For you realignment geeks (like me)....

iowastatefan1929

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Run college football like the Premier league, with fluid tiers of teams jockeying for position every year.

i dont know exactly how premier league works but i say merge fbs and fcs and organize into 32 team 4 conference groupings and bottom 8 and top 8 move down and up every year with 8 team playoff to decide each grouping. winner and runner up of conference makes playoff and you can play anyone in non con from any other grouping.
 

weR138

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The main reason I don't like realignment talk is it always erodes into some horse **** soccer relegation format discussion
Exactly. EPL style relegation is a non starter for a sport that recruits amateur players. Being in relegation puts that program at a huge disadvantage. Aston Villa can buy itself out of relegation. ISU not so much.
 
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CheapClone1202

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7B3B68FB-4479-4294-A922-53251F37C9BE.jpeg Doesn’t really relate to what’s being talked about here but I made this earlier today.


8 conferences. Really 7 and a group who has no true conference games. Top 25 is still a thing, 16 playoff teams- conference championships between team 1 and team 2 in each conference (no divisions, everyone plays everyone) are the first round, each conference championships winner is ranked and 1 plays 8 2 plays 7 so on. 1 will be extremely rewarded by getting to likely play an “independent” team.
 

MeanDean

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View attachment 68150 Doesn’t really relate to what’s being talked about here but I made this earlier today.


8 conferences. Really 7 and a group who has no true conference games. Top 25 is still a thing, 16 playoff teams- conference championships between team 1 and team 2 in each conference (no divisions, everyone plays everyone) are the first round, each conference championships winner is ranked and 1 plays 8 2 plays 7 so on. 1 will be extremely rewarded by getting to likely play an “independent” team.

I'm looking forward to the Ohio State/Ohio State game. JK, pretty good just roughing it out.
 

FinalFourCy

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Exactly. EPL style relegation is a non starter for a sport that recruits amateur players. Being in relegation puts that program at a huge disadvantage. Aston Villa can buy itself out of relegation. ISU not so much.
Not exactly.
A big part of the premise is that players will soon be paid in some manner. The willingness and ability to compete in that environment is why some form of reduction and relegation are possible.

The difficulty of relegation is irrelevant, and likely not undesirable. It’s just as tough now, arguably harder for a never-was to become a top program.
 

weR138

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Not exactly.
A big part of the premise is that players will soon be paid in some manner. The willingness and ability to compete in that environment is why some form of reduction and relegation are possible.

The difficulty of relegation is irrelevant, and likely not undesirable. It’s just as tough now, arguably harder for a never-was to become a top program.
There is no guarantee that a relegated team will come out of it. There IS currently a guarantee that ISU at the beginning of the season is on the same footing as OU. Regardless of pay for players they have to get recruited. Relegated teams would be at a huge disadvantage. EPL style relegation will never happen in American college football. It's not about a programs ability to become great. It's about the possibility that a team could go into a relegation death spiral. And it will never happen, nor should it.
 

Die4Cy

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And imagine you do have a relegated team you build from scratch, get all the young guys playing time so that in a couple years they compete well enough to get promoted.

And then they all graduate.

This relegation idea is good for nothing except pointing out the soccer nerds in here.
 

iowastatefan1929

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64 teams
8 conferences of 8
top team per conference makes playoff
top 8 teams in the bottom 32 of total endorsement money play an alternate playoff and winner gets a home shot at national champion at a kickoff classic in the following season
teams 9-32 in rankings play in 12 bowls
 
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Newell

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I can provide some perspective on realignment because I live in Columbia MO. I haven't attended a Missouri football or basketball game in years because I have no interest in the SEC. I'm not alone. Last year for our designated "rival" game vs Arkansas the athletic department gave out 5,000 free tickets just to push the official attendance - not turnstile - to 50,000. Actual estimated attendance for both football and basketball is poor. For a weekday SEC basketball game there are maybe 4,000 to 5,000 in the seats.

In football Missouri is in the SEC East. The designated cross division rival is Arkansas every year. That leaves one game per season vs the SEC West schools Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Texas aTm, Mississippi and Mississippi State. Once every 12 years Missouri plays Alabama in Columbia. That's only technically being in the same conference. That's what you get with the huge conferences. Athletic director cashes a fat check every year from the SEC network but fans like me lose interest. Football stadium just got a $100 million dollar upgrade consisting of more luxury suites and a new locker room. Watch the next Missouri home football game if you happen to the the SEC Network (I don't). You will see a half full stadium except for the luxury suites. 30,000 is close to the actual turnstile attendance and that's if the team is winning. We now have 2 softball stadiums. That's for softball which loses money every year. The old one sits unused. This will be the third consecutive year in which the Missouri athletic department has operated in the red. Fat check from the SEC + big donor cash on one side - loss of blue collar fan support on the other side.

In basketball Missouri has 3 designated "rivals". Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas aTm. Those are they only schools Missouri plays every year home and home. Note that none of them are in the SEC East which is where Missouri is for football. The schools Missouri plays every year in football - none of them are home and home for basketball with the exception of the "rival" Arkansas.

Be careful what you wish for. The grass isn't always greener.
 

simply1

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Honestly I believe the single largest obstacle to a 32 team 'amateur' college super conference would be the US Congress.

In forming that super conference there would be many states left out. Those states would probably have powerful Senators that could threaten the tax exempt status of this new conference and the participating schools.
Even in states with teams like Texas, you have a lot of other teams that would be hurt and it would certainly become a political thing. Iowa senators began paying attention when the big 12 was looking bad for Iowa state, now make that a thing in every state.