That article seems like a LOT of opinion. Everything he wrote has already been mentioned before by someone else. Most of those ideals ave been lobbed around right here on this forum. There are many valid points but I dont feel like he brought anything new to the discussion.
I do agree heavily with him on some points though. For starters realignment isnt done. I have felt all along the Big 12 is the most vulnerable and most likely to dissolve. No one is happy being under Texas' thumb and thats exactly where they are with maybe only Oklahoma having enough clout to at least fend off their bullying. The rest of that league is run by Texas one way or the other.
The next thing he is right about is the playoff is going to expand sooner rather than later. It wouldnt surprise me if it happens after this coming season. They are thinkng NYE cost them ratings and they may be right but let them not get the results they expect this year when its on a better date and watch how quick they have an emergency meeting (prior to the contract being up) and go to 8 in short order (and I think 16 eventually get in). Money will see to it that this happens.
He also brings up another issue that I have been a proponent of for years and many years ago wrote about it here. You want to see teams put a priority on winning in the sports that make money. Add an element of fear of losing that money and see how quick they right their football or basketball ship. Demote the last place team but do it with some stipulations. Make it to where there are years you can avoid demotion when in last place. The stipulations to that can vary. Lets say you play 7 conference games (your divsion foes) and 5 OOC games (all P5 schools). If you go at least 3-2 in those OOC games you are safe. Maybe not exactly like that but you get the gist of where Im going here. Also make it to where once demoted you cannot be promoted back to the top league unless you post a winning record down in league 2. So lets say Vandy gets demoted. The following year Missouri finishes in last place but Vandy goes 2-10 down in the second division. Missouri is safe. The D2 winner from that league moves up and replaces the team promoted the year before UNLESS the team promoted the prior year made the playoffs. Making the playoffs as a D2 team is a guarantee of another year at the D1 level. In this case they stay and Mizzou joins Vandy in D2 and there are now two former D2 teams playing in the SEC D1 division.
Also you do this down the line. Something like this. SEC is attached to CUSA, CUSA is attacked to the OVC. You go 3 or 4 layers deep to include every "current D1" school be they FBS or FCS. Also you only do this for the 2 revenue producing sports.
This approach adds some fairness but grandfathers in the teams already there. It will assure that teams like ourselves where the admins have been happy to draw a check for many years would have to not only get in gear but stay in gear or said check goes away. It would benefit every fan base in America in the long run because when money is at stake results are expected and if not achieved heads will roll. A consistent flame under the *** of every AD/coach in America.
The guy is right, college athletics have transformed formed from something to brag about to being a money producing machine. Talk about 4 16 team super conferences have been around for a number of years. That essentially is what we have now except it is 5 conferences plus ND, which I feel either joins one of the 4 are has no chance for a bowl or championship, see how long it takes until they are applying to join a conference, the issue would be all are full, so one of the P5 teams gets booted. Plus the footprints. Charter members of conferences might be placed in other conferences, in fact it is almost a guarantee, unless you scatter membership regardless of locations. If that happens we could have SEC schools in California. If it is done geographically its almost assured the SEC will lose Missour, A&M, LSU and Arkansas to get the number to 10, then add FSU, Miami,GT, Clemson, NC, Duke, NCST and Wake. That would put the southeastern conference at18, so 2 more would be transferring conferences. It would put either the Kentucky schools in the northeast and keep the Mississippi schools, or move the Mississippi schools to the midwest and keep the Kentucky schools. I don't think any of the fanbases want to leave the SEC, so it will cause some ill feelings whoever leaves. Charter members won't be happy with having to move.
As for as the playoff goes, if it goes to 16 teams, then I think our regular season gets shortened. The 2 teams in the finals would be playing their 17th game of the year with a 12 game regular season. So you are looking at finishing up at the end of January. Many complain about bowl teams getting an extra 15 days of practice, well how about the 2 best teams getting 30 extra days? I personally don't think that is as big a deal as some because it won't be the same guys but many here have said it gives a big advantage to bowl teams over teams who don't play in one. Season is 9 months away and at least 10 or so top players won't be there come fall practice. I do think 17 games is too many. Sure we have complaints from the number 5, 6 and 7 team about getting left out, but with 16 we will get those same complains from 17, 18 and 19 with 16 teams. It will be much tougher defending 16th rank team than it is 4. Conference championship gets you in now for the most part, 2 losses likely puts you out, but at 16, likely with 2 or more losses, the same as 7-8 teams ranked below them. In other words, regardless of number of teams in the playoff, the one ranked one spot below the cutoff will complain, even if 32 were in it.
