College Football is Dead

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GopherWeatherGuy

GopherWeatherGuy

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I've previously held the optimistic approach that NIL and the transfer portal will eventually work itself out, and the elimination of the B1G West and conference expansion won't be as detrimental to the sport as others have continually complained about.

But it's now pointless to remain a fan of Minnesota, or a fan of any other similar school that's not a helmet school. It's pointless to continue to invest time and money to a program that has no chance of competing. It's not a university problem, it's not a PJ problem, it's a college football problem.

I don't have a problem with NIL, players should be able to capitalize on their likeness. But NIL isn't the issue, pay for play is the issue. It has always been an issue, but it has become 1,000 times worse over the last few years than it has been in the past. Until pay for play is regulated to a fair playing field, there is no chance for the Gophers.

If you think expanding the playoffs will give more opportunity to other schools to compete, or make championship season more interesting, it won't. It just makes the regular season less important, and the SEC will still be favored for the final spots. Instead of 1 loss SEC teams getting in to the final 4, it'll be 4 loss SEC teams getting in over other conference teams with better records. If Minnesota wins 10 games again in a season and it's between them and an 8 or 9 win SEC team to make the playoffs, the SEC team will be in every single time.

Kudos to the fans still willing to invest time and money into this. You're better than me. But as of today, I am done with college football until there are significant changes to pay for play, the transfer portal, and the SEC media/money bias.
 
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I'm not a fan of everything happening in college FB.

But change is a part of life. I grew up as a huge baseball fan, and I loved the idea that at the end of the season, the AL champ and NL champ met in the World Series. then along came divisions, and playoffs, and more divisions, and more teams qualifying for the playoffs, until baseball became like hockey and basketball - just another sport with a seemingly endless slog of playoff games.

It's not the same baseball that I grew up with, but I am still a baseball fan.

It's not the same college football that I grew up with, but I am still a football fan.

this last season, baseball made changes that improved the game and made it more watchable. I hope that college football finds a way to make its own positive changes.
 



I mean MN wasn't going to compete for title in prior system either.

Be competitive with similar schools, split with your rivals, and can be fun.


I expect B1g to have some sort of pods giving teams something to play for
 

Being a P5 undefeated conf champ was basically a lock. Until this year where the SEC had some “trouble” 🙄

Thanks to Megatongue getting me out of the BS some 8 yrs ago, much easier to be casual and just focus on the national gambling aspect of it.
 

salzie said:
I mean MN wasn't going to compete for title in prior system either.

Be competitive with similar schools, split with your rivals, and can be fun.


I expect B1g to have some sort of pods giving teams something to play for
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Correct. College football is stacked against most teams. Just the way it is. Doesn't mean I can't have fun rooting for the team while also having more realistic expectations.
 



short ornery norwegian said:
I'm not a fan of everything happening in college FB.

But change is a part of life. I grew up as a huge baseball fan, and I loved the idea that at the end of the season, the AL champ and NL champ met in the World Series. then along came divisions, and playoffs, and more divisions, and more teams qualifying for the playoffs, until baseball became like hockey and basketball - just another sport with a seemingly endless slog of playoff games.

It's not the same baseball that I grew up with, but I am still a baseball fan.

It's not the same college football that I grew up with, but I am still a football fan.

this last season, baseball made changes that improved the game and made it more watchable. I hope that college football finds a way to make its own positive changes.
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I agree with much of what you wrote but professional sports are different. They are expected to be about money, and the playing field remains relatively level. Even in MLB, well run organizations with smaller budgets have regularly out competed big market teams with larger budgets. The small market teams still have a chance to win.

College football is different. The 'small market' teams have zero chance of winning.
 

salzie said:
I mean MN wasn't going to compete for title in prior system either.

Be competitive with similar schools, split with your rivals, and can be fun.


I expect B1g to have some sort of pods giving teams something to play for
Click to expand...

Previously the chances were really small, but there was still a chance. We've seen Iowa and Wisconsin get really close to making the 4 team CFP, Michigan St made the CFP, and the Gophers were not that far off in 2019.

Now I think that chance is zero for all of these schools. These schools will never be able to build a consistent program like they have been able to due to pay for play and the transfer portal, and even if they get close again, the SEC bias will overrule them.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
I'm not a fan of everything happening in college FB.

But change is a part of life. I grew up as a huge baseball fan, and I loved the idea that at the end of the season, the AL champ and NL champ met in the World Series. then along came divisions, and playoffs, and more divisions, and more teams qualifying for the playoffs, until baseball became like hockey and basketball - just another sport with a seemingly endless slog of playoff games.

It's not the same baseball that I grew up with, but I am still a baseball fan.

It's not the same college football that I grew up with, but I am still a football fan.

this last season, baseball made changes that improved the game and made it more watchable. I hope that college football finds a way to make its own positive changes.
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I do understand that, but to me, the big difference now is there is no salary cap or draft in college football, like the pros have. Just the rich getting way richer. I agree with GWG that unless they figure out a way to limit NIL, # of scholarships, unlimited transfers, etc., schools like MN have no chance. I hope they come up with something, but I'm not hopeful.
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
Previously the chances were really small, but there was still a chance. We've seen Iowa and Wisconsin get really close to making the 4 team CFP, Michigan St made the CFP, and the Gophers were not that far off in 2019.

Now I think that chance is zero for all of these schools. These schools will never be able to build a consistent program like they have been able to due to pay for play and the transfer portal, and even if they get close again, the SEC bias will overrule them.
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Will miss your weather model 20 days out insights.

Guess the default will be the European model going forward.

RIP GWG...

PS...Was actually thinking about the same thing as the original post myself. Not ready to check out but really gives an idea of the Super Conferences future. Minnesota may still be fielding a team but there is now a "class ceiling" borrowing from the feminists lexicon of "glass ceiling." Without changes the Gophers and their ilk will not see the rarefied air of those programs at the top. Sigh.
 




Alabama just beat #1 lock Georgia, scrambling the world of football.

Alabama allegedly is unworthy of FSU's tournament spot. Really?
 



SHGopher said:
Alabama just beat #1 lock Georgia, scrambling the world of football.

Alabama allegedly is unworthy of FSU's tournament spot. Really?
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Georgia was never a "lock". They were ranked #1 based mostly on the fact that they won two NCs in a row. But both Michigan and Washington have looked better this year, imo.

So no.....Alabama wasn't worthy of FSU's spot. Especially considering the miracle needed to beat Auburn.
 

Alabama beating Georgia made them a lock in my opinion and the Florida State qb going down gave the committee an out. I think if FSU’s qb had stayed healthy, Georgia would have made it in, because Texas handled ‘bama, they would have eliminated Texas. The playoffs would not happen without an SEC team.
 

stocker08 said:
Georgia was never a "lock". They were ranked #1 based mostly on the fact that they won two NCs in a row. But both Michigan and Washington have looked better this year, imo.

So no.....Alabama wasn't worthy of FSU's spot. Especially considering the miracle needed to beat Auburn.
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This.

Well it is a fact, an apparent, that you can’t spell the Selection descriptor ahead of Committee without S-E-C.
 

MplsGopher said:
There is still one realistic chance for the Gophers and similar schools to have a shot:

if the schools and/or conferences have to start paying players directly out of the TV money.

Then Gophers would actually be able to pay like everyone else.
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Once CFB decided to ditch the amateur model I warmed up to the idea of the players winning back their media rights they currently sign away to the schools.

It will require congressional action and some legal-ing but would help to level the playing field in a big way. I’d argue 30+% of contracts distributed to players as a baseline starting point. Non-broadcast rights NIL would still be a factor but become an afterthought except for the very top players. They wouldn’t even have to clear the employer/employee model. They are just receiving compensation (form of which TBD) for their appearances on tv broadcasts.
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
Previously the chances were really small, but there was still a chance. We've seen Iowa and Wisconsin get really close to making the 4 team CFP, Michigan St made the CFP, and the Gophers were not that far off in 2019.

Now I think that chance is zero for all of these schools. These schools will never be able to build a consistent program like they have been able to due to pay for play and the transfer portal, and even if they get close again, the SEC bias will overrule them.
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The 12 team playoff will actually allow for other schools to make the playoffs but honestly if winning a National title is important to you as a fan then you may as well just follow the top handful of teams because they are the only ones with a legit shot of winning it most years.

College football has always been extremely top heavy and the recent changes have seemingly just enhanced that disparity between the haves and the have nots.

I'm not a fan of the NIL/Pay for play BS, poaching, immediate eligibility, going into the portal the moment you don't get your way.....but in the end I am a Gopher football fan and I will keep following the team regardless of what is going on around them in college football.
 

@Pompous Elitist
They will need a P5/4 or FBS-wide Player’s Union, which is just fine and very much doable.

Will need to negotiate with Confs and TV partners on what percentage of the football TV deal they get reserved for players directly, and then how that money should be allowed to flow. IE, is there some kind of bit similar to how NFL has restricted cost rookie deals? Maybe for first two years? And so on.


I personally would love to see a draft, but that’s asking too much I’m afraid.
 

Correct. Regional rivalries are all that matter to me still. And we have now lost Nebraska, northwestern, Illinois, and Purdue as every year games.

I have many friends that are husker and boiler fans. So this makes me sad.
 

In 1936 MN won a national title at 7-1-0. Northwestern was 7-1-0 and beat MN. Northwestern was #7 in final poll. College football didn’t die then. College football is just beginning. Next year will be the first year with auto bids, byes to conference champs, and some at-large teams. College football has finally caught up with the rest of the sports world.
 


MaxyJR1 said:
In 1936 MN won a national title at 7-1-0. Northwestern was 7-1-0 and beat MN. Northwestern was #7 in final poll. College football didn’t die then. College football is just beginning. Next year will be the first year with auto bids, byes to conference champs, and some at-large teams. College football has finally caught up with the rest of the sports world.
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Next years new model would still leave an unbeaten team out this year
 

MplsGopher said:
@Pompous Elitist
They will need a P5/4 or FBS-wide Player’s Union, which is just fine and very much doable.

Will need to negotiate with Confs and TV partners on what percentage of the football TV deal they get reserved for players directly, and then how that money should be allowed to flow. IE, is there some kind of bit similar to how NFL has restricted cost rookie deals? Maybe for first two years? And so on.


I personally would love to see a draft, but that’s asking too much I’m afraid.
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None of that is necessary (but may be coming anyway) with a legislative carve out. Each player on a roster on opening day of season shall receive X. The legalities of it can be added, deleted, or modified as necessary as is current practice elsewhere.
 

You don’t need any law for a P5 players union to work out a deal with the P5 TV partners.

No more than you need one for the NFLPA to work on behalf of league players.


That’s another part of this solution that makes it appealing.

Whereas with funding the whole thing by NIL we would absolutely need new federal law to un-muck it.
 


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