REPORT: The SEC & Big Ten are looking to each have 4 automatic bids to the playoff when the next contract begins in 2026, per @CFBHeather
- Thread starter RaleighPittFan
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Yeah, I don't disagree. At the same time, it's hard for me to argue that a conference with Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Ole Miss, LSU, etc. shouldn't get more bids. But watching them have their cake (stacking the conference, making big time money) and eating it, too (still getting a quota of teams to the playoffs despite the more blemished records) kind of does make it feel like we're just being pacified.
I mean, I personally think 4 and 2 is more than fair. But I'm just saying if it gets any more drastic than that then it'll just feel like college football feudalism.
I mean more teams ARE getting a chance. In the past few years, at least 1 if not 2 of the P5 conference champs were left out. That won't happen now. And the G5 gets a seat at the table every year.
They are, but it's still a little depressing and self-fulfilling when the members of these conferences get to have it both ways.
No disagreement but let's just get past the unnecessary steps and just shut everyone else out and make it a two conference tournament. Sooner we do that, the sooner everyone else can settle in and create a second tier. All we're doing is protecting investor revenue, particularly what ESPN and Fox and the other partners have invested in CFB. When those TV contracts get closer to the options running out, they're just going to drop everyone else and move on.
Yeah, I don't disagree. The waiting/slow burn is the hardest part.
The only thing I'm curious about is what will become of the Indianas and Northwesterns of the world. But that might also be self-fulfilling. They're going to receive a lot of money from now until some of these contracts are up. So as long as they're spending it like street-walking sugar babies who just got put up in some CEO's penthouse and adorning a countenance that says "we're serious about football," then perhaps they will be fine.
Yeah, I've been wondering how that's going to go down. Those schools don't bring anything to the table when it comes to big revenue and they never will. Especially now that the blue bloods will eventually demand unequal shares in the B1G and SEC. That's coming and I'll enjoy watching the X fan boys get triggered as their second and third tier schools get relegated to much lower revenue models after they've been actively rooting for the ACC to fail. The rich will get much, much richer and will do everything then can to shut anyone else out. No idea how sustainable that model will be but that's their problem. Pitt will be in that second tier and I'm pretty okay that we're not in a conference where we'll have to be the gloating whipping boys for the blue bloods.
I will repeat my way, way out proposal.
1) Notre Dame currently has one path to the playoff. If they join a league, they have at least 2 paths.
2) Every school has a price, even ND. This policy of remaining independent will lose appeal if they cant get to the playoff.
3) I tell all ACC members, 1 million a year....maybe 1.5 per year, into a pool that is given to ND. Thats anywhere from 15-25 mill per year, and they keep their TV contract of course. If a school says no, they are out...but no school will walk away from this.
4) It will be a painful hit to each schools bottom line, but ND in the league not only enhances the TV deal down the road but also gives rise to more interest, better recruiting, better in season games, with several schools that have been great at football with a better chance of elevating again.
5) FSU has likely spent millions on their lawsuit. Clemson likely the same. That money given to ND would produce a far better outcome than what they have seen so far.
I know its out there. But i think we all agree, ND saves the league and likely keeps the league together.
Before the league bends over and just accepts their demise, I would at least throw a haymaker. It could possibly land.....
1) Notre Dame currently has one path to the playoff. If they join a league, they have at least 2 paths.
2) Every school has a price, even ND. This policy of remaining independent will lose appeal if they cant get to the playoff.
3) I tell all ACC members, 1 million a year....maybe 1.5 per year, into a pool that is given to ND. Thats anywhere from 15-25 mill per year, and they keep their TV contract of course. If a school says no, they are out...but no school will walk away from this.
4) It will be a painful hit to each schools bottom line, but ND in the league not only enhances the TV deal down the road but also gives rise to more interest, better recruiting, better in season games, with several schools that have been great at football with a better chance of elevating again.
5) FSU has likely spent millions on their lawsuit. Clemson likely the same. That money given to ND would produce a far better outcome than what they have seen so far.
I know its out there. But i think we all agree, ND saves the league and likely keeps the league together.
Before the league bends over and just accepts their demise, I would at least throw a haymaker. It could possibly land.....
Well, yes, it IS an invitational tournament. The NCAA doesn't run this tournament, the Power 4 do....but now really its just the Power 2 who run it because they feel they dont need the ACC and B12. So, yes, its absolutely an SEC/Big Ten Invitational where they invite the ACC Champ, B12 Champ, G6 champ, and Notre Dame.
Honestly ND has really dumbed down their schedule. That's 10-2 most years which will mostly get them ranked in the top 12 somehow.
- 08/31 - at Texas A&M
- 09/07 - Northern Illinois
- 09/14 - at Purdue
- 09/21 - Miami (Ohio)
- 09/28 - Louisville
- 10/12 - Stanford
- 10/19 - at Georgia Tech (at Mercedes-Benz Stadium)
- 10/26 - vs Navy (in East Rutherford, NJ)
- 11/09 - Florida State
- 11/16 - Virginia
- 11/23 - vs Army (in Bronx, NY)
- 11/30 - at USC
2025
- 09/13 - Texas A&M
- 09/20 - Purdue
- 09/27 - at Arkansas
- 10/04 - Boise State
- 10/18 - USC
- 11/08 - Navy
- TBA - NC State
- TBA - Syracuse
- TBA - at Boston College
- TBA - at Miami (FL)
- TBA - at Pitt
2026
- 09/05 - vs Wisconsin (in Green Bay, WI)
- 09/19 - Michigan State
- 09/26 - at Purdue
- 10/03 - at North Carolina
- 10/17 - Virginia
- 10/31 - at Navy
- 11/28 - at USC
- TBA - Miami (FL)
- TBA - Syracuse
- TBA - at Florida State
Speaking of...........mailing in the OOC. Wow. Not even trying here.
Future Penn State Non-Conference Opponents
2024
- 08/31 - at West Virginia
- 09/07 - Bowling Green
- 09/21 - Kent State
2025
2026
2027
2028
- 09/02 - Ball State
- 09/09 - at Syracuse
- 09/16 - UMass
If I was the SEC there is no way I would give equal footing to the big 10 at this point. Looks at the top 10-15. The big 10 is a distant second. Maybe if the B10 can snag notre dame it might level some of the playing field.
big 10 has 4 teams currently in the top 10..
of course the SEC has 7 of the top 12, which is insane.
So for people at home, that means 11 of the top 12 ranked teams currently are either in the big 10 or SEC.
And even if that isn't true, it doesn't matter. The general consensus is just stack the deck with those two conferences because that's where the money is at.
Which is my point from above. Sure, alot of this is based on brand loyalty and preseason rankings, but Clemson had a chance to beat Georgia, BC had a chance to beat Mizzou, NC State didn't have to lose by 42 points to Tennessee, WVU could have knocked off PSU, but none of these teams didn't. So......it is what it is.
Spot on. This is really nothing more than just a consolidation of power.
Wait, are you telling me that it wouldn't be incredible to watch Ohio State beat Toledo 77-21 (the actual score the last time the teams played) in a playoff game?
Come on man, that would be great!
This. Everybody seems to be ignoring the TV money element of this that drives everything that’s happening and trending in college football right now. When it comes to TV revenue and viewership, there’s the B10 first, SEC second, and the rest are so far behind them they’re not even worth discussing. Is the SEC a higher quality football league than the B10? Sure. Does the B10 generate more revenue than the SEC? Yes, and that was before the B1G gobbled up the most valuable schools from the PAC.
So this whole half-assed pseudo-academic debate about how the B10 doesn’t deserve the same number of CFP spots as the SEC on merit, or more spots than the ACC, is meaningless.
I’ve said it dozens of times on this board and I’ll say it again: in college athletics, the money ALWAYS wins. There is no exception to that corollary.
the ncaa needs the big 10 and sec much much more than they need the ncaa.
Just football. Maybe basketball. Not enough money in anything else to let hyper greedy TV people run the show.
well i dont know, im just saying they pretty much have the power. i agree, i dont think that's a good thing but like i said, they are 11 of 12 of the highest ranked teams in the AP..
Were we told it would open things up for more teams outside of the SEC and Big Ten to play for a championship?
My hesitancy with playoff expansion has always been that it’s going to create more chalk in the later rounds. Because weaker recruiting class teams aren’t going to be able to get through the gauntlet now that you’re letting in more recruiting powers.
Well Chester.......if you haven't been paying attention....."college athletics" at least what we all grew up with has been dead. I mean there is no Pac 12 anymore. PAC 12!!! USC and Oregon is with Penn State and Rutgers. Stanford and Cal is with Pitt and Boston College. Oklahoma and Texas are still together....but with Alabama and Georgia. The Big 12 is seemingly a collection of every school ranked below 150 in the US News and World Report that isn't in the SEC.
It's been perished. For awhile.
You and I both argued that there are only two, may three teams that are going to dominate and that most of this is just fluff but we were assured over and over that this was going to give everyone a real chance.
I don’t think this moves the needle much in terms of everyone’s chance to win a championship.
Maybe it moves the needle some at the margins when it comes to making the playoffs.
This probably follows what most people are projecting in terms of the playoffs. I’m not really seeing how much this really changes in terms of who gets in, let alone who wins it.
It won't. It's all semantics. that's what I said above and I'm being sarcastic about the rest of it. Just skip past all of the stupid parts where we pretend it matters and make it what it is. B1G/SEC challenge and just stop pretending that anyone else matters.
If that is the case then a BIG 12/ACC merger is imminent. The NCAA and that will compete with the other BIG 2 conferences.
There's nothing gained in merging with anyone. Just play in that second tier and do what you're doing. The Big 2 aren't going to allow anyone new to the party. If anything they'll bounce a few schools out so they can cut bigger slices of the pie.
Outside of enforcing rules, the NCAA has not been part of FBS football for a long time. They have zero control over and zero involvement in the CFP so what do you want the NCAA to do?
They are not going to cut anyone out, they are going to create a model or level that teams can opt into if they are willing to spend money. Now how many programs will there be who can afford that level of investment is the question.
I guess you could argue there's strength in numbers from a negotiation power standpoint regarding the CFP structure, but I tend to agree with you. Financially, I don't think you'd increase the per school TV payout.
No. There isn't anyone that's going to allow Indiana and Vandy to keep getting the same revenue if they just spend more. It's much more likely they get to stay if they take a huge cut in revenue or they'll just be nudged out. Georgia isn't going to share with Vandy. Penn State has a track record of expecting more for less. These schools will be absolutely cut throat and be thrilled to take more because, you know, they need it.
The ACC doesn't need to join a mega conference to negotiate anything for the "greater good" of college football. They can stay to themselves and do whatever it is they need to do. And it's probably best to just forget about the CFP. Like I said, when the TV contracts come around in a few years, they'll pull the rug out and just focus on the Big2. Then those two can fight over screwing each other over.
ACC, B12 and all the rest should be proactive and propose to break away from the SEC/B1G. Short term pain for long term equality. Form a playoff with 16 teams, conference winners and wild cards from all non SEC/B1G leagues. Let the big boys know people don’t want the same repeat regular season matchups. You also try to poach the easy wins like Vandy, NW, MD, Rutgers, by guaranteeing equal share.
I never said anything about a share of the revenue, it is not going to be equal and conferences are still going to exsist, but they are not going to cut teams out of the top level of college football. They may make the cost so high that programs choose not to compete but it will be up to each school.
We're literally sitting here talking about how the Big2 are squeezing the other conference out of playoff spots. Of course it's going to happen.
