Well, the Senator used to warn us that shit like this was coming down the pipe. I didn’t believe there’d be a day where NIL was a thing along with conference and playoff expansion, yet, here we are.
Before we write this off as brainless hypotheticals, let’s not lose sight of the idea that currently the PAC-6 is literally picking over the remnants of whatever football teams are left to attempt to become a Power Conference again, and with Gonzaga the latest to join – without a football program, mind you – I could see someone buying in to this idea to salvage better teams left off the expansion plate. Florida State and Clemson, I’m looking at you.
What might this look like, you ask? Here’s an idea:
College Sports Tomorrow, which is a group of executives and administrators, has proposed streamlining college football into a “Super League” called the College Student Football League (CSFL).
Details of the plan have been in the works for months, but were unveiled by the group on Tuesday. The plan includes the reorganization of the 136 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) schools into two conferences. The top 72 programs in the country would compete in the Power 12 Conference, which would be made up of 12 six-team divisions based on geography.
Names of those divisions, based on regions, include East, Mideast, Great Lakes, Midwest, Carolinas, Midsouth, Southeast, South, Plains, Texas, Southwest, and West.
The remaining 64 teams, most of which make up the current Group of 5, would compete in the Group of 8 Conference. Divisions in that conference include East, Mideast, Midwest, Atlantic, Southeast, South, Central, and West.
According to the release, some of the top teams in the Group of 8 would be eligible for promotion to the Power 12 Conference the following season, but there would be no relegation of schools from the Power 12 to the Group of 8.
In case you were wondering what these divisions would look like, feast your eyes:
Who the the hell determined UCF to be a power anything? Why does Navy get to join the Power 12 but not Army or Air Force? Hell, for the “East” division, just invite the Coast Guard while you’re at it. And what, exactly does “Mid South” mean? Some get geographical names like “plains” and “Great Lakes” while others are selected by a Compass Rose. Trust when I tell you an appropriate snark post is coming on this one.
Here’s the “Redheaded Stepchild 64” in case you were wondering:
Honestly as I write this I think that this is a joke. It’s not April Fools, there’s no special day upon us, and this seems so unusual (again, what constitutes “south” exactly?). The sad part is, I thought the same about playoff expansion and NIL. When originally posited, I thought there’s no way this could happen and break from the halos of amateurism that the NCAA held so fast for so long.
Yet here we are. Can’t wait to tell my kids that we’ve got a big game against the Mid South by Southeast Division foe Auburn Tigers next weekend.
Should’ve listened to the Senator more about this day coming.
What a clusterfuck.
Why is my memory that the Senator told us that allowing NIL would not destroy anything, but I said a Super League, among other things, would be a negative consequence and was ignored?
It’s like wrestling in the 70’s.
“College Sports Tomorrow” sounds like a super-villain organization from Despicable Me 10.
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Navy is on the list for the “72” (only) because of their annual game with Notre Dame.
European soccer is trying to do the same thing with the top teams from the top leagues (in Eng, FR, ESP, GER, etc). They tried to do it two yrs ago and the fans revolted like a real live Les Mis production. The $€£¥ men had to backoff for fear of their lives. They are preparing another attempt to create their super league.
I think the leads of college football saw this and instead of doing a full 180 to college traditions, they have been slowing turning the ship with changes like BCS, then re-alignment, then lawsuits, then 4 team playoff, then transfer portal, then NIL, then re-alignment, then 12 team playoff, then re-alignment, etc. All part of their master plan to alter forever college football. Tv money for the win.
reviewing our division how the fuck did we get lumped into the sunshine state schools?
i think they start with the 72 and the end goal is to eventually build a three tier league of 24 teams each that will have promo/relegation with a super bowl for each tier with the winners of the 2nd and 3rd tier moving up. just my $0.02
money talks and…
What happens after the promotion season to a newly promoted team since most/all of the others are not able to be relegated ? They just get swapped back down, even if they had a magical run (unlikely, but still) and won [whatever it is].
If by rule you can’t win a fight to stay up, it’s not really Pro-Rel.