You're the CFB Commissioner

[OttoinGrotto]

I am?

 

[SmilinBob]

I'd take a huge salary and call myself something like...hmm...the NCAA, this way it'll seem ok that the money isn't going directly into my bank account. Then, I'd hire my friends and get them on the payroll. Then, I'd make a rule that pays the players zero while getting even more money for me and my friends. My next step would be to make vague rules that only I can apply thus showing my superiority. Finally, I'd set a bowl system that gives more of my friends millions of dollars, call it a charity for tax purposes like I did for my NCAA business and give the participants a gift card.

 

[corpjet]

Should we be forward thinking and apply safety rules now which we know are coming anyways?

No more kickoffs, ball spotted at the 25 yard line.

 

[texascpa]

Should we be forward thinking and apply safety rules now which we know are coming anyways?

No more kickoffs, ball spotted at the 25 yard line.

Why exactly is this "forward thinking". How many more safety rules do we need or want? How about get rid of the helmets. Move everyone closer to each other. No forward passing. Oh wait, we already have that sport, it's called Rugby.

 

[Newhouser]

I would change the PI rules to basically say "unless someone is getting a clear advantage, go get it". I would also have any player injured not be able to return for that entire possession. Eliminates the planned "go down" and insures player safety.

All of that would be secondary to speeding the games up - the main reason live attendance is dropping.

 

[corpjet]

Why exactly is this "forward thinking". How many more safety rules do we need or want? How about get rid of the helmets. Move everyone closer to each other. No forward passing. Oh wait, we already have that sport, it's called Rugby.

Lets be honest, guys now are bigger, stronger and faster than they were even 10 years ago. When you have guys running full speed at each other from 50 yards that has the potential to not end well. With the new touch back rule teams are starting at the 25 yard line over half the time now anyways. Would eliminating the kick offs be that much of a detriment to the game vs the risk? I think not. Sports evolve, rules evolve, concussions are a thing now a days. Why not error on the side of caution for the players.

 

[texascpa]

Lets be honest, guys now are bigger, stronger and faster than they were even 10 years ago. When you have guys running full speed at each other from 50 yards that has the potential to not end well. With the new touch back rule teams are starting at the 25 yard line over half the time now anyways. Would eliminating the kick offs be that much of a detriment to the game vs the risk? I think not. Sports evolve, rules evolve, concussions are a thing now a days. Why not error on the side of caution for the players.

Concussions will remain, so do away with anything that could result in a concussion. To me, each new "safety" rule is a slippery slope to the end of the sport. Once you eliminate kickoffs, you can be rest assured media and other folks will look to the next area of the game that causes concussions. That is either at the line of scrimmage or the passing game, depending on who you listen to. They will start pushing for more rules in those areas. The game is either the full game or it's not the game. It's something else.

 

[SU68]

I relegate Rutgers and UConn to the Texas HS League.

You hate Rutgers and UConn that much? They'd get killed in a Texas HS league.

 

[All4SU]

I’d get rid of the rule that allows a coach to freeze the kicker by calling a TO just before the snap.

 

[orangecuse]

I’d get rid of the rule that allows a coach to freeze the kicker by calling a TO just before the snap.

I don't mind the initial TO, as it's somewhat strategic. However, they should get rid of the consecutive TO's by a team as that I feel is a bit of nonsense IMO.

 

[Eric15]

Speed up the game. College football has turned into Yankee-Red Sox playoff games.

100% this. There is no reason a non-overtime college football game should last more than 3 hours.

 

[Eric15]

I know that this is a VERY unpopular opinion, but I really don't want playoff expansion. As a college football fan over all I really love that every game matters.

I struggle with this also. I think the college football regular season is the most beautiful thing in all of sports. Labor Day Weekend, it's on, and you better hit the ground running. Whereas in other sports, you lose early, eh who cares.

 

[Alsacs]

I am okay with an expanded playoff if the regular season was only 11 games.
Once Saban retires Alabama is going to comeback to the pack.
11 regular season games.
Conference title game
3 playoff games.
Equals 15 games for the champion.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

OFF SEASON TIME BABY

What would you change if you could? Often debated but here's a few things I would change.

1. 8 TEAM PLAYOFF - Don't really care how you do it - could see arguments for AQ's for Conference Champs but I don't want some lucky 7-5 team getting in either so

2. TRANSFERS - Absolutely no player will ever be blocked from transferring to a new school. Also you can transfer, play ONLY 4 games, and retain the redshirt. So for example Abdul Adams or Trishton could have transferred here, and played 4 games, while retaining their redshirt. I know they were allowed to play in the bowl game, but you shouldn't have to sit and miss an entire year.

3. SALARY CAP - This one may get interesting but hear me out - schools should have a max they can spend on coaching salaries. Spend all the money you want for facilities and things like that, but I can't get over the gross overpaying for college coaches. I know I can't judge too much about how another man makes a living, but it's out of control. Strength coaches making over 500k a year. Assistants making over a million dollars a year. Coaches getting bonuses for hundreds of thousands of dollars on top of their 6 million dollar salaries. I know it would never happen but it's really REALLY hard to say kids shouldn't see SOME of the money, when their strength coach makes $725,000.

What say you?

Conference realignment? Rule changes? Syracuse is default in the CFP?

Paying coaches at factories puts no more $ in the kids' pockets. Those costs are controlled by NCAA.
Also, guys like Saban, and by extension, his staff, are worth it. Nick Saban Gets Another Pay Raise From Alabama And The Numbers Show He Deserves It

 

[Shark58]

I struggle with this also. I think the college football regular season is the most beautiful thing in all of sports. Labor Day Weekend, it's on, and you better hit the ground running. Whereas in other sports, you lose early, eh who cares.

the downside to that is that it could effectively eliminate a team that got better throughout the season.

 

[SWC75]

I struggle with this also. I think the college football regular season is the most beautiful thing in all of sports. Labor Day Weekend, it's on, and you better hit the ground running. Whereas in other sports, you lose early, eh who cares.

You are dealing with players in their late teens and early 20's and we have a set up where they could lose a game played in August and be eliminated. I always remember the 1999 Arizona team, who had shocked people by going 11-1 the year before and there predictions of a run to the national title game. They were scheduled to play at Penn State in the Kick-off Classic. They got crushed and were so demoralized they limped to a 6-6 finish.
Arizona Historical Scores
If they could have come back from that and had a shot at a playoff by going 11-1 again or by winning their conference championship, they might have had a much better record.

It has always seemed unfair to me that we put these teams with kaleidoscopic line-ups of not fully mature players through this "single elimination tournament" (but not for everyone) regular season and yet in the pros where they have teams that can stay together for years and feature full matured adult players we give them 4 exhibition games, they can make the playoffs with a 7-9 record - see:
2010 Seattle Seahawks Statistics & Players | Pro-Football-Reference.com
...and can make and win the Super Bowl with A 9-7 record - see:
2011 New York Giants Statistics & Players | Pro-Football-Reference.com
...is clearly unfair.

We need a more forgiving system in college and the NFL a less forgiving one, (four 8 team divisions and just put the champions in the playoffs).

 

[Eric15]

They got crushed and were so demoralized they limped to a 6-6 finish.

SWC, come on, if losing one game hurt their feelings so much that they lost 5 more, they weren't national title material that year.

 

[SWC75]

SWC, come on, if losing one game hurt their feelings so much that they lost 5 more, they weren't national title material that year.

Football is an emotional game and a team thinking national champion that get crushed in their first game is going to have a natural reaction to that. I recall it being talked about at the time.

 

[Eric15]

Football is an emotional game and a team thinking national champion that get crushed in their first game is going to have a natural reaction to that. I recall it being talked about at the time.

Plenty of one loss teams have played for national titles in the pre-playoff era. Their season was nowhere close to being over. And they still had a Rose Bowl to play for.

 

[UnknownOrange]

Paying coaches at factories puts no more $ in the kids' pockets. Those costs are controlled by NCAA.
Also, guys like Saban, and by extension, his staff, are worth it. Nick Saban Gets Another Pay Raise From Alabama And The Numbers Show He Deserves It

My point here is that with all the money in college football - there is PLENTY to go around to the players

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

My point here is that with all the money in college football - there is PLENTY to go around to the players

For the big schools for sure. Many schools lose money, or break even, on FB. If they make money, the surplus funds the other, non- revenue sports, (including scholarships, as the AD pays the school for the athletic scholarship). So, in fact, the money does go to student athletes, just non-FB student athletes.
Now, as an aside, if the money was coming from the taxpayer, rather than AD income, I would agree on some limitations on salaries, but it should be across the board, not just coaches.

 

[UnknownOrange]

For the big schools for sure. Many schools lose money, or break even, on FB. If they make money, the surplus funds the other, non- revenue sports, (including scholarships, as the AD pays the school for the athletic scholarship). So, in fact, the money does go to student athletes, just non-FB student athletes.
Now, as an aside, if the money was coming from the taxpayer, rather than AD income, I would agree on some limitations on salaries, but it should be across the board, not just coaches.

After spending 4 years within the heart of college athletics - there's a lot that needs to be changed. So many make SO much. I also know how schools can hide their money and count it as "expenses" so they don't show a surplus in cash flow and can play the "woe is me, we don't make any money, SEE!!!"

 

[OrangePA]

OFF SEASON TIME BABY

What would you change if you could? Often debated but here's a few things I would change.

1. 8 TEAM PLAYOFF - Don't really care how you do it - could see arguments for AQ's for Conference Champs but I don't want some lucky 7-5 team getting in either so

2. TRANSFERS - Absolutely no player will ever be blocked from transferring to a new school. Also you can transfer, play ONLY 4 games, and retain the redshirt. So for example Abdul Adams or Trishton could have transferred here, and played 4 games, while retaining their redshirt. I know they were allowed to play in the bowl game, but you shouldn't have to sit and miss an entire year.

3. SALARY CAP - This one may get interesting but hear me out - schools should have a max they can spend on coaching salaries. Spend all the money you want for facilities and things like that, but I can't get over the gross overpaying for college coaches. I know I can't judge too much about how another man makes a living, but it's out of control. Strength coaches making over 500k a year. Assistants making over a million dollars a year. Coaches getting bonuses for hundreds of thousands of dollars on top of their 6 million dollar salaries. I know it would never happen but it's really REALLY hard to say kids shouldn't see SOME of the money, when their strength coach makes $725,000.

What say you?

Conference realignment? Rule changes? Syracuse is default in the CFP?

I don't like the idea of college football teams playing 14-15 games per year.

I think that's a bad idea for young players.

I have never seen the need for a play-off in college football - it is a money grab and grist for talk radio.

I have no doubt that the play-off will soon include eight teams.

Knowing that I would eliminate divisions within conferences and simply have the top two teams play for the title.

I do not believe in paying players.

They receive enough remuneration, including a free college education.

If they don't like the idea of playing big time college football - while receiving excellent coaching, and personal development and while having a great time playing sports at that level - while being given the chance to graduate with an undergraduate degree and a graduate degree in some instances - then they shouldn't play but should get a student loan or a job just like the rest of us.

 

[SWC75]

Plenty of one loss teams have played for national titles in the pre-playoff era. Their season was nowhere close to being over. And they still had a Rose Bowl to play for.

And plenty of one loss teams have not. The ones that did were perennial powers, not teams trying to establish themselves.