Extreme division realignment

[itsmejed]

Look, I'm positive this is not an original idea, and this won't be the best expression of it, but I can't stop thinking about it.

How to realign the B1G divisions for next season: take the ten Members with best records from this year, they each play each other once, best record wins the title with usual tie breakers. No championship.

The other 4 teams? This is where it gets good. They're not in the B1G anymore. They are in the B2G. 20? Yes, we let the best 6 schools by 2021 record who want to join the B1G in as football only members (let's call them BIG Guests). What if 16 teams want to be Guests? Then we have a B3G. We can keep going, B4G, B5G, anyone is welcome 10 teams at a time.

You know what's coming next: the 4 worst teams in the B1G at the end of 2022 are relegated to the B2G, best 4 teams in the B2G are promoted to the B1G. Promotion/relegation happens for every division.

What's to like: I'm telling you, within a few years, those 45 match-ups in the B1G will be as big as bowl games now, and the biggest ones will be bigger than the playoffs--winning the B1G will determine the best team in college football, not bowls or playoffs. It's fairer--success is 100% determined by on field results rather than opinion poles. Power in college athletics would shift from the SEC and NCAA to the B1G (only a positive if you make it one, hold SEC schools to the same standards as everyone else). Excitement for fans of teams at the bottom of the divisions as they try to avoid relegation.

What's in this for current members? Humbling the SEC. Oh, this is about money? Throw them an extra $1/2 billion a year or something. Look, the reason this will never happen besides contracts, bylaws, whatever, is part of the B1G existence is to insulate its members from competition. You all can tell me what else I am missing with this concept, but it's at least fun to think about.

 

[Zaphod_B]

I'd never heard of promotion/relegation before Ted Lasso, but I actually think it would be kind of fun.... I'm on board!!

 

[ghostoffatjack]

With football schedules made years in advance how is this workable?

 

[MilwaukeeBoilerFan]

While I think it is an interesting idea, it is the template of Professional Soccer. Relegation/promotion will keep things competitive and up / down movement will create a new stir...no doubt about it. Just do not believe that American Football wants anything to do with Soccer and vice-versa.

Along the lines of meaningless bowls...those would likely end in existence & players would play the whole season not opting out. That is a BIG POSITIVE.

Reality is if that concept is brought into the American Football Sport, then Soccer might get a stronger foothold on American soil. Just a hunch as you'd know what to expect in each sport.

Younger American soccer players that also happen to like American Football may someday be the game changers of this concept. It takes an excellent risk taker to make this leap.

 

[nat100]

With football schedules made years in advance how is this workable?

You keep your out of conference schedule static and your conference schedule can adapt if need be.

 

[MilwaukeeBoilerFan]

You keep your out of conference schedule static and your conference schedule can adapt if need be.

Good concept.

 

[FirstDownB]

 

[Indy_Rider]

All that does is further assure the top teams stay on top and harder for other teams to challenge. Who wants to come to a school that is likely to be essentially a midmajor the next year. Why it kind of works for soccer, is a team can spend more money to build a team to try and climb, but really, the top teams don't change and have the top players because they can afford to pay more because of their support from being associated as a top team.

 

[FiveWeight]

The concept would be neat if players were drafted into the league, but if you’re being recruited by a school that’s not in the top B10 division, what’s your incentive to sign on when you could go to a comparable program in the lower half of any other major conference and still hear the coach talking about having a chance at a conference run?

I think the end result is that this system would restrict the mobility of a team’s standing in the conference over the long-term, and for that reason many programs would be against it.

 

[ghostoffatjack]

Teams, fans, players all make plans years in advance to travel to some games, on paper this looks good but in reality it is not, IMO!

 

[itsmejed]

All that does is further assure the top teams stay on top and harder for other teams to challenge. Who wants to come to a school that is likely to be essentially a midmajor the next year. Why it kind of works for soccer, is a team can spend more money to build a team to try and climb, but really, the top teams don't change and have the top players because they can afford to pay more because of their support from being associated as a top team.

Great point. It's going to move things in the wrong direction from that standpoint.

But, suppose you could get a great QB, Drew Brees to come to your little school, you level up 3 divisions by the time he graduates, then you have access to big time recruits who maybe only consider O$U or 'Bama now. I don't know, maybe it's not worse.

 

[itsmejed]

The concept would be neat if players were drafted into the league, but if you’re being recruited by a school that’s not in the top B10 division, what’s your incentive to sign on when you could go to a comparable program in the lower half of any other major conference and still hear the coach talking about having a chance at a conference run?

I think the end result is that this system would restrict the mobility of a team’s standing in the conference over the long-term, and for that reason many programs would be against it.

True, and to support your point, the elite teams in European soccer never get relegated. But, they are relegating 3 of 20 some teams. 4 of 10 is going to give much more volatility year to year.

 

[itsmejed]

Teams, fans, players all make plans years in advance to travel to some games, on paper this looks good but in reality it is not, IMO!

Interesting point. There would certainly be a lot of travel with a nationwide conference (though some of these conferences already span more than half the continent). But yeah, you wouldn't know all your conference games until 7 or 8 months ahead of time.

 

[arcb102000]

Here is a key point that refutes the original argument: the expansion of the B1G for Maryland, Penn State and Rutgers was to bring into the conference network the viewership via cable of the NYC-DC population corridor. The population center brings many, many millions of households and monthly subscription dollars to the network and thus the conference. Given recent performance, it would be likely one or more would find themselves relegated under the proposal.

Given the above as true, that takes away the reason for the admissions. It likely results in a drop of viewership in those key areas and potential loss of dollars as people lose interest in the network. The plan will not happen as some schools will not vote for it as they would be at risk.

 

[itsmejed]

Here is a key point that refutes the original argument: the expansion of the B1G for Maryland, Penn State and Rutgers was to bring into the conference network the viewership via cable of the NYC-DC population corridor. The population center brings many, many millions of households and monthly subscription dollars to the network and thus the conference. Given recent performance, it would be likely one or more would find themselves relegated under the proposal.

Given the above as true, that takes away the reason for the admissions. It likely results in a drop of viewership in those key areas and potential loss of dollars as people lose interest in the network. The plan will not happen as some schools will not vote for it as they would be at risk.

No reason the lower divisions (B2G, B3G) couldn't be on the B1G TV network. If your goal is being in more markets, this plan actually helps because you will end up covering the whole country, and probably some international markets. Make no mistake, this thing would be a cash cow, though not necessarily for the current members. There would have to be some huge incentives to get them to agree to this in the first place.

 

[arcb102000]

The English soccer leagues use the format described in the original post with relegation and promotion among levels. The Premier League is on TV here ( as that it what people want to see) but the second division is not shown as people do not find it of interest. why would you assume that there would be interest in the lower levels? The MEAC, MAAC and Northeast Conferences in Basketball are lower level in relation to other conferences and they do not have their own tv networks and very, very little television coverage because there is very little interest among the public in seeing their games.

 

[BSIT]

Look, I'm positive this is not an original idea, and this won't be the best expression of it, but I can't stop thinking about it.

How to realign the B1G divisions for next season: take the ten Members with best records from this year, they each play each other once, best record wins the title with usual tie breakers. No championship.

The other 4 teams? This is where it gets good. They're not in the B1G anymore. They are in the B2G. 20? Yes, we let the best 6 schools by 2021 record who want to join the B1G in as football only members (let's call them BIG Guests). What if 16 teams want to be Guests? Then we have a B3G. We can keep going, B4G, B5G, anyone is welcome 10 teams at a time.

You know what's coming next: the 4 worst teams in the B1G at the end of 2022 are relegated to the B2G, best 4 teams in the B2G are promoted to the B1G. Promotion/relegation happens for every division.

What's to like: I'm telling you, within a few years, those 45 match-ups in the B1G will be as big as bowl games now, and the biggest ones will be bigger than the playoffs--winning the B1G will determine the best team in college football, not bowls or playoffs. It's fairer--success is 100% determined by on field results rather than opinion poles. Power in college athletics would shift from the SEC and NCAA to the B1G (only a positive if you make it one, hold SEC schools to the same standards as everyone else). Excitement for fans of teams at the bottom of the divisions as they try to avoid relegation.

What's in this for current members? Humbling the SEC. Oh, this is about money? Throw them an extra $1/2 billion a year or something. Look, the reason this will never happen besides contracts, bylaws, whatever, is part of the B1G existence is to insulate its members from competition. You all can tell me what else I am missing with this concept, but it's at least fun to think about.