Are we playing big time football in 20 years?

[Newhouser]

Have had 2 conversations recently with Patriot and Ivy league alums with family of some rank at the schools, who both hinted that there is smoke that member schools in both leagues would love to drop down but nobody wants to drop first.

Got me thinking about our program and the change$ ahead - how convinced are we as fans that we stay in the game once the new era begins? Culturally, fiscally...our climb is going to get a ton steeper, wonder if we have the ability or interest in staying in when everything shakes out.

 

[SuFTW]

Yes we are still playing.

 

[klemmer56]

Yes we will still be playing. One key component here is that both major sports (MBB and FB) continue to bring in profits and do not operate in the red.

I can't remember where I read an article that said SU sports was a top ACC (#6 I believe) revenue and profit school, but that alone is a significant reason to say SU will be playing major sports for the foreseeable future.

 

[Trueblue25]

syracuse can drop from the p5 over my
heaping, cold dead body

 

[LeMoyneCuse]

Have had 2 conversations recently with Patriot and Ivy league alums with family of some rank at the schools, who both hinted that there is smoke that member schools in both leagues would love to drop down but nobody wants to drop first.

Got me thinking about our program and the change$ ahead - how convinced are we as fans that we stay in the game once the new era begins? Culturally, fiscally...our climb is going to get a ton steeper, wonder if we have the ability or interest in staying in when everything shakes out.

Can't compare the Ivys and Patriot to the ACC. The P5 money from TV is so different.

 

[Newhouser]

Can't compare the Ivys and Patriot to the ACC. The P5 money from TV is so different.

No doubt but 20 years form now the TV money and ACC may look much different too.

 

[LeMoyneCuse]

No doubt but 20 years form now the TV money and ACC may look much different too.

I mean, true. But 20 years is an eternity in college athletics, unless you're scheduling future opponents.

 

[kcsu]

Yes we will be playing. I believe that there will be another shake up within 10 years that will lead to SU and other power schools to their own governance

 

[HRE Otto IV]

Basketball and politics will prevent a true super league from ever happening. I can see the P5 schools forming their own division but that leaves the G5 behind, not SU. Also they will want TV markets and SU is the only real school athletically in NY State.

 

[Toga]

Some big development in helmets' concussion protection and/or significant improvement in concussion treatment will occur within 20 years.

 

[TheCusian]

No doubt but 20 years form now the TV money and ACC may look much different too.

Only thing that will change all of that is eyeballs. I think some of the changes (transfer, NIL, bigger playoff) will actually help parity. More parity, more fans in more geographic areas.

Some will drop down and it won’t be a bad thing. I don’t think it will be any current P5 schools

 

[storange]

Yep

 

[orangedave]

syracuse can drop from the p5 over my
heaping, cold dead body

Sounds like you are in a position to stop them. I'm impressed.

 

[Scooch]

Big time football is central to the culture and identity of Syracuse University. If there is a "big time" football, then we will be playing in it.

 

[cusefan88]

We'll see how helmet technology evolves. Will be key.

 

[Hoo's That]

Yes we will be playing. I believe that there will be another shake up within 10 years that will lead to SU and other power schools to their own governance

Do you mean something to replace the NCAA (an idea that always scares me)? P5-level football already has its own governance as typified by the rule change that let the Big XII keep its championship game even though they have less than 12 teams. No other group or division could do that.

 

[oldpinepoint]

IMO, College football is at a crossroads. Quite frankly the product is awful with only a handful of teams having a realistic chance at winning the entire thing. Hopefully the expansion of the playoff will make it more competitive. But with only a handful of teams getting the best players and the money gap of these programs, how will smaller schools in the P5 compete, especially once you can start paying players for their likeness, etc. I’m not sure what will happen in 20 years, but I think we will still Be around playing at the highest level.

 

[kcsu]

Do you mean something to replace the NCAA (an idea that always scares me)? P5-level football already has its own governance as typified by the rule change that let the Big XII keep its championship game even though they have less than 12 teams. No other group or division could do that.

I do. I think that the NCAA has proven that they dont have the capability to manage the P5 anymore. They are done its just a matter of time before a new group takes over

 

[texascpa]

I'll probably be dead by then, so I don't know and won't care at the point.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

IMO, College football is at a crossroads. Quite frankly the product is awful with only a handful of teams having a realistic chance at winning the entire thing. Hopefully the expansion of the playoff will make it more competitive. But with only a handful of teams getting the best players and the money gap of these programs, how will smaller schools in the P5 compete, especially once you can start paying players for their likeness, etc. I’m not sure what will happen in 20 years, but I think we will still Be around playing at the highest level.

Limit scholarships to 65-70 a team. No more redshirting. Spread the talent around and more teams will be competitive.

 

[0.2 YNdeeR]

Limit scholarships to 65-70 a team. No more redshirting. Spread the talent around and more teams will be competitive.

And while they're at it ... might want to cut the number of "assistants" down to a dozen (a fraction of Clemson's current legion).

 

[Toga]

I'll probably be dead by then, so I don't know and won't care at the point.

Well there's that.

 

[dollarbill44]

And while they're at it ... might want to limit the number of "assistants" to a dozen or so (a fraction of Clemson's current legion).

There really should be reasonable limits to the number of on-field personnel, if not all the time,, then at least on game days. The number of "training staff" and "consultants" for the big programs is ridiculous.

 

[mscanlo]

Have had 2 conversations recently with Patriot and Ivy league alums with family of some rank at the schools, who both hinted that there is smoke that member schools in both leagues would love to drop down but nobody wants to drop first.

Got me thinking about our program and the change$ ahead - how convinced are we as fans that we stay in the game once the new era begins? Culturally, fiscally...our climb is going to get a ton steeper, wonder if we have the ability or interest in staying in when everything shakes out.

do they want to drop down to D3? For Patriot, I think the academies would stay as it is part of their identity. Similarly, for Harvard, Princeton, Penn, and Cornell, it is part of their identity. And if Harvard is staying, Yale would stay. Dartmouth could go either way. Could see Brown and Columbia dropping and joining the UAA (D3 conference) , and thus could result in some combined league of of the academies and the remaining Ivy leagues.

Seems unlikely though

 

[Mareiniss]

We'll see how helmet technology evolves. Will be key.

I agree with this take. According to a 2017 study, researchers found CTE in 99 percent of brains obtained from deceased NFL players, as well at 91 percent of college football players and 21 percent of high school football players. If plaintiffs' lawyers succeed in a growing number of lawsuits against colleges, the NCAA and others for CTE brain injuries, that will put a big dent in football revenues. Improvement in helmet technology and concussion protocols will be key in avoiding big money judgments.