Board Poll:

[HellYeahHokie]

What do you think the primary reason that we haven't had a real playoff in NCAA Div 1A college football?

A) Money

B) Other.

[jeff4bucks]

Money certainly is a big reason-probably the biggest- but there are others as well. How many teams would you have in a playoff? Which conferences, if not all, would participate? How much would the college football season be extended/how many additional games? You'd have to have every team finish their regular season by Thanksgiving. Conference championship games eliminated?? (big $$$) how would teams be picked? Simply by W/L record.
Where would you have the playoff? I believe that in D1AA, 2 and 3, the team with the higher seed gets to host. Would you do the same for 1A? Otherwise, you wouldn't be guaranteed a sellout as you almost certainly are with the current system.

Lots of reasons, but the primary reason is the old fashioned greenback...

[Okole]

come on...we all know it's academics! ;-)

[jeff4bucks]

yep, its academics for sure...good call.

[HellYeahHokie]

Money certainly is a big reason-probably the biggest- but there are others as well. How many teams would you have in a playoff? Which conferences, if not all, would participate? How much would the college football season be extended/how many additional games? You'd have to have every team finish their regular season by Thanksgiving. Conference championship games eliminated?? (big $$$) how would teams be picked? Simply by W/L record.
Where would you have the playoff? I believe that in D1AA, 2 and 3, the team with the higher seed gets to host. Would you do the same for 1A? Otherwise, you wouldn't be guaranteed a sellout as you almost certainly are with the current system.

Lots of reasons, but the primary reason is the old fashioned greenback...

But all of those problems would magically go away if the big boys got to keep their money.

[GatorGrad]

Lots of reasons, but the primary reason is the old fashioned greenback...

Yes, until the BCS powers that be are convinced that a new system would generate enough money for BCS Schools, they won't even consider it.. Logistics, academics, location, power, etc etc etc are all reasons and excuses, but they are more easily worked through than money. They work through these issues in all other divisions of college football. The difference in DI-A is the money that is at stake. Money is not something that BCS Commissioners can easily "work through" since they owe it to the presidents of the schools that they represent to look out for the financial best interest of their conference. Presidents aren't going to approve a change that would lead to their school bringing in less money than before. Just like any business CEO would not approve a company change that would lead to the loss of revenue, no matter how fun and exciting the change would be.

[Stumpy Stew]

I voted, and think, that it is more than just money. While I know that money is a factor, and a big one, I don't think it's the primary. I've seen proposals and studies and projections (and I'm sorry, I don't have links or numbers to back up my memories) that a playoff would generate more money than the bowls. I do remember a few years back some Swiss company was going to pay a billion dollars for a playoff. Even if you use the simplest formula of 16 equal shares (not gonna happen), that's 62.5 million per school, more than the bowls pay combined. And when you look at what BB tourny brings in, a FB should bring in much more.

I believe traditions, the veil of paying homage to academics(can't have them playing during exams), and power (the NCAA would run a playoff) are big factors also.

[GatorGrad]

I've seen proposals and studies and projections (and I'm sorry, I don't have links or numbers to back up my memories) that a playoff would generate more money than the bowls. I do remember a few years back some Swiss company was going to pay a billion dollars for a playoff. Even if you use the simplest formula of 16 equal shares (not gonna happen), that's 62.5 million per school, more than the bowls pay combined.

It was ISL of Switzerland who $375 million per year for a 16-team playoff in late 1990's. It was not one billion dollars. And the money in any real NCAA 16-team tournament would likely not go to the 16 schools only as you suggest, but to all DI-A schools or at least to the conferences of the schools that are participating to then evenly distribute to their schools. So no one school would be making 62.5 million. Not even close.

There is no doubt that a playoff would generate more money overall than the current system. The problem is, that the revenue would be evenly divided among all 119 schools instead of 60-something BCS Schools. So an increase alone is not enough to get the BCS Schools on board. The increase would have to be significant enough to where the BCS Schools make more despite sharing the total pie with twice as many other schools. And the BCS Schools would need to be all but guaranteed that this would happen before considering giving a new plan the thumbs up.

Last season's postseason produced $218M and over 85% of it went to the BCS Conference Schools and Notre Dame. That's only 60-something schools sharing that payday. Sharing it with all 119 DI-A schools would mean that each BCS School would receive approx only half as much as they do now. In my opinion, a playoff that would distribute the money to 119 schools would have to bring in close to half a billion dollars, if not more, for the BCS Schools to consider. And it would have to be a slam-dunk home-run with little risk. The TV and sponsorship deals would have to be lined up ahead of time.

Hopefully, it can happen sometime in our lifetime...I would love to see it.

[JamesHowell]

It probably would not be divided evenly. There would likely be some sort of point system, like 1 point for the 16 teams in the first round, another point for the 8 in the second round, another for the final four, and another for the two team in the championship game. Then the revenue would be divided by the number of points, so the two teams in the championship would get 4/30 of thge payout while a team that loses in the first round would get 1/30. It would go to the teams, but they would have to follow conference rules. Most conferences would likely divide it amongst all conference teams with the team earning he money getting an extra share to cover expenses. So a conference with two teams (let's say one in the championship and another that loses in the second round) could get more than another conference (in this case 4/30 + 2/30 = = 1/5 of the entire pot). Of course Notre Dame would make out in the years they qualified.

[Blue Hen]

I'll stick with my original 'greed' formula as to why big time CF won't have a championship :


Hogging revenue - 85%
Hogging the glory - 15 %
Academics - ZERO %

[HellYeahHokie]

I'll stick with my original 'greed' formula as to why big time CF won't have a championship :


Hogging revenue - 85%
Hogging the glory - 15 %
Academics - ZERO %

Does that you mean you voted "Other"?.

[CJHawkeyes]

I like the greed formula, but I have reached the conclusion that hogging the revenue requires hogging the glory. There is no doubt in my mind the transparent equitable objective rules would produce a significant increase in parity and parity is bad for BCS schools if they wish to hog the revenue. I would imagine that if the same parity that exists between BCS conferences now existed among all conferences, that all revenue would be more evenly distributed because nonBCS schools would have value they don't have now. And their lack of value is due to "rules" that do not allow them to compete. Of course, if I'm wrong and equitable rules and/or an increase in parity would not hurt BCS schools financially and would only help nonBCS schools improve their own finances, then BCS schools would have no reason to object other than a selfish disregard for the best interests of others.

[Doc]

I believe an all inclusive, national championship playoff would generate plenty of money. I just think the powers that be are too ignorant to realize what could be. It's not that difficult to figure out.

[HellYeahHokie]

Ignorance about what though? Ignorance about how much money the could make or lose?

It's still money, not matter if its greed, ignorance, etc.

The only "other" I've seen here that is not specifically money related is "glory"

["14-O" U.]

It's a combination IMO. The powers-that-be (bowl officials, conference officials, conferences, ND, school officials, schools, etc.) don't want to lose that power (or money). They do whatever it takes to keep that power/money.

Like the olympic committee. Like the Democrats and Republicans and elected officials (at any level of government). They all look out for number 1 (and number 1's buddies who take care of them).

[Doc]

A football playoff similar to what they do at all other levels would be the greatest spectacle in football. It would be the lead story in the sports news throughout the holiday season, it would eliminate all the second guessing, it would allow all D-1 schools an opportunity, it would be a cash bonanza, it could include the current bowl system, lesser bowls could still hold their games, I could go on and on. It just makes too much sense for them to do it.

[Blue Hen]

It would, indeed, be the single most spectacular and intriguing sports event in the USA....imo.

[PSUFan]

Greed ...plain and simple