And so it begins ... Pac 12 commissioner wants to break from NCAA

[MarkL]

Pac 12 commissioner wants CFB to break away from the auspices of the NCAA and let all the conferences make the rules. Look for other conference commissioners to fall in line. Like all other CFB changes of late, look for uncontrollably rapid changes. With the SEC of course pushing for drastically altering or flat eliminating the student athlete model.

And so it begins ...

[Flipper]

Further proof that we are not playing "at the same level as the P5 conferences"

[jpfalcon09]

I can see all this becoming like hockey. P5 break away and become the "college/junior" ranks, then you have the USFL/XFL as your minor or development leagues, then of course the NFL.

[Beaker]

I can see all this eventually making me not want to follow college football anymore if it basically turns the whole thing into pro development leagues. It's a shame some people seem intent on destroying what was once something that brought a lot of enjoyment to a lot of people, even if it wasn't a perfect system. When I wax nostalgic about how fun college football was growing up and the direction it's heading now, I start feeling like Stan in the South Park episode when he gets old and depressed.

[roguewarrior]

The NIL just simply made paying star athletes (predominantly at top 20-30 schools) legal. The proponents and people going along with it thought, oh these kids deserve to be paid….. well, I’m guessing maybe 10% of all D1 rostered FB players are getting monetary compensation of some kind. The rest remain as they were. I’d like to know how many will get a 1099? Would love to learn the actual percentage ….

[hammb]

I can see all this becoming like hockey. P5 break away and become the "college/junior" ranks, then you have the USFL/XFL as your minor or development leagues, then of course the NFL.

The P5 has basically been the minor/developmental league forever. The NCAA (really the P5 that makes bank off it, but they control the NCAA) likes it that way because they make a crapton of money. The NFL likes it that way because kids come into their league with name recognition and star power, and they don't spend a dime of their own money to groom/develop talent. There's a reason why, despite its popularity, MLB is trimming minor league teams...they don't make money.

I don't think there is any real viable way to commercially run a USFL/XFL type league right now. I do think it has tremendous value to the football PRODUCT that the NFL produces. A large percentage of draftees (and UDFAs) are not ready to meaningfully contribute to an NFL team. And of that percentage a healthy chunk of them need true playing time opportunities to develop into future contributors. That development league could fill that gap (and it could work especially well with "affiliates" like MLB so they're learning similar systems in the minors to what the big club is doing. But as an independent league I just see how it makes money. It cannot exist in the fall because NCAA & NFL take all football viewership 7 days a week (or at least 6, if we give Fridays to HS). But then playing those leagues in the springtime severely lessens their value as a developmental org because the human body simply cannot play football year round. These guys finishing up their USFL seasons are screwed when they get to training camp in a month.

I don't see anything like you propose as the future since it'll be tough to profit off of. I envision, long term, the blue bloods...those top 25-35 spenders in college football to break free and become that USFL/XFL you speak of. They'll embrace being the minor league for the NFL, but they have the commercial advantage of an already massive fan following (and backing from major universities). Break free from the conference shackles and negotiate their own TV deal as a Super-Entity (OSU, Alabama, etc are making a fraction of what they would make if they weren't carrying the likes of Rutgers & Vandy). Maybe they'll ditch the entire NCAA/student athlete model entirely. Realistically there's no reason that a player HAS to leave after 4 years, that's just a rule from the days of actual student athletes. Pay the players, let those not yet ready for the NFL play for 6-7 years, stop carrying the schlubs financially and just embrace being the minor leagues for the NFL. They could stand to make more money in such a model, the NFL is even HAPPIER getting a true development league where players can keep growing into their mid 20s, etc. I'd say go the route of hockey too where kids could be drafted (and paid by) an NFL team, but yet still have their rights retained while they play for Michigan or Notre Dame.

Truthfully, it makes so much sense. It would greatly increase revenues for these blue bloods. It creates a better TV product for casual fans of current college FB. IT creates a better TV product for the NFL. It gives ACTUAL college football the chance to stop this farce and just go back to what it used to be. One real downside (and this is the big one right now) is that those blue blood programs would now start losing games. They'd have to play road games. They'd only be playing real competition. The increased TV deals should quickly make up for lost home game money, but can they handle entering into an actual sporting competition? Will they want to play football (no matter how great the payday) if they're not going into every game with built in advantage? The other downside would be the remnants of the P5 trying to find a way to subside on what would quickly become MAC level football revenue. Purdue isn't getting a $50m check from the BIg10 network when Michigan, OSU, and PSU are gone. The overall finances should quickly come back to something palatable for all of the remaining "actual college football" programs.

It's like a nuclear bomb to the college football we know, but I think in the end everybody would be happier except for the rare joe-Buckeye fans who still think they root for a quaint college football team.

[BGFalconfromCincy]

One real downside (and this is the big one right now) is that those blue blood programs would now start losing games. They'd have to play road games. They'd only be playing real competition. The increased TV deals should quickly make up for lost home game money, but can they handle entering into an actual sporting competition? Will they want to play football (no matter how great the payday) if they're not going into every game with built in advantage?

Part of me thinks they'll keep some of the lower P5 programs around if they break away. They are still going to want some easier games. If they are breaking away in all sports maybe keep around the programs with good basketball to make that side look better during hoops season

[jpfalcon09]

Word out this afternoon that USC and UCLA will be leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten as early as 2024.

The four conference, 64-team setup that will break away from the NCAA will be one step closer to happening.

[Flipper]

Yeah...that sucks.

[MarkL]

Word out this afternoon that USC and UCLA will be leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten as early as 2024.

WTF??

[jpfalcon09]

Word out this afternoon that USC and UCLA will be leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten as early as 2024.

WTF??

Those two schools wanted out of the Pac-12 for obvious reasons. If the playoff isn't going to expand to more teams, they have no shot being in that conference. College football is evolving where there is going to be essentially two megaconferences that break away from the NCAA model and form their own league. The rest simply won't matter.

Don't be surprised if you start hearing about Clemson, Florida State, and Miami wanting to join the SEC.

[MarkL]

Word out this afternoon that USC and UCLA will be leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten as early as 2024.

WTF??

Those two schools wanted out of the Pac-12 for obvious reasons. If the playoff isn't going to expand to more teams, they have no shot being in that conference. College football is evolving where there is going to be essentially two megaconferences that break away from the NCAA model and form their own league. The rest simply won't matter.

Don't be surprised if you start hearing about Clemson, Florida State, and Miami wanting to join the SEC.

I get all that. It's the biggest geography fail I can think of in recent history. Sure football trips to the Rose Bowl would be fun. But gymnastics and swimming and golf will be racking up the mileage costs.

[jpfalcon09]

Word out this afternoon that USC and UCLA will be leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten as early as 2024.

WTF??

Those two schools wanted out of the Pac-12 for obvious reasons. If the playoff isn't going to expand to more teams, they have no shot being in that conference. College football is evolving where there is going to be essentially two megaconferences that break away from the NCAA model and form their own league. The rest simply won't matter.

Don't be surprised if you start hearing about Clemson, Florida State, and Miami wanting to join the SEC.

I get all that. It's the biggest geography fail I can think of in recent history. Sure football trips to the Rose Bowl would be fun. But gymnastics and swimming and golf will be racking up the mileage costs.

When the next TV deal for the Big Ten is probably going to be an astronomical number, the money earned from that will be more than enough to cover the expenses of the other athletic programs.

[Critical Thinker]

I'm now convinced somewhere between 24-64 schools are going to pull their football teams out of the NCAA and form a minor pro league.

What cowardice of the ncaa in the past decade to cave on all those amateurism issues from stipends to endorsements, just to get dumped anyway.

[MarkL]

I read expansion is FAR from done. Apparently the Big 12 wants in the fun and will target the Pac 12 - AZ, ASU, Utah, etc. Maybe Big 10 takes some remainders of the Pac 12? SEC raids who they want in the ACC? Who knows.

I'm interested in what all this means for BG and for Purdue, my other Alma Mater. Will the MAC end up as an NCAA conference where the big greedies end up as an NFL minor league? Will Purdue be able to keep up with OSU, Michigan, and USC?

Honestly I'm sad for the sport. Not really excited about this. But nothing can stop it.