CBS: Will power conferences break away from NCAA? In a way they have.

[BleedGopher]

per Dennis Dodd:

As the annual (and last) BCS meetings convene here, there is talk about the power conferences breaking away from the NCAA and forming their own association. Sixty-five or so schools calling the shots because they can. Sixty-five or so schools calling the shots because they have.

Unintended consequence of the BCS? Whether it actually happens, it already has happened, figuratively. The large majority of national championships and more than 70 percent of the playoff money will flow to the ACC, SEC, Big 12, Big Ten and Pac-12. Just like always only bigger money, more power. Issues that will formally guide college football toward what many think it already is -- a semi-pro feeder system for the NFL.

http://www.cbssports.com/columns/st...ences-break-away-from-ncaa-in-a-way-they-have

Go Gophers!!

 

[50PoundHead]

For a variety of reasons (the largest one being money), I think the NCAA is toast. I'm not prescient, but it's been moving this direction for quite awhile.

 

[RodentRampage]

The power conferences have always dominated things, the BCS didn't change that.

The Sun Belt is just glad to be playing FBS football for perception, fundraising and enrollment purposes. Yeah, that Louisiana-Monroe win over Arkansas was great last season. Arkansas will still be making more in a month than ULM makes in a year in football.

It's not just perception. Louisiana-Monroe beating Arkansas was a shocker, sure, but it wasn't anywhere near the shocker it would have been 20 years ago. If he's right that the power conferences have gained all this power that they hadn't had before, we should expect to see the opposite of what we see today. It used to be a freakish rarity for a MAC team to beat a team from a power conference. These days, it's not freakish, it's not even always an upset. In the past, even a bad team from a power conference could look at a game against a MAC team as a guaranteed win. The 1983 Gophers football team that only won three games crushed Ohio 57-3. I remember that game, Goldy Gopher couldn't do all those pushups, so he lay on his back and did them against the air.

I just don't see any movement to break away from the NCAA by the only people who matter: university presidents and regents.

 

[Golden Elephant]

The power conferences have always dominated things, the BCS didn't change that.



It's not just perception. Louisiana-Monroe beating Arkansas was a shocker, sure, but it wasn't anywhere near the shocker it would have been 20 years ago. If he's right that the power conferences have gained all this power that they hadn't had before, we should expect to see the opposite of what we see today. It used to be a freakish rarity for a MAC team to beat a team from a power conference. These days, it's not freakish, it's not even always an upset. In the past, even a bad team from a power conference could look at a game against a MAC team as a guaranteed win. The 1983 Gophers football team that only won three games crushed Ohio 57-3. I remember that game, Goldy Gopher couldn't do all those pushups, so he lay on his back and did them against the air.

I just don't see any movement to break away from the NCAA by the only people who matter: university presidents and regents.

RR is exactly right. The silliness about the "power conferences" and how they "dominate" FB, BB, etc., etc., completely ignores the past. There is no way before the invention of the BCS that Northern Illinois would've played in the Orange Bowl. Heck, I-AA Appalachian State beat a ranked Michigan a few years ago.

 

[corcoran1]

Actually, I think there are legitimate reasons it could happen the first being money. The NCAA is an expensive organziation where the power conferences are responsible for a great part of the income, and a lesser part of the rewards. Additionally , the NCAA does not seem capable of managing the power conference programs, especially the SEC programs, and the OSU, USC, types etc. Examples such as the screwed up investigation at Miami, the complete failure to conclude Auburn did anything wrong when the program has had serial bouts with non-compliance, letting OSU play the guys to be suspended in the bowl game. They are clueless.
Additionally, passing a rule that would allow unlimited recruiting contact in football, which is over the top aggressive, expensive and painful for normal kids now and the NCAA appears to be completely detached from reality.
I think the power conferences should go their own way, assuming it would be a direction the B1G and PAC12 would support and not an SEC led operation.

 

[wait!what?]

be careful what you wish for BT fans.

 

[Lakeville Goldy]

The power conferences have always dominated things, the BCS didn't change that.



It's not just perception. Louisiana-Monroe beating Arkansas was a shocker, sure, but it wasn't anywhere near the shocker it would have been 20 years ago. If he's right that the power conferences have gained all this power that they hadn't had before, we should expect to see the opposite of what we see today. It used to be a freakish rarity for a MAC team to beat a team from a power conference. These days, it's not freakish, it's not even always an upset. In the past, even a bad team from a power conference could look at a game against a MAC team as a guaranteed win. The 1983 Gophers football team that only won three games crushed Ohio 57-3. I remember that game, Goldy Gopher couldn't do all those pushups, so he lay on his back and did them against the air.

I just don't see any movement to break away from the NCAA by the only people who matter: university presidents and regents.

There's a difference between football dominance and rules dominance. The power 5 confereces basically told everyone else what the new BCS would be. They were smart enough to allow a path for the smaller schools so they didn't get sued or have congress step in, but they basically dictated what that path would be.

At some point, a conference will leave. But I don't see the 5 conferences all leaving together. In my mind it will either be the NCAA punishes all/most the SEC schools and they get mad and leave, or it becomes obvious the NCAA is ignoring violations by the SEC and the B1G, PAC 12, etc leave.

 

[RodentRampage]

There's a difference between football dominance and rules dominance. The power 5 confereces basically told everyone else what the new BCS would be. They were smart enough to allow a path for the smaller schools so they didn't get sued or have congress step in, but they basically dictated what that path would be.

As they always have.

At some point, a conference will leave. But I don't see the 5 conferences all leaving together. In my mind it will either be the NCAA punishes all/most the SEC schools and they get mad and leave, or it becomes obvious the NCAA is ignoring violations by the SEC and the B1G, PAC 12, etc leave.

Perhaps a conference might leave the NCAA, but that seems to be a desire of a small number of fans rather than something pushed by university presidents and regents.

 

[Go4Broke]

For a variety of reasons (the largest one being money), I think the NCAA is toast. I'm not prescient, but it's been moving this direction for quite awhile.

What are the power conferences going to call the new organization that will govern them and operate pretty much in the same way as the NCAA? That isn't going to change no matter how intercollegiate sports are reorganized. Every professional sports league is governed by a person or organization that has dictatorial-type powers that when exercised pisses off owners, players, and fans somewhere in the league. The closer the power conferences get to operating like professional sports the more college sports fans will lose interest in them and start shifting their time and money to their local pro franchises.

 

[corcoran1]

What are the power conferences going to call the new organization that will govern them and operate pretty much in the same way as the NCAA? That isn't going to change no matter how intercollegiate sports are reorganized. Every professional sports league is governed by a person or organization that has dictatorial-type powers that when exercised pisses off owners, players, and fans somewhere in the league. The closer the power conferences get to operating like professional sports the more college sports fans will lose interest in them and start shifting their time and money to their local pro franchises.

Sports fans will not lose interest. The threat is Congressional interference.

 

[Herd]

Sports fans will not lose interest. The threat is Congressional interference.

If you can make a few extra dollars . . . who cares if you destroy college hockey, then College football in general, then destroy DIII and DII athletics. Nice work B1G and power six conferences. All in the name of greed and making a dollar.

 

[wait!what?]

The Privates will be the first to step away. the Stans and ND and similars will rule athletics in 20 yrs. think CDH and ST like.