Dan Wetzel with an interesting thought on CFB’s future going forward…

The answer is to force Notre Dame into a conference as we move toward super conferences.

Not split up everyone into independents.

Dr. Rousse looking at Sankey after reading this:

Is college athletics terrible at seeing problems around the corner?

Or are ~50 people making decisions to enrich themselves?


Where is this notion coming from that the stewards of CFB want the best for the sport?

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You think Penn State, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan State etc want the Buckeyes on their schedule if they don't have to play them?

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Except for the part where they make money from it

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Those three schools can create a scheduling agreement that would increase their media revenue 2-3x and give the same control over everything.

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...so kinda like a conference?

Oh well. College sports aren’t important. Move on with life

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He’s assuming the big ten and sec even exist as is in ten years

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That's the assumption underlying much of this discussion that doesn't get questioned enough.

There are two things happening right now w/r/t to independents - and Notre Dame specifically - that are undergirding the structural framework of the sport:

1. Notre Dame (and the good Big XII and ACC schools like Miami and Texas Tech) are more or less waiting out the separation event that is almost certainly to come - I think ND sees the writing on the wall with how the schedules are shaping up, but I also think they believe there will be a major separation event with the top ~50 or whatever programs leaving the NCAA in the near future; they won't make a move in any direction until that comes to pass, and I think they (rightly) believe this current megaconference structure won't last that event - it's not really economically sustainable for USC to be in the same conference as Penn State, as an example

2. The SEC is, quite specifically, keen on keeping Notre Dame independent at the moment; I am pretty sure that Sankey and co have encouraged major SEC programs to put ND on the schedule (hence the upcoming series with, among others, Texas, Alabama, Auburn, Florida, and Arkansas with probably more to come) - this is game theory for the SEC; if ND were to join the Big Ten, it would seriously augment what is already the most powerful media rights package in the country and the Big Ten would have unquestioned control of the East Coast, Midwest, and West Coast markets; it is very much in the SEC's interest that does not happen

To Wetzel's comment, I certainly think the economics make sense as to what he is saying, but I don't think anything of that nature will really come to pass until whatever separation event we all know is coming happens. Ohio State really doesn't have that much in common with UCLA other than a media rights deal; ditto for South Carolina and Oklahoma or Florida and Missouri or Stanford and Florida State and so on and so on.

Projecting here, but what I think will happen in the future is something of a reversion to what the landscape looked like 50 years ago but with players and programs structured as profitable entities - you'll have a Texas-based / SWC like entity, a West Coast entity of some sort, a Gulf Coast / old SEC type of entity, a core Midwest entity (likely including Notre Dame), a Plains State entity (like the old Big 8), a Northeastern entity, etc. with about 50 or whatever programs that have separated from the broader NCAA.

I'm curious how much money the SEC and B1G will be giving up by eliminating the conference championship games. And how much more money is going to be in the CFP distribution pool for adding an extra round of playoff games.