderellas get in and play each other. Essentially half of the P5 teams get in to the tournament. It is ridiculous and not a very good measure of success or being a quality team.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Not sure, works for basketball. There 68 teams are included! The more the merrier, Cinderella equals ratings and interest equals $$$$! Most lucrative sporting event there is!

After these first 12 years, the next CFP will be 8 teams. 5 conference champions but 3 at-large. Quarters on campus sites 2 weeks after conf champion games. Semis and finals just like current CFP (though I wouldnt outsource the semis to bowl games, i despise bowl game middlemen).

 

[FreeportPanther]

Basketball regular season doesn't have much value. The tournament has all the value. And, I think many (most?) think the 68 is too big. Very, very mediocre teams, who are not cinderellas get in and play each other. Essentially half of the P5 teams get in to the tournament. It is ridiculous and not a very good measure of success or being a quality team.

You mean like the football bowl system now? The only thing 16 teams would accomplish is make 8 of these meaningless games meaningful, and generate a ton of money and interest.
A 16 team tournament would be bigger than the Super Bowl....well it might be!
BTW, the NCAA runs a 16 team tournament/bracket for the FCS division and divisions 2 and 3. Works for them!

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Basketball regular season doesn't have much value. The tournament has all the value. And, I think many (most?) think the 68 is too big. Very, very mediocre teams, who are not cinderellas get in and play each other. Essentially half of the P5 teams get in to the tournament. It is ridiculous and not a very good measure of success or being a quality team.

I disagree. The regular season has incredible importance. The better the season, the higher the seed. Data shows that higher seeds go farther with the exception of 8/9 seeds who lose in the Round of 32 almost every time while 11 and 12 seeds make the Sweet 16 often.

Take Pitt for example. If Syracuse's Tyler Ennis misses that half-court shot, we are a 6 seed instead of an 8. Instead of a 1 seed on R32, we get a 3 seed.....or maybe a 14 since they beat a 3 seed every 4-5 years.

 

[Jpripper88]

You mean like the football bowl system now? The only thing 16 teams would accomplish is make 8 of these meaningless games meaningful, and generate a ton of money and interest.
A 16 team tournament would be bigger than the Super Bowl....well it might be!
BTW, the NCAA runs a 16 team tournament/bracket for the FCS division and divisions 2 and 3. Works for them!

Except the bowls don't mean anything and football is a completely different animal.

Those FCS divisions are not even remotely comparable because no one cares about their seasons. The regular seasons are enormous money makers for the P5. They don't want to lose that and have it become like NCAAB where you just have to be mediocre to make it and not have titanic regular season matchups and conference title games.

 

[Jpripper88]

I disagree. The regular season has incredible importance. The better the season, the higher the seed. Data shows that higher seeds go farther with the exception of 8/9 seeds who lose in the Round of 32 almost every time while 11 and 12 seeds make the Sweet 16 often.

Take Pitt for example. If Syracuse's Tyler Ennis misses that half-court shot, we are a 6 seed instead of an 8. Instead of a 1 seed on R32, we get a 3 seed.....or maybe a 14 since they beat a 3 seed every 4-5 years.

Except that isn't even remotely the same as games like Ohio State - Michigan State or Alabama - LSU, which act as practical elimination games.

 

[DonOtenlong]

Basketball regular season doesn't have much value. The tournament has all the value. And, I think many (most?) think the 68 is too big. Very, very mediocre teams, who are not cinderellas get in and play each other. Essentially half of the P5 teams get in to the tournament. It is ridiculous and not a very good measure of success or being a quality team.

You opinion is ridiculary.

 

[Slick Manager of Champs]

You opinion is ridiculary.

a new handle, how cute.

 

[Pitt79]

I think 16 teams would very much devalue the regular season. That would be 1/4 of the teams getting in. 8 is the max I think they should entertain.

16 is 1/4 of 120 D1 teams? If that's the case the Power 5 and the non power 5 D1s should split and have separate championships.... see how stupid this all is? if there's 16, the non-power conferences should somehow be represented, even if it's just one team, or they should split. and if it's 16 the Power 5 champs should be mandated to be in, even if they lucked into a title game and then pulled an upset in their league title game to go to 8-5.

 

[Pitt79]

Basketball regular season doesn't have much value. The tournament has all the value. And, I think many (most?) think the 68 is too big. Very, very mediocre teams, who are not cinderellas get in and play each other. Essentially half of the P5 teams get in to the tournament. It is ridiculous and not a very good measure of success or being a quality team.

Who cares if it's "ridiculous", it's FUN and over the top ENTERTAINING, and the team that wins the tourney deserves to be National Champ. Why? Because CHAMPION has NOTHING to do with BEST TEAM.

Champion means, whoever wins the games mandated to determine the Champion, being the BEST team has nothing to do with being a CHAMPION.

And the regular season still has great value no matter how much it "means", it's value is a Saturday Night out, or something you really like to watch being on TV.

 

[Pitt79]

You mean like the football bowl system now? The only thing 16 teams would accomplish is make 8 of these meaningless games meaningful, and generate a ton of money and interest.
A 16 team tournament would be bigger than the Super Bowl....well it might be!
BTW, the NCAA runs a 16 team tournament/bracket for the FCS division and divisions 2 and 3. Works for them!

Exactly, College Football brags that they have the most meaningful regular season, whatever that means, but they have traditionally had the most meaningless post season of any sport by far forever. Even the 4 team tournament that exists now, brings college football to 3 meaningful post season games per year, which is triple the number of meaningful games we've had for each of the last 100 years.

 

[Jpripper88]

16 is 1/4 of 120 D1 teams? If that's the case the Power 5 and the non power 5 D1s should split and have separate championships.... see how stupid this all is? if there's 16, the non-power conferences should somehow be represented, even if it's just one team, or they should split. and if it's 16 the Power 5 champs should be mandated to be in, even if they lucked into a title game and then pulled an upset in their league title game to go to 8-5.

No. It is a 1/4 of the 64 P5 teams. You at most would get 1 other team from the G5. It would be silly to have 16 (or 15) of the 64 P5 teams go to the playoffs for football. And you think people complain about the same teams or conferences getting in now? If it were 16, Alabama and OSU would make it every single year, whether they were undefeated or had 3 losses.

You can have P5 champs with 5 P5 champs and 3 at large. No guarantees for G5 or any independents. The best 3 teams outside of the P5 champs make it. However, I would certainly support P5 splitting from G5.

You opinion is ridiculary.

You have stroke.

 

[Pitt79]

No. It is a 1/4 of the 64 P5 teams. You at most would get 1 other team from the G5. It would be silly to have 16 (or 15) of the 64 P5 teams go to the playoffs for football. And you think people complain about the same teams or conferences getting in now? If it were 16, Alabama and OSU would make it every single year, whether they were undefeated or had 3 losses.

You can have P5 champs with 5 P5 champs and 3 at large. No guarantees for G5 or any independents. The best 3 teams outside of the P5 champs make it. However, I would certainly support P5 splitting from G5.

You make some reasonable restrictions. Maybe mandate that every P5 Conference Champion must make it. Maybe say that ALL Conference Champions make it, or that you must take 3 non-power conference champs and also say that no conference can have more than 2 or 3.

My personal plan for an 8 team playoff would be that all 5 power conference champs make it, then you must choose the best ranked champion of a non-power conference and that leaves you with 2 wild cards. And WHO CARES if it's not the 8 subjectively determined "best teams".... if you're really the BEST TEAM, win your league, and if you have a bad game, or a bad call goes against you and you lose your conference title game, TOUGH SHHT? I don't get why people cry for the BEST TEAMS? If you're BEST then WIN or I have no sympathy for you.

 

[Pitt79]

No guarantees for G5

Why not, guarantee them a spot, why cry for a P5 that didn't win their league, they had their chance and lost, who cares? That's how you make sure it isn't 'Bama or tOSU every year.

 

[Pitt79]

I would certainly support P5 splitting from G5.

Me too, if you're not going to support a road to the title of any kind to the G5, then why are they there?

Myself, I think it's reasonable to put a Houston in an 8 team tournament and leave out an SEC team that didn't win their conference but would likely kick Houston's butt. Why? Because it's fair, that SEC team wasn't screwed, they could have won their league and been there.

 

[Jpripper88]

Me too, if you're not going to support a road to the title of any kind to the G5, then why are they there?

Myself, I think it's reasonable to put a Houston in an 8 team tournament and leave out an SEC team that didn't win their conference but would likely kick Houston's butt. Why? Because it's fair, that SEC team wasn't screwed, they could have won their league and been there.

Because it behooves them to have the best product possible for TV and attendance. There is no advantage to having Houston. They hurt the product. If they get voted as one of the 3 best non P5 champs, then they deserve to be there. If not? No chance they get an auto bid from me. Many times the best 5-8 teams will overlap leagues. Those teams shouldn't be penalized and the product diminished.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Not sure, works for basketball. There 68 teams are included! The more the merrier, Cinderella equals ratings and interest equals $$$$! Most lucrative sporting event there is!

First of all, it isn't even close to the most lucrative sporting event out there. I mean have you ever heard of the World Cup? How about the Olympics? No?

Secondly, Cinderella really doesn't equal ratings. It's great for the first weekend because it gives them a story to talk about. But if you think that the NCAA, CBS and TNT would prefer, say, Butler versus Gonzaga in the final versus, say, Kentucky versus Duke, well, you are simply wrong. Because Kentucky - Duke absolutely crushes Butler - Gonzaga in the ratings. And that's what makes the $$$$.

 

[FreeportPanther]

First of all, it isn't even close to the most lucrative sporting event out there. I mean have you ever heard of the World Cup? How about the Olympics? No?

Secondly, Cinderella really doesn't equal ratings. It's great for the first weekend because it gives them a story to talk about. But if you think that the NCAA, CBS and TNT would prefer, say, Butler versus Gonzaga in the final versus, say, Kentucky versus Duke, well, you are simply wrong. Because Kentucky - Duke absolutely crushes Butler - Gonzaga in the ratings. And that's what makes the $$$$.

Getting pretty worked up there over a stupid topic that will never happen. Does it really matter? Most lucrative domestic sporting tournament....how's that? Like it better?? Better have a toddy and go to bed, Joe.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Getting pretty worked up there over a stupid topic that will never happen.

Who's getting worked up? You posted something dumb. I pointed out that it was dumb. It doesn't take getting worked up to do that.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Oh, and by the way the most lucrative domestic sporting tournament is the NFL playoffs. By a wide margin.

 

[Pitt79]

Because it behooves them to have the best product possible for TV and attendance. There is no advantage to having Houston. They hurt the product. If they get voted as one of the 3 best non P5 champs, then they deserve to be there. If not? No chance they get an auto bid from me. Many times the best 5-8 teams will overlap leagues. Those teams shouldn't be penalized and the product diminished.

Then those non-P5 teams should not be in D1. Their existence as D1 is stupid if they aren't going to have any path to a title ever. All the non-P5 teams should have a separate tournament then.

Again, this is why college football is as fake as WWE, because it's a product for TV 1st above a sports entity.

 

[Jpripper88]

Then those non-P5 teams should not be in D1. Their existence as D1 is stupid if they aren't going to have any path to a title ever. All the non-P5 teams should have a separate tournament then.

Again, this is why college football is as fake as WWE, because it's a product for TV 1st above a sports entity.

They would have a path to a title. They would just have to be one of the 3 best at large teams. But, again, I am fine with them not being included in the same division.