So how long until the playoff expands to 8?

[cpatrocks]

Expanding to 8 teams just seams inevitable to me. How long do you think it takes until this becomes a reality?

2 years?
5 years?
10 years?

Never?


Automatic bids for the P5 conference champs and 3 at large bids. That format should would suck ND into the ACC full time pretty fast you'd think.

 

[Rocco]

The sooner the better.

 

[orange79]

Well, the contract with ESPN runs for 12 years. There would have to be a groundswell of support from the commissioners of the FBS conferences, along with the school presidents. I don't think the appetite is there yet for an increase in the number of teams.

 

[Full_Rebar]

It won't be long. Just wait for the first conference to feel they got screwed over by the process, which is likely to happen this year.

 

[Chip]

Depends on when there is the first unanimous controversy that someone was left out.

Can't say how bad the selection process is when we don't know it yet. But 4 is better than 2, so I'm going to enjoy at least this first season of it.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Automatic bids for the P5 conference champs and 3 at large bids. That format should would suck ND into the ACC full time pretty fast you'd think.

If ND is a Top 8 team, they won't be excluded.

 

[TheCusian]

It's all about the money. If this first year the money from advertisers, tv ratings, etc. are huge - watch out. ESPN will gladly fork over more money for another week of games.

 

[Moontan]

6 years.

The current arrangement calls for two 6-year cycles. If things go well (e.g. Lots of $$$ is shared by (mostly) the P-5) then greed and/or common sense will drive them to 8 teams. Then it's just a question of when. It's either 6 or 12 years. Greed will drive them to 6.

 

[Stern]

Expanding to 8 teams just seams inevitable to me. How long do you think it takes until this becomes a reality?

2 years?
5 years?
10 years?

Never?


Automatic bids for the P5 conference champs and 3 at large bids. That format should would suck ND into the ACC full time pretty fast you'd think.

When the SEC wants it to go to 8. They call the shots

 

[AshevilleHeel]

Expanding to 8 teams just seams inevitable to me. How long do you think it takes until this becomes a reality?

2 years?
5 years?
10 years?

Never?


Automatic bids for the P5 conference champs and 3 at large bids. That format should would suck ND into the ACC full time pretty fast you'd think.

I don't think it will ever go to 8 in that sense. I believe that the conferences own greed will cause them to act in their self-interests and do conference semifinals at the home of the higher ranked division winners. The conference championships will be the de facto quarterfinals. This is predicated on the Big 12 breaking up which I think will happen due to the lack of a conference network versus the other conference payouts. Whether or not the ACC is thinking about conference semifinals would be a good question for Arb.

 

[SUskibum]

I don't think it will ever go to 8 in that sense. I believe that the conferences own greed will cause them to act in their self-interests and do conference semifinals at the home of the higher ranked division winners. The conference championships will be the de facto quarterfinals. This is predicated on the Big 12 breaking up which I think will happen due to the lack of a conference network versus the other conference payouts. Whether or not the ACC is thinking about conference semifinals would be a good question for Arb.

I actually think the conference championships are going to take it to defacto 13 even if the conference championship arent officially counted as part of the playoff

 

[Orangepace]

The BCS was broken and lasted 16 seasons. In all honesty, I think we'll see a split between the P5 and the non-P5 schools before we see the # of playoff teams increased. It makes too much sense considering that schools can now pay players a stipend, though really only the P5 and ND will be able to afford to do so. That will likely create an even larger talent disparity in the FBS division between the "haves" and "have nots." Utilizing the info from Forbes (http://www.forbes.com/sites/chrissmith/2013/01/16/the-most-valuable-conferences-in-college-sports/ - I know it's dated as the BE doesn't have football, the WAC doesn't exist and several of these have been renegotiated, further expanding the disparity, but the easiest proxy I could find), the quick breakdown is:

• B12: $26.20 million/team
  
• Pac-12: $25.25 million/team
  
• B1G: $22.14 million/team
  
• ACC: $20.93 million/team
  
• SEC: $19.28 million/team
  
• BE/AAC: $8.55 million/team
  
• CUSA: $2.04 million/team
  
• MW: $1.79 million/team
• MAC: $1.69 million/team

Based on the above, it's fair to quickly assume (even if the data is dated) that the non-P5 won't be able to pony up those stipends to recruits. Thus, it stands to reason that other than a few exceptions, a recruit would be very likely to accept a scholarship offer from the worst P5 school, rather than to play for a non-P5 purely based on the fact they'd be getting paid. It won't be long before the non-P5 basically becomes what the current BCS division is. Currently there are 65 teams in the P5 (including ND). If the split happens, I would bet that at a minimum the conferences become more balanced with 14 or 16 teams each. That increases the school count to a minimum of 70 teams. It stands to reason if this happened, the P5 will also see increases in media rights revenues as the competition will be improved with many more big matchups. You can already see this happening with conferences considering 9 conference games, 1 big OOC opponent, 1 non-P5 opponent and 1 FCS.

I think that once the break happens, you will see the playoff system move to 8 teams with the P5 conference champions given automatic berths, similar to the old BCS.

 

[Orijinal]

Why should teams 5-8 play for a national championship? I think this is the perfect system. For half of the BCS years we knew who the 2 best teams were. They should be playing for the national championship. For the other half of those years, we knew who the best 3 teams were. They should be playing for the national championship. This system guarantees that those who truly deserve to play for a national championship do.

You really think that an 8 seed will win 3 games in a row against top 7 teams and take the trophy? That's optimistic, and probably not lucid thinking.

 

[PeteCalvin]

When the SEC wants it to go to 8. They call the shots

Exactly! The season after the SEC doesn't put a team in the four team model.

 

[TheCusian]

Why should teams 5-8 play for a national championship? I think this is the perfect system. For half of the BCS years we knew who the 2 best teams were. They should be playing for the national championship. For the other half of those years, we knew who the best 3 teams were. They should be playing for the national championship. This system guarantees that those who truly deserve to play for a national championship do. You really think that an 8 seed will win 3 games in a row against top 7 teams and take the trophy? That's optimistic, and probably not lucid thinking.

No but it will be fun to see them try

 

[SmilinBob]

Why should teams 5-8 play for a national championship? I think this is the perfect system. For half of the BCS years we knew who the 2 best teams were. They should be playing for the national championship. For the other half of those years, we knew who the best 3 teams were. They should be playing for the national championship. This system guarantees that those who truly deserve to play for a national championship do.

You really think that an 8 seed will win 3 games in a row against top 7 teams and take the trophy? That's optimistic, and probably not lucid thinking.

I agree with you but when you schedule a poor OOC and that helps get you in while schools that play an actual H/H with tough schools OOC get punished, it's not as simple as it seems unless they just go to the schools actually win their conference on the field of play and take the "committee" out of the equation.

 

[Moontan]

I agree with you but when you schedule a poor OOC and that helps get you in while schools that play an actual H/H with tough schools OOC get punished, it's not as simple as it seems unless they just go to the schools actually win their conference on the field of play and take the "committee" out of the equation.

The P-5 conference champions should be in. The committee can pick the 3 at-large bids and deal with the seeding. Get it done!

 

[SmilinBob]

Curious to see how this BYU thing is going to go because they have played top flight football against a very solid OOC schedule.

 

[PhatOrange]

You really think that an 8 seed will win 3 games in a row against top 7 teams and take the trophy? That's optimistic, and probably not lucid thinking.

I think it'll happen often. And whomever emerges out of the top 8 teams is your true national champion. no bullshyt.

 

[PhatOrange]

how fast it happens probably depends on how many years the Big10 gets left out of the top 4 - or the SEC feels like they got shafted by not having 3 teams in.

 

[cpatrocks]

So the 8 team playoff has to be more of a reality at this point now right?

I think the conference championship games would have been so much cooler if a team like GA tech had a real shot of making the playoff if they won.

 

[Chris02M]

id say at least 3 years as it wont happen until each new years 6 site hosts a semi

 

[CuseOnly]

Why should teams 5-8 play for a national championship? I think this is the perfect system. For half of the BCS years we knew who the 2 best teams were. They should be playing for the national championship. For the other half of those years, we knew who the best 3 teams were. They should be playing for the national championship. This system guarantees that those who truly deserve to play for a national championship do.

You really think that an 8 seed will win 3 games in a row against top 7 teams and take the trophy? That's optimistic, and probably not lucid thinking.

For the same reason that there are 66 in the Basketball tournament.

 

[cpatrocks]

For the same reason that there are 66 in the Basketball tournament.

68, but who's counting.

 

[CusefanATL]

Expanding to 8 teams just seams inevitable to me. How long do you think it takes until this becomes a reality?

2 years?
5 years?
10 years?

Never?


Automatic bids for the P5 conference champs and 3 at large bids. That format should would suck ND into the ACC full time pretty fast you'd think.

2 months