CFP Board mulls possibilty of pulling away from the NCAA

[Cynical]

 

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/34414293/college-football-playoff-board-discusses-possibility-potential-restructuring-how-college-football-governed-sources-say

 

To be fair, the article does point out the conversation lasted about 5 minutes.

So nothing is happening in the near future.

 

But I do agree with this:

"The conversation is significant, however, in that it's the first known discussion among a group that would seemingly have the power to put such a plan in action. And the CFP looms as the most likely destination for running major college football outside the NCAA."

 

The NCAA has been a joke for years.

And they seem clueless on how to deal with the transfer portal and the NIL.

 

College football has "become" a pro sport, might as well go full in for the money, and try to regulate the portal and NIL.

 

[GunnerBill]

As a relatively new fan who came to CFB via the NFL and who doesn't have a specific rooting interest I found the spot pretty impenetrable. Not the game on the field, that was obviously familiar and once you get your head around the few key rule differences it is easy to enjoy. The problem is the structure, the divisions, the conferences, the schedules, the ranking system, the conference championships, the playoffs, the rules around eligibility... and that was really just as the portal became a big deal and before the NIL became a thing. 

 

I am not suggesting I understand it well enough to have thought everything through but the structure massively needs simplifying and a streamlining. I know the breakaway idea will not be popular to traditionalists (and probably for good reason) but to me there is some sense to it. 

 

If I was starting with a blank piece of paper I'd have a college football Premier Division split into two conferences, probably East and West but could be convinced to go North-South, 12 teams in each and then a 6 team playoff at the top that 3rd place team in each conference plays 2nd place team on the road. Winners play 1st place for conference championship, winners on each side play for the Natty. 

 

Then at the bottom end the bottom two teams in each conference play one another and the loser "plays off" against a team from the next tier of college football. So there is a potential for two relegations and two promotions each year. 

 

The next tier down I think I'd split geographically into four.... NE, NW, SE, SW, and the winners of each of the four regions would play head to head for a shot at the relegation / promotion playoff.

 

On the portal you'd then only be able to transfer into or within the Premier division once. If you want to transfer again after that you have to transfer into the lower tier. On the NIL I have no idea but the genie is out of the bottle and it isn't going back. 

 

There are probably loads of issues with all of this but I am not sure the status quo is sustainable and I think all the conference changes, NIL debates and transfer scandals are evidence that the current system is breaking down.