Ideas on how to fix College Football

[bleachedwheat]

There are 136 FBS Teams and 129 FCS Teams that is 265 Teams to deal with

52 teams in FBS, 52 teams in FCS, 52 teams in League 1 and 109 teams in League 2

League 2 will carry the rest of the teams that don't qualify for Promotion. A Prerequisite for a team to be in any of the top leagues is to have at least a 20,000 seat stadium capacity. The teams in the top 3 leagues that have lower than that, will sign an addendum, stating that they will expand their stadium to the stated capacity within 5 years of entry.

Each of the top leagues will have 4 Divisions of 13 Teams, located by Geography. They will play each team in their division for a total of 12 games.

The winner of each division will get a bye week in the playoffs. 8 other teams will be selected, as at large teams based on rankings throughout the season.

The 8 at large teams match-ups will be decided by a random drawing. These first 4 games will be at neutral sites and will use 4 of the new years six bowl affiliates.

The winners of those 4 games will have to play on the road at the 4 bye week teams home stadiums, again using a random draw for match-ups.

The Semi-Final Match-ups will use the other 2 new years six bowls as locations. Also a random draw for match-ups. The Championship game will be at a specified location that changes yearly.

So all three of the top leagues have the same setup, for the playoffs but with different bowl game affiliates for each league.

Promotion and Relegation is simple. The bottom team in each of the 4 divisions will have to play against the top 4 teams of the League below them. It will take the place of the conference championship weekend that's in place now. League 2 has their own playoff, having nothing to do with the promotion system.

That's a total of 8 games for promotion relegation between the 3 top leagues. This gives the teams that finish last a chance to save themselves from relegation. All they have to do is win against their opponent, from the lower league. If they lose the game they will drop down to that league for the next season, and vice a versa.

FBS

North: Indiana, Ohio State, Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan St., Notre Dame, Missouri, Kentucky, Louisville, West Virginia

South: Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma, LSU, Florida, Auburn, Miss State, Arkansas, Miami, Florida State, Texas Tech

East: Penn State, Maryland, South Carolina, Virginia, Pitt, Duke, NC State, Clemson, North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Tennessee

West: Oregon, USC, Washington, Nebraska, UCLA, BYU, Utah, Arizona, Arizona State, Kansas State, Stanford, Colorado, TCU

FCS

North: Cincinnati, Purdue, Northwestern, Rutgers, Army, Western Kentucky, Northern Illinois, Western Michigan, Central Michigan, Ohio, Toledo, Miami of Ohio, Buffalo

South: SMU, Houston, Baylor, UCF, Tulane, North Texas, South Florida, Memphis, UTSA, Troy, Southern Miss, Louisiana, Arkansas State

East: Wake, Boston College, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, Navy, East Carolina, Temple, UConn, James Madison, Marshall, App State, Old Dominion, Coastal Carolina

West: California, Iowa State, Kansas, Oklahoma State, Boise State, San Diego State, UNLV, Fresno State, Hawaii, Utah State, Air Force, Washington State, Oregon State

League 2

North: Akron, Kent St, E Michigan, Ball State, UMass, Missouri State, North Dakota St, South Dakota St, Youngstown St, Rhode Island, Villanova, Maine, New Hampshire

South: Texas State, South Alabama, UL Monroe, Rice, UAB, Tulsa, Jax State, Louisiana Tech, Sam Houston, Abilene Christian, Tarleton State, SF Austin, SE Louisiana

East: Florida Atlantic, Charlotte, Delaware, Liberty, Middle TN, Georgia State, Kennesaw St, Florida Int., Mercer, TN Tech, Central Connecticut, Georgia Southern, Bowling Green

West: Colorado State, San Jose State, Wyoming, Nevada, New Mexico, Sacramento State, New Mexico State, UTEP, Montana, Montana State, UC Davis, Southern Utah, Idaho

Transfer Rules

There will be only 1 transfer window Apr 1st--Apr 30th

When a high school player commits, they have to stay at that school 2 years before being allowed to transfer.

A player can only transfer schools twice in a career.

If a player is going up a League when transferring the school stealing him is required to pay a poaching fee. The fee will be calculated by the NCAA using play time and statistics as a barometer. This should help teams from getting gutted by the bigger teams. It will still happen but at least the poor teams get something in return.

College football has really declined since all the conference realignment and NIL crap. The Group of 5 can't compete anymore. This idea should help make games more competitive. Nobody wants to see a bunch of blow outs every week.

 

[jterrell]

Some solid ideas there but some of the ideas are simply not going to work.

Promo/Relegation won't work. US isn't ready for that in any major sport but certainly not with the most traditional one. Arguing the G5 can't compete today then suggesting this promotion system, frankly, makes zero sense. Especially since you could see a West coast team fall out of the top level and be replaced by an East coast team.

52 (teams) is too small a number for the top division of college football. And 4 (divisions/conferences) is too few.
Having a P4 now is an issue because too many teams play too few common opponents.
So 0 non division games would be a terrible idea when half the playoff field is determined by wild guesses.

And we are never restricting player movement again. Signing up for a college is not like signing up for the CIA. Teams have to evaluate for themselves if it is worth it to add a guy that is never happy anywhere. But you can't prevent a kid from going elsewhere if they want him. It is a free country after all.
Any kid that is financially compensated can have a buy-out clause.
But the movement stuff is overblown by a factor of about 10 as most kids are portal-ing out based on losing a head coach, not getting their NIL renewed or simple chasing a big-time experience.
And more than we know kids are simply being cut and forced into the portal.

All that said, I like some of this for sure.

Regionality is definitely needed.
So, create 5 or 6 divisions/conferences of 10-12 teams. Regionally based.
9 or 10 games in division/conference, 2 or 3 out but versus other teams in the same level of football.

Look to the NFL for what works best there and steal that.
Rivalry games and regionality where possible.
Big match ups based on cross division seeding based upon last year's finish in standings.

Week 0 you play an opponent from a different division that finished same spot as you. Say Mountain 2nd place was Utah and Southwest 2nd was Texas Tech. They play week 0,

You get each winner of a conference or division in a playoff then fill by ranking. You maintain the top G5 team (or whatever it is called outside the Super League) as a spot.

Make it is 5 years to play 5 seasons. No redshirt nonsense. 1 injury waiver year if you have missed a calendar year where you were actively playing then totally out, then were playing again.
But no one supersedes 6 years post high school max.

Make the schedule start week 0 and conclude by 2nd week of January with a champ.
Portal opens and closes in that January break. Players report to school and their new teams to start the Spring semester.
Coaches get them for Spring ball.
Any Head Coach hired from a team in the top division cannot take any players off that prior team for 14 months.
Any coordinator, 6 months.

Go to market as entire Super League.
You buy 4 Primary slots, Friday 7PM CST, Saturday 11AM CST, 2:30 CST, 7PM CST.
Secondary slots in those time slots but also add Saturday night 10PM CST and Friday night 10 PM CST for West Coast and Mountain teams.
Top division sells 4 packages to 4 broadcasters. Say ESPN, Fox, TNT/MAX, Paramount get the 4.
CFP is sold separately and not controlled by any conference but sold as a whole.
20% of all football broadcast money is taken off the top to support other non-revenue sports.
10% of all men's basketball money likewise.
Colleges must maintain at least 8 scholarship teams across all sports.

 

[DFWJC]

Just going to assume the OP is a fan of one of the teams he placed in the
52-team FBS.

Just a wild guess

There are some creative ideas in there though

 

[gtb1943]

have to laugh at the claim that most use the portal because of coaching changes
would love to see some source for that

but more importantly you are basically saying that when you agree to attend a school it means NOTHING
your contract means NOTHING
your word means NOTHING

no commitment ever means ANYTHING

and the agreement is with a SCHOOL
not a coach

if you want it your way then become a slave of that coach, why don't you?

 

[bleachedwheat]

Just going to assume the OP is a fan of one of the teams he placed in the
52-team FBS.

Just a wild guess

There are some creative ideas in there though

Nah, I actually went to Boise State and have been a fan of them for twenty years now. They would be in the FCS Division but, I don't think they would stay there for too long. They would move up in the west division in a few years.

 

[Reality]

At some point, players are going to realize that if they can just change schools to get out of a contract, then it would benefit them doing that every year because every year the money will get better for them.

It's like NFL contracts .. players get upfront signing bonus money so that's why you see a player sign a 6-year contract for $100 million, get $40 million upfront, but by year 3 complain they are only making $10 million per year despite other players making 2-3 times that because they just got a new contract, ignoring the fact they were already paid part of their year 3 salary upfront as part of that $40 million signing bonus.

I see the same thing happening in college football with NIL.

Players will eventually realize every year money offers will get higher so the best tactic is to transfer schools and get out of their old NIL contract and become a free agent again.

If congress or the NCAA doesn't get a hold of the NIL process, I won't be a bit surprised to see a year-1 Alabama player transfer to year-2 Georgia player then back to year-3 Alabama player, then back to Georgia year-4 player in the future.

If they try to stop team returns then you could see rival hopping or even something like cross-conference alliances that partner SEC, Big 10, ACC and BIG 12 schools together to pitch to players as a progression path for the player's college football years.

 

[bleachedwheat]

At some point, players are going to realize that if they can just change schools to get out of a contract, then it would benefit them doing that every year because every year the money will get better for them.

It's like NFL contracts .. players get upfront signing bonus money so that's why you see a player sign a 6-year contract for $100 million, get $40 million upfront, but by year 3 complain they are only making $10 million per year despite other players making 2-3 times that because they just got a new contract, ignoring the fact they were already paid part of their year 3 salary upfront as part of that $40 million signing bonus.

I see the same thing happening in college football with NIL.

Players will eventually realize every year money offers will get higher so the best tactic is to transfer schools and get out of their old NIL contract and become a free agent again.

If congress or the NCAA doesn't get a hold of the NIL process, I won't be a bit surprised to see a year-1 Alabama player transfer to year-2 Georgia player then back to year-3 Alabama player, then back to Georgia year-4 player in the future.

If they try to stop team returns then you could see rival hopping or even something like cross-conference alliances that partner SEC, Big 10, ACC and BIG 12 schools together to pitch to players as a progression path for the player's college football years.

exactly, this is chaos. There needs to be some kind of governing body like a CBA in the NFL that settles the waters a bit. This will get unbearable in the future if they don't at least attempt to fix it soon.

 

[kskboys]

exactly, this is chaos. There needs to be some kind of governing body like a CBA in the NFL that settles the waters a bit. This will get unbearable in the future if they don't at least attempt to fix it soon.

They have one, the courts shot them down.

 

[bleachedwheat]

Especially since you could see a West coast team fall out of the top level and be replaced by an East coast team.

I agree that the lack of cross division games would be troublesome. It would make rivalries more abundant though.
With regards to the East coast teams going to the West coast. I don't think you understood my setup.

Example
North
Last place team in FBS North Division Kentucky VS winner of FCS North Division winner Cincinnati
Cin 31... Kentucky 20.... Cincinnati wins and would go to the FBS, Kentucky had their chance to defend their place as an FBS team and I think those relegation games would get massive ratings.

Example 2
South
Last place team in FBS South Division Mississippi State VS winner of FCS South Division SMU
MSU 26... SMU 20.... Miss State would save their position in the North and SMU would stay in the FCS.

So its just west vs west or north vs north for playoff spots teams wouldn't switch geographically at all.
That goes for FCS and League 1 Promotion games also. The teams that play those relegation or promotion games would also play in the respective playoff games. For money and bragging rights.

I think a total or 4 teams out of the 8 possible would move up or down every year, so it's not a crazy amount of movement overall.

This gives the teams that actually want to invest in their football program, a way to move up and compete. Instead of just being their like Purdue, and raking in all the TV money for being part of the Big 10; without even trying to better themselves as a program.

 

[gtb1943]

They have one, the courts shot them down.

The NCAA and all of it was so corrupt it was inevitable.
Sadly this is going to take congressional action to fix and wow is that going to be a mess

 

[atlantacowboy]

The first problem that needs to get fixed is the transfer portal. It is absurd that players can now extort their programs for more money or leave. Even in the NFL, you can't do that bc contracts are enforcible. Colleges need to offer contracts and hold these guys to them. Or the NCAA can limit transfers to a one time waiver and every transfer after that requires the player to sit out a year. Something has to be done. Right now their is zero leadership.

 

[BoyzBlaster]

What are the problems you are trying to fix?

 

[RodeoJake]

Just call it minor league football and make the NFL team owners fund it. Open the draft to HS grads, and have GMs assign players to teams.

 

[TheCoolFan]

There's so much wrong with the current state...it's just weird how we just have to watch the current product and accept it when it's clearly flawed. It's been on a downward trend for about 10 years now but it's really gotten bad within the last 5 years with conference realignment, transfer portal, NIL, and the playoff format.

The fact that the championship game is played almost 2 months after the regular season is crazy.

 

[Sydla]

Conferences are too big now. Too many unbalanced schedules, etc.