Do they have a collective response to "Death to the BCS?" I haven't seen anything to show them actually going against the plain facts mentioned in the book.
It's we CAN'T be bought because we like control. I'm really curious as to the legality of creating a rogue championship. Can the teams simply not accept a BCS bid? Seems out of the question now, but what if a reward that's greater than or equal to a BCS bowl, + payout for each winning round could be offered, even possibly allowing early round losers to play in their bowls.
Y'know, the MAC, WAC, CUSA, SUN BELT, MWC should all take Cuban up on his offer to participate in the playoff and not play any BCS schools. Then, BCS schools can only play other BCS schools. Playoff schools can only play other playoff schools. That would be great. I wonder how popular the BCS would remain then? If Cuban could get some good championship game sites, it would work out really well. Forget the bowls.
Isn't the bowl games outside of the NCAA perview? If so, what stops a stadium/city/rich group from promising $50 MM per school to host a 4 game playoff? play a Friday/Sat grouping and then the final game on the following Saturday. Obviously, there are issues with TV rights, etc... but legally,is there anything to stop that from happening?
Wouldn't the winner of any proposed playoff system be recognized by the NCAA as THE FBS National Champion? The first ever? The only? What would this mean for the BCS champion if the NCAA recognized the other game as the championship?
First step in playoff is to redo the conferences. Step 1: Everyone needs to be broken down into 6 team conferences. This keeps the natural rivals together as well as creates regional pride. (do we really want to be tied to kansas for the rest of our life?) Since most are now divided into 6 team divisions this would be rather easy. Step 2: The conferences then play a 2 year series with other 6 team conferences and have a playoff at end of year, which is first round. Large conferences need to be thrown into the dust-bin of history. Their time has passed. This would keep everything new and exciting, establish regional pride and do away with crazy, to big to handle conferences which is all chaos and confusion and nobody is totally satisfied with.
The non-AQ schools should all tell the BCS to go to the devils workshop and work with Cuban. They arent included anyway unless the circumstances all come together. If they pulled this off, they would stand to make some serious money. You know somebody is going to bid on that TV contract.
The thing is few playoff proponents want to kill the bowls. Esentially the playoff games would be just like the BCS bowls they have now. Meaning it's not a shame to miss the BCS bowl games now, and won't be a shame to be left out a playoff (with a relatively low number of teams). Being 9-3 and missing the playoffs would not mean you had a bad season and should be ashamed. You still play a bowl game with a pretty good matchup, just as now. There is not a single decent argument out there against a playoff of some sort.
The key for Cuban is the have-nots. CUSA, MWC, WAC, MAC, And any other conference that has been kicked to the curb by the BCS should ban together and say, our top dog will partisipate in this playoff. Hell it is nothing more than bowl game. They can really break down some barriers and force the hand of the BCS conferences when kids are given the option got to BCS school and play for a bowl game or go to XYZ and play for real championships. The money would probably be big enough from Fox/ESPN that it would offset any money lost by the bowls and by not getting BCS invites. The real reason it will work is that most of the current bowls will go away due to lack of teams to play in them. This will basically give them a monopoly over the bowl season that will generate viewers. Honestly I don't see how it wouldn't be a success.
I don't think I'll really care who orchestrated it all and is profiting when I'm watching the best teams in all of college football sqaure off on the field for the 'right' to call themself the true national champion. Cuban can present the trophy with an 'I own the world' smirk sitting on top a reindeer in a Santa suit for all I care. Just as long as we get to see the best matchups and crown a real champion.
It is not about the money It is not about fairly determining a championship It is not about tradition I am not sure what exactly the BCS is about. Vested interests above all?
The BCS just makes money Or does it? UConn is going to lose money because it's going to the Fiesta Bowl.
The have-nots are the key to me, in the sense that, if the money beats most bowls out there, you will start to see bites from the BCS conferences. Playoff, a bigger payoff and chance to get a couple of home games for a team like A&M or Ok St this year would probably beat out playing in the Cotton Bowl or Alamo Bowl. Especially if you win the tourney. I'd imagine the same for Boise, especially this year. I actually think you go after the Big East as well, just because of their location. How long would bigger schools sit out of this? Especially when they can sill play their Jan 1 bowl games. And yes, I think this is as easy as getting a big network that wants to make a splash involved. Not easy of course, but lets say HDNet started this. Cuban could essentially pay teams out of pocket and make a killing. I bet he could get Jerry onboard to host the championship. Gurantee you Fox would see that and negotiate.
Two big barriers to just ramrodding this through. First, the NCAA has to bless any postseason game. They could finesse this be enrolling some already accredited bowls. The second will be more problematic, though. The NCAA would have to allow teams to play more than one postseason game to have a mult-round playoff. They'd have to get the NCAA on board to move forward with any playoff.
As much as many would despise them teaming up, Jerry joining Cuban in this would be huge. Jerry has worked tirelessly to develop Cowboys Stadium into a dominant entertainment player in avenues outside the NFL. He went for the ultimate matchup in boxing when it was on the table (Mayweather-Pacquaio). Then still continues with the big name attraction of Pacman to set the precedent of boxing in Dallas. Also, he's done all he can to get many college football events in there. I can't see how he wouldn't be all over a sport redefining system of a college football playoff if it was credible and feasible, and the Deathstar was in the loop.
I heard the author of "Death To The BCS" yesterday on the radio up here in Dallas and he was saying that Texas will actually make more money this year from the bowl season by not going than they have in years of BCS appearances. No expenses and making essentially the same amount of money (after travel expenses) by getting their share of the bowl proceeds from other schools.
