This is the first of a multi-part series on how different people see the future of college football
As we start the “new” era of college football with a 12-team playoff, I started thinking about what the future of the sport looks like in 10 years.
If we’ve learned anything, status-quo is never good enough and the quest for additional revenue streams and the consolidation of resources will continue until the sport evolves into something that looks entirely different than what we see today
So Where Do We Go From Here?
The first step will be a separation of football from the rest of the sports which will make the college football landscape into something much closer to the NFL.
Once that takes place, you’ll see a mass exodus from the NCAA a group of schools at two levels move to a self-governance model as it relates to rules, TV revenue, NIL limits and scholarships.
The Tiers
Tier A: The Super League. It will consist of roughly the top quarter to half of each of the power 4 conferences, ending up with a magic number of 24 teams
Tier B: The Championship League. Here you’ll have the bottom tier of the current Power 4 leagues plus the top 16 or so current G5 program, so you end up with 32-programs.
Tier C: The Football Union. This will basically be the leftovers of the G5, and probably the top level of the FCS.
Who Plays Who?
The tiers will have scheduling requirements as follows:
· 10 games per season will be against your Tier
· 2 games per season with the tier below you (Tier A plays tier B, tier B plays tier C)
· NO games allowed between Tier A and Tier C
What About Playoffs?
Tier A: The College Football Playoff
Tier A & B create a playoff model of 16 teams :12 from Tier A, Top 4 from Tier B. As part of the “allowance” for access to this model, Tier B will automatically be the bottom 4 seeds. The only reason tier B is included here it due to threats of anti-trust lawsuits.
No byes, first round games played at host schools next rounds moving to bowls (similar to how it is today).
Tier B: The College Football Championship
Tiers B & C create a playoff of 8 (Next 4 of Tier B, 4 from Tier C)- This is where the rest of the bowls will come into play. No home games, all games at bowl sites.
The Rest
If teams are not selected for either of the playoffs, remaining bowl games are free to take teams- regardless of record. For example, let’s say Alabama goes 4-8. The Cure Bowl could choose them to play in their game against a 8-4 Western Michigan that misses their playoffs.
Final Thoughts
I truly think that this would benefit schools at all levels- Memphis doesn’t have to feel like they are in an arms race with LSU or Alabama. Alabama doesn’t have to share revenue with Mississippi State. Arkansas State doesn’t have to try and compete financially with Arkansas.
While it may not seem to work for fans, it’s been shown time and time again that fans aren’t the focus.
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