NJDuck Moderator No. 1 Share Posted August 18, 2023 Most would agree that the current system of college football is not working, and not sustainable. Over the last decade or so, things have been heading downhill, and quickly. With the introduction of name, image, and likeness for athletes, the prevalence of the transfer portal, and the rapid speed at which conference realignment is taking place, the sport looks nothing like it did a decade ago. That’s not to say that any of those things are bad in their own right, but the combination of them all has completely shifted the landscape from what it was created to be over a century ago. Now, you have a system that looks much more similar to the NFL than it does to college athletics and athletes that look far more like professionals than they do amateurs. The trickle-down effect of this has an impact on players -- mainly in sports outside of football -- family members, and fans. So what do we do? The idea is based on the introduction of relegation into the world of college football. Much like European Soccer, it would create a hierarchy of leagues in the sport, and give teams the ability to move up or down between leagues each year based on how well they play. It’s complicated, controversial, and hard to sell. However, if you take the time to understand it, you may buy in. I have long been a proponent of the relegation system in college football because I think it gives the sport a unique twist. I may be in the minority with that opinion, but I know that I’m not alone. Let’s dive into the relegation format and explain how it would look in college football. From there, I may be able to convince you that this is the way moving forward. Should college football adopt a relegation system going forward? DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM The current state of college football is unsustainable. Is a relegation system the answer going forward. It’s not as crazy as it seems. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Moderator No. 2 Share Posted August 18, 2023 How about NO! College Football is working. Attendance was up in 2022. Viewership was up in 2022. With one hire Colorado has gone from averaging 17,00 fans in 2022 to all games being sold out in 2023. I do not like it but a Power 2 was the natural result of the NCAA losing its scheduling monopoly and the need (?) for 1 True Champion. Both decisions opened the floodgates for media enterprises to take over college football. You capitalize any enterprise, follow the money. The Pac-12 deserved to go away. Just like every poorly managed enterprise in the 'real world' goes away. The people in charge of the Pac-12 were happy to take the money but not to manage the Pac-12 like the business it is. Or, at least was. You do not pass on an opportunity to destroy a competitor on its last legs and be applauded for doing so, move into another time zone, and perhaps save a functionally insolvent network over academic concerns. Like Oregon State and Washington State, Kansas, K State, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Baylor, TCU, Houston and Iowa State have all graduated men and women who have excelled in every activity the world has to offer. Why is anyone surprised that 'The Elite Club' has lost the majority of its members? If the only criteria for a Premier League are wins and losses over a given period of time without taking into account schedule strength, with teams relegated on performance in the Premier League, how happy will Premier Media broadcast entities be when Kansas State located in The Little Apple replaces a school located in a top 30 media market. A school that has more folks watching in person and via media. What would the media deals look like for the lower leagues? Any difference in what we see today between the Power 2 and the G5?What happens to the athletic departments of schools dropped from the Premier League? This is not pro soccer owned by billionaires. Football carries the weight but I know of no college or university in the nation that sponsors only a football team. A Premier Conference goosed by college athletes being employees is coming. But when it comes it will not see relegation. The New York Jets are not dropped in favor of XFL teams. The Premier Conference will have 32 or so schools with the biggest brands and/or playing in the biggest media markets. Media rights will be negotiated collectively for football. Players will be union members. There will be a salary cap, but no cap on NIL, restrictions on transfers, player trades, and most likely a high school draft. I doubt that players in the Premier League will even be students. All other sports with the likely exception of men's basketball, will be played in existing conferences. Conferences that are likely to be further consolidated. Thanks for the post but this article is another reason why we need to kick the darn ball off and play ball. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
