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ESPN and the group that will administer the new college football playoff have reached an agreement in principle to present the playoff games and selected other games for 12 years on an exclusive basis across ESPN’s platforms. The agreement will begin after the 2014 regular season (including January 2015) and continue through after the 2025 regular season (January 2026).
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There were a lot of topics on the table of discussion in last week’s Big 10 meetings. First and foremost, is the rapid move towards a four team playoff in college football, which could get here in a couple years. I asked Northwestern Athletic Director Jim Phillips what his biggest takeaways were from the meetings.
“Couple things – tremendous collaboration between all 12 institutions in trying to get to the “right place” in current landscape and our complete confidence and trust in Commissioner Delany,” he said.
No doubt about it, Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany (the second highest paid commissioner, behind only the Pac-12’s Larry Scott) is one of the most powerful men in college football. He’s a big reason we’re getting close to having a true playoff, as his getting on board with the hybrid bowl/playoff idea will be critical to having a final four.
All 11 college football conference commissioners met in Dallas for two days, with the session concluding today. Nothing concrete emerged from it, but they all seem to get it that a BCS replacement is needed. Things are finally moving in that direction, too, with recent reports indicating it’ll likely begin with a “plus-one” system.
Via SB Nation:
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Well, here’s a step in the right direction. A small step, but maybe we’ll have a college football playoff, with a Final Four like we do with college basketball. A December Delirium to complement the March Madness?
NCAA President Mark Emmert says he would support a four-team playoff in college football – as long as the field doesn’t grow. Well that last point isn’t very encouraging.
Here’s more from the AP Sports:
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Last night I was lucky enough to be at a small private reception that included Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany. Yes, I was at the same party as the most powerful man in the prestigious college basketball and college football league.
Delaney’s a University of North Carolina alum, and this was a Chicago Carolina Club gathering at Japonais, a downtown restaurant located a few floors below the Big Ten Network (BTN) studio. Yes, I infiltrated a group of Tar Heels (despite the horrors of the 2005 national title game) in order to get the story.
Before we get to the tour, we’ll go over some conference expansion rumors and innuendo. Because once you get on any topic remotely connected to this issue these days, the conversation inevitably leads there anyway.
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In life, it’s usually a good thing to be on the side of the billionaire. If it’s possible that is. I had a billionaire call my cell phone once (for an interview piece I was doing on the Washington Wizards ownership change) and believe my that was a fun day of tweets and Facebook status updates for me.
However, billionaires are different than the rest of us; they have way more money. But they also see the sick joke that the BCS is/has become and clamor for something better. At least in Mark Cuban’s case. The owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks weighed on the biggest disgrace that plaques college football.
And what he intends to do about it.
By Paul M. Banks
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One of the major reasons the Big Ten added Nebraska as a 12th team is to fulfill the NCAA rule requiring at least 12 in order to have a conference championship game. Because having a Big Ten championship game brings in a lot of dough. And A.D.s and conference commissioners are like Biggie and Jay-Z, they “love the dough, more than you know. Gotta let it show, I love the dough.”
And more championship games, a natural offshoot from building superconferences, bring us closer to that badly needed college football playoff system.
Legendary Penn State (All-American ’81, left the program with 42 school records) and Seattle Seahawks (four Pro-Bowls) running back Curt Warner (not to be confused with the famous QB Kurt Warner) shares my vision.
“This thing has somewhat evolved into bigger superconferences amd I think you’ll see a number of consolidation over the next 5-6 years and it’s going to bleed more into a playoff kind of format. I can’t say for sure, but that’s where I think this thing is going,” Warner told me on the day of his College Football Hall of Fame enshrinement.
By Paul M. Banks
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If you’re rooting for the eventual demolishing of the BCS, in favor of a new college football playoff system (meaning you are in fact a human being who possesses a sense of decency, logic and rationality) then you should be rooting for Texas to do the right thing (whether that’s in the Big 12 or not) and start the seismic change required to get the ball rolling in the direction of an actual legitimate college football postseason. You can thank the Big Ten for creating the spark, but the Texas Longhorns are the explosive power mandated to blow this thing up.
However, if you’re a huge proponent of undefeated teams being denied a chance to play for the National Title, and you LOVE the Galleryfurniture.com Bowl, as well as the other 30-40 glorified exhibition games occurring every December-January, then by all means root for Texas’ decision to save the Big 12 become nothing more than a confirmation of the status quo. Texas is the Megan Fox of this conference realignment craze- everyone wants a piece, and they’re simply the hottest thing going right now.
By Paul M. Banks
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