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Started By
Message
Suggested changes to improve college football
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:05 am
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:05 am
Below are some of the things I hate about college football. Instead of just bitching, I have tried to come up with a solution. I know it's a pipe dream but I think it would be an improvement.
My issues with college football:
1. The BS non-conference games that are only there to pad the W-L record;
2. The subjectivity in deciding who goes to the championship game (or 4 team tournament); and
3. Playing the same few teams every year with very little mix up in the schedule from year to year.
In addressing the problems, I looked to how the Italians run their soccer league. (I'm not a huge soccer fan so correct me if I'm wrong.) In their soccer league, the teams are divided into Serie A and Serie B. The teams in Series A play for the big boy championship; the teams in Series B play for the consolation championship. After every season, the three lowest placed teams in Serie A are relegated to Serie B and the three highest placed teams in Serie B are promoted to Serie A.
With that in mind, and stealing a little from the World Cup format, here is what I propose for college football.
1. Top 100 teams are divided into League A and League B - top 50 in League A; lower 50 in League B.
2. Divide the 50 teams into 5 divisions by random drawing.
3. Each team in the division plays each other once.
4. Winner of each division plus 3 wildcards (best records after the division champions) move on to the championship tournament.
5. 8 team single elimination tournament to decide the best team in college football.
At the end of the season, the bottom 20 teams in League A are relegated to League B and the top 20 teams in League B are promoted to League A.
In my opinion, this addresses all three of my issues with college football and would make college football much more enjoyable.
Like? Dislike? Suggestions? Criticisms?
ETA:
My issues with college football:
1. The BS non-conference games that are only there to pad the W-L record;
2. The subjectivity in deciding who goes to the championship game (or 4 team tournament); and
3. Playing the same few teams every year with very little mix up in the schedule from year to year.
In addressing the problems, I looked to how the Italians run their soccer league. (I'm not a huge soccer fan so correct me if I'm wrong.) In their soccer league, the teams are divided into Serie A and Serie B. The teams in Series A play for the big boy championship; the teams in Series B play for the consolation championship. After every season, the three lowest placed teams in Serie A are relegated to Serie B and the three highest placed teams in Serie B are promoted to Serie A.
With that in mind, and stealing a little from the World Cup format, here is what I propose for college football.
1. Top 100 teams are divided into League A and League B - top 50 in League A; lower 50 in League B.
2. Divide the 50 teams into 5 divisions by random drawing.
3. Each team in the division plays each other once.
4. Winner of each division plus 3 wildcards (best records after the division champions) move on to the championship tournament.
5. 8 team single elimination tournament to decide the best team in college football.
At the end of the season, the bottom 20 teams in League A are relegated to League B and the top 20 teams in League B are promoted to League A.
In my opinion, this addresses all three of my issues with college football and would make college football much more enjoyable.
Like? Dislike? Suggestions? Criticisms?
ETA:
This post was edited on 8/21/14 at 10:43 am
13
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:07 am to boom roasted
quote:
Dislike?
quote:
Criticisms?
Dumb.
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:07 am to boom roasted
One of the dumbest ideas I've ever heard.
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:10 am to boom roasted
quote:
1. The BS non-conference games that are only there to pad the W-L record;
This is the only thing that I agree with you on. Hopefully we get to the point where the Power 5 teams all play the same amount of conference games (8 or 9, doesn't matter) and then only schedule non-conference games against other Power 5 teams.
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:10 am to boom roasted
Comparing European soccer leagues to college athletics in the US is a pretty terrible idea. And relegating 20 teams? ridiculous.
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:12 am to TDawg1313
quote:
This is the only thing that I agree with you on. Hopefully we get to the point where the Power 5 teams all play the same amount of conference games (8 or 9, doesn't matter) and then only schedule non-conference games against other Power 5 teams.
I can deal with the MAC/AAC/WAC/SunBelt here and there, but I've always never cared for playing the 1AA schools.
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:12 am to GeauxColonels
quote:I'm not comparing the two. Just trying to apply their league format to CFB.
Comparing European soccer leagues to college athletics in the US is a pretty terrible idea. And relegating 20 teams? ridiculous.
quote:It doesn't have to be 20. Just throwing a number out there. I went with 20 because you would still be keeping the 30 best teams.
And relegating 20 teams? ridiculous.
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:14 am to boom roasted
It is terrible, this idea
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:14 am to ShaneTheLegLechler
I'm open to suggestions and criticisms. Pick it apart.
This post was edited on 8/21/14 at 9:17 am
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:18 am to GeauxColonels
Playing same teams home and away is what makes the rivalries. I would like to see them adopt similar NFL rules with regards to how the clock runs during a game and the overtime rules need to change in college. Other than that, if it's not broke why try and fix.
Also, similar to the NFL, any semifinal game needs to be at a home site of a participating team with championship at neutral site. I think that would create the type of atmosphere that stays true to college football and not expect fans to shell out the money you need to follow your team as a season ticket holder, conference champ game, and/or semifinal and final matchups.
Maybe as a reward the SEC champ game could switch from Atlanta to the team that earned home field during conference play.
Also, similar to the NFL, any semifinal game needs to be at a home site of a participating team with championship at neutral site. I think that would create the type of atmosphere that stays true to college football and not expect fans to shell out the money you need to follow your team as a season ticket holder, conference champ game, and/or semifinal and final matchups.
Maybe as a reward the SEC champ game could switch from Atlanta to the team that earned home field during conference play.
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:21 am to boom roasted
I happen to like college football basically as is. I think every P5 school should play one game against another P5 school OOC each year and they should stop 1-AA games. I could possibly deal with an 8 team playoff instead of 4, but I'll wait and see on that. If you have issues with stuff like playing the same teams each year I don't understand how you follow sports, college or pro. Basically every league, including the European soccer leagues, they're playing the same teams year in year out
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:21 am to boom roasted
Dislike
The things you hate are all getting better. Teams are starting to at least play 1 team from a big boy conference every year. Plus the playoff is a step in the right direction and I hope it can get to 8 one day.
As far as teams getting relegated is a terrible idea in college because of all the players that leave each year. Also if a team gets relegated to series B it will really hurt a teams ticket sales and recruiting. Look at Auburn two years ago when they didn't have an SEC win and then the next year they play for the national championship. Auburn would have been in series B and it would have robbed the fans in seeing one of the best teams in football play for a championship.
One day I would love it if the power 5 conferences have their own division. The only teams you could play ooc would be a team from the power 5.
quote:
1. The BS non-conference games that are only there to pad the W-L record;
2. The subjectivity in deciding who goes to the championship game (or 4 team tournament); and
3. Playing the same few teams every year with very little mix up in the schedule from year to year.
The things you hate are all getting better. Teams are starting to at least play 1 team from a big boy conference every year. Plus the playoff is a step in the right direction and I hope it can get to 8 one day.
As far as teams getting relegated is a terrible idea in college because of all the players that leave each year. Also if a team gets relegated to series B it will really hurt a teams ticket sales and recruiting. Look at Auburn two years ago when they didn't have an SEC win and then the next year they play for the national championship. Auburn would have been in series B and it would have robbed the fans in seeing one of the best teams in football play for a championship.
One day I would love it if the power 5 conferences have their own division. The only teams you could play ooc would be a team from the power 5.
This post was edited on 8/21/14 at 9:24 am
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:27 am to KingwoodLsuFan
I feel like the TV contracts, which represent enormous money to all these programs, would be a nightmare in this setup. That's the biggest problem with it in my eyes. Plus I don't like the random draw thing at all. I like traveling to away college football games for my team. As an A&M fan I don't want to be playing Oregon, Boston College and Iowa or some nonsense and have our schedule filled with teams I don't care about and games I don't want to travel to.
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:28 am to KingwoodLsuFan
quote:
One day I would love it if the power 5 conferences have their own division. The only teams you could play ooc would be a team from the power 5.
This I wouldn't mind at all
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:32 am to boom roasted
Relegation would never work in CFB. Too much turnover in players. A team can be almost a completed new team after losing players.
Look at Auburn the past two years. Completely different teams.
Look at Auburn the past two years. Completely different teams.
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:37 am to ShaneTheLegLechler
quote:Fair point.
If you have issues with stuff like playing the same teams each year I don't understand how you follow sports, college or pro.
But with the NFL (the one major sport I really care about), only 6 of the 16 games are division opponents, so there is enough fresh blood each year to keep things interesting. With CFB, and I'm going to use the SEC West as my example, nearly every "tough" game is against a conference opponent. There is very little fresh blood each season. It gets stale to me.
(top number = games against tough competition; bottom number = games against SEC opponents)
LSU
9
8
Bama
9
8
Auburn
9
8
Arkansas
9
8
Ole Miss
9
8
A&M
9
8
Miss St.
8
8
This post was edited on 8/21/14 at 9:40 am
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:37 am to boom roasted
quote:
Suggested changes to improve college football
Jetpacks
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:38 am to KingwoodLsuFan
quote:Fair point.
Look at Auburn two years ago when they didn't have an SEC win and then the next year they play for the national championship. Auburn would have been in series B and it would have robbed the fans in seeing one of the best teams in football play for a championship.
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:53 am to boom roasted
quote:
1. The BS non-conference games that are only there to pad the W-L record
As boring as it is, these games are necessary. The smaller schools that are scheduled to get their arse kicked rely on these games more than the big schools do for their easy win. The amount of money these small schools make from these games is a big reason that they even have a football team. Those schools football programs already operate in the red and without these "rent-a-win" games theres a good chance some of these schools wouldn't be able to keep their football program afloat.
quote:
1. Top 100 teams are divided into League A and League B - top 50 in League A; lower 50 in League B.
How is this determined? You are going to have a good bit of borderline teams with the same record. Also, back to the "rent-a-win" games. If all the lower teams were forced to play in League B they would no longer get the opportunity to play those games.
quote:
2. Divide the 50 teams into 5 divisions by random drawing.
This gets rid of rivalries, which is one of the most exciting things about college football. A football season where LSU didn't play Alabama, Auburn, or Ole Miss would suck and some interest would be lost.
Also, back to the small schools who strapped for cash. What if an east coast team draws 6 games on the west coast?
quote:
4. Winner of each division plus 3 wildcards (best records after the division champions) move on to the championship tournament
Best record would be a problem. You will have multiple teams with the same record so you're back to square one with the same problem you have with the 4 team tournament.
quote:
At the end of the season, the bottom 20 teams in League A are relegated to League B and the top 20 teams in League B are promoted to League A.
Now you're telling Auburn they couldn't play for the national championship last year because they went 3-9 the year before.
This post was edited on 8/21/14 at 9:55 am
Posted on 8/21/14 at 9:56 am to TDawg1313
quote:
This is the only thing that I agree with you on. Hopefully we get to the point where the Power 5 teams all play the same amount of conference games (8 or 9, doesn't matter) and then only schedule non-conference games against other Power 5 teams.
I think that's the best solution, IMO.
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