CBS: Why we may be reaching a tipping point for the Power Five to break away from the FBS

[BleedGopher]

per Dodd:

University of Utah economist Ted Tatos was asked to consider whether the coronavirus could impact a second consecutive NCAA Tournament. While schools are eagerly anticipating a return of college football, let's not forget how this historic moment in time began in the college sports world.

Despite the pandemic, the NCAA's foundation has already been in question. But during these uncertain times, the association may be one more calamitous event away from slipping off a cliff of relevancy.

"If there's no NCAA Tournament next year," Tatos said. "… I think then there has to be a breakaway from this model."

To put it more plainly, a separation of the Power Five conferences from the NCAA has long been possible. Those 65 schools, including independent Notre Dame, already exist as separate entities -- financially, competitively and even corporately. But with the coronavirus ratcheting up the stakes, a tipping point may be at hand.

"I'm telling you, if you or I were going to place a bet on a stock … you could double down on the Power Five being a separate entity now within two years," said Vince Thompson, founder and CEO of MELT, an Atlanta-based sports and entertainment marketing firm.

Why we may be reaching a tipping point for the Power Five to break away from the FBS

The fading relevancy of the NCAA and different needs of the Power Five leagues may make change necessary

www.cbssports.com

Go Gophers!!

 

[Some guy]

I’m not sure a tournament with no small schools gets nearly the eyeballs of the NCAA tourney.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

I don't know if it could happen on a sport-by-sport basis, but I could see it happening more readily in football. Most of the power-5 conferences already have their own TV deals or regional sports channels, so they could uncouple from the NCAA more easily.

In Hoops, the NCAA tournament would have to be completely re-done. Could you wind up with a Power-5 conf tournament and an everybody-else tournament? And what happens to the TV rights? that one gets trickier.

 

[Treemagnet]

With a break from the NCAA the Power Five schools would need some type of recruiting/compliance rules to keep the playing field level.

Be careful what you wish for

 

[Lakeville Goldy]

I still really question whether this is realistic or not. One of the problems is most of the schools in the P5 have satellite schools that are in lower divisions. If U of M TC pulls out of the NCAA with the P5, now where is UMD, Morris, etc. going to get money for athletics (assuming the money to split amongst lower levels from the NCAA is much smaller)? Not to mention the legislature might penalize the U for "screwing" the other schools in the state out of greed.

 

[Herd]

The P5 has it cake and eats it too. It treats the G5 like red headed step children. The P5 has to break away because . . . ? Do they want 110% of the money instead of just 99%?