Tuesday, July 18

A Playoff Proposal 

Below is guest contributor R. A. Pennington's proposal for a I-A playoff system.  Give it a read, then give us your opinions on it (with the "Feedback" link at the close of the article).
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Playoff format for 32 teams/10 conferences

32 slots for 10 conferences. 3 for each conference automatically with the 31st and 32nd slot going to the conferences that placed teams into the final game for the title. 12 team leagues get each division winner plus the best runner-up in. 10 team conferences get the top 3 teams in. The conference/division winners get the home field for the 1st round. Seeding to determine
who gets the next home game is decided by using a combined poll of the last regular season using the writers and coaches polls. 

12 game regular season with no byes or Kickoff Classic games with each team having a 6 at home/6 on the road split. That makes up the missing revenue for lesser teams missing out on small bowls so they'll not complain about no bowls. After all the 5th place team out of any conference is hardly a threat to win it all. 

In 10 team conferences the teams will all play each other (9 games) and still have enough slots for regular non-conference rivalries. 

In 12 team conferences the team will play 5 games in division and 3 from the opposite division with NFL-style seeding (1-3-5 and 2-4-6 match ups with the opposite divisions) and then have 4 non-conference slots. Tiebreakers for the 2nd spot that gets the playoff bid will be head-to-head, followed by best overall record, followed by who has gone without a playoff spot or bowl bid the longest. If still tied, points differential followed by a coin flip will resolve the tie. There will be no conference championship game. 

16 games in the 1st round will be sold in 4 game packages to the networks along with 2 game packages for the 2nd round and the regional title game. Then another package consisting of the semis (to be played at neutral sites using old bowl locations like Miami, New Orleans and LA) and the final game (cities bid for the championship), plus a New Year's Day College All-Star Game (North & East versus South & West with regions rotating alliances every year). 

The current season stretches from the last weekend of August to the first weekend of December. Then come a series of big waits and bowl games. Lots of teams have their educational cycles disrupted and some bowl games just don't do well for crowds. Having the playoff games at home for the best-seeded teams clears up the attendance problem for the first 3 rounds and the semis plus national title game will be big hits even if you played them in Fairbanks, Alaska. Under my system only 32 teams would be playing past Thanksgiving, minimizing winter term disruptions. By the end of Dec 9, 2000 only 4 teams are looking to
have to play a game, compared to the 50 that now must prepare for bowls. December 23rd would be the title game and give the players who will play in the All-Star game on the 1st a bit over a week to get ready if they made the title game. This is based on this year's calendar and what would happen if this system were in place. 

The regular season will still be mighty interesting as there are 3 slots per conference automatically (plus the extra 2 for the conferences that placed the finalists...that reflects strength of conference) so there won't be any of "I'll just wait to the playoffs to watch" sentiment. Dual TV packages for a playoff season will be bigger by far than the current bowl
contracts. Attendance will be higher than bowl games. The viewing audience will pick up. This will wind up bigger than the NCAA 64-team basketball tournament I believe. 

With the college playoffs settled fans can then progress right on to the NFL playoffs!  

The winners under this system will be conferences like the MAC, Mountain West and C-USA. The Big Ten, Big XII, SEC, and PAC-10 will see diminished presence by numbers but then to make up for it, the TV playoff revenue will be split equally among all the schools, there is the guaranteed 12th game and the flavor of football will change as more teams from more conferences participate. The 4th place finisher in any major conference generally isn't a serious championship contender anyway. I think it will be for the better. The lesser lights of DivI-A that cannot meet I-A status for attendance and stadium size will be dropped back to I-AA, making it easier to come up with a 10 conference grouping. This isn't about La-Monroe, Akron and Boise State (all marginal in terms of facilities and attendance), this is about the big names (new like Marshall, old like Texas) getting in there and slugging their way to a Sears Trophy earned on the field.  

This proposal isn't your father's Oldsmobile! 

Just My Opinion!

(See below for his Comments, as well.)

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Comments from the author
What he has to say about the way things would be if he had his way (!)

I'd like nothing better than to see the scheme I have outlined become the way Div I-A football is organized.  I've thought about the situation for years and this is my best solution.

No doubt there'll be nay Sayers. Heck, Eisenhower probably had some but D-Day had to go forward sometime if we were ever going to win the war. In that spirit I urge that the NCAA and the college presidents do something and move the ball forward. "Can do" as opposed to wringing of hands so to speak. The window of opportunity is there as the NCAA has several years before the current BCS contract runs out to get a system in place, reorganize the marginal programs in I-A to I-AA, adjust schedules and lock in semifinal, championship and All-Star venues.   

Given that Notre Dame is falling on it's butt I'd expect them to become more receptive to conference affiliation, which will allow the independents to finally expire as everyone in I-A is a conference team. That eliminates a huge roadblock.  

The money will convince people and the lessening of academic disruption will be a salient point as well.  In conjunction with this proposal I recommend the following educational adjustments: A student whose sport is in season only needs 6 credits in that season's term to be eligible. They can get the 6 credits back during summer school. Having the summer to prepare with a lightened academic load and the season itself being less-stressed by 6 instead of a full 12 credits, the student-athlete is set up to succeed instead of being buried by too much to do. Given that few of them will be pro players, getting that degree is essential and the splitting of the credits into 2 halftime terms along with 2 fulltime terms will go a long ways toward alleviating the time crunch these kids are under.

Tie this in with some form of stipend, year round housing/training table, year-round ability to practice and prepare and the athlete will be best equipped to succeed athletically and academically. Most of these kids are the best this country has to offer and even if they are over 18 they still need help, guidance and support. Getting them off in the right foot will lead
to even greater benefits in the decades ahead for our society as a whole. We cannot afford to let them slip through the cracks. The money from a Div I-A playoff system can go a long ways to remedy the situation that we are currently in. I am just surprised there isn't even more corruption given that these kids have so little money. It's a testimony to the real goodness
that they have in their hearts. Don't let them down!

I guess I need a genie to grant me three wishes...the first one is to be the Sports Czar of Earth and make everything right again! Oh heck, just make me Emperor of Everything! *chuckle*

Play fair!

R. A. Pennington

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