Grasp the Difference

[Arkstfan]

I'm old and tired.

Y'all didn't get the I-AA/FCS experience. It wasn't bad, it wasn't great. One thing though is teams CAN draw crowds. If anyone saw Montana vs NDSU, packed house, rowdy as all get out and frankly the crowd, atmosphere, and actual game is likely to be better than the three playoff games this year.

If LSU and their SEC brethren and Michigan, Ohio State and B1G brethren want to expand themselves into a 36-40 team pro circuit of football, more power to them, Godspeed, go on and do your thing.

Think of it from this angle. Who sits around grumbling that the Cajuns don't get a crack at the Saints? If LSU goes full on pro in football, they are closer to the Saints than the Cajuns, for the old farts, they are basically the New Orleans Breakers circa 1984.

You go full pro, why bother with "five to play four" just require that they be enrolled for at least 12 hours during the season, maintain a 2.0 GPA and make progress towards a degree whether it's your first bachelor's, second one, or masters degree, or PhD, pick a degree plan and successfully navigate it. Why give up a quality player just because they've played four seasons? Replacing them is a crapshoot.

Look at the salaries paid in B1G and $EC. They can compete with late second round NFL Draft salaries if they really want to. They can beat round 6-8 salaries if they choose to.

It will be a fascinating turn. Remember you can't get together and agree to limit compensation but you CAN limit compensation on your own.

There may be some schools that choose to remain "amateur". It's happened before. The Ivy League schools were once dominant and opted to step out of the rat race.

Wouldn't bet on it happening but the leadership at Notre Dame might surprise us and opt to not go full pro.

I don't think the leadership at a lot of schools is going to be agreeable to sending a team to play a full pro team that has guys with 8 years of playing experience at that level.

Already ESPN and Fox are pushing the top leagues to cut back on the filler games. Going full pro they are going to be working hard to up their TV money and getting a boost will mean cutting back on non-conference games.

The question is will Big XII and ACC try to chase them. They can't offer the same money across the roster. They might be able to outbid on some players but they won't have as big of a spend.

The AAC tried to chase for years labeling themselves P6 and all they got out of it was losing Cincinnati, UCF, and Houston to the P4. They've replaced them with teams with lower budgets.

If it goes full pro AAC, Sun Belt, MAC, CUSA, Pac2/MWC won't be able to throw anything close to similar roster money.

I am perfectly fine with being stuck in a group that doesn't include $EC and B1G and mostly OK losing ACC and B12.

During the I-AA now FCS days for AState the hard thing was explaining the difference between I-A and I-AA. People didn't really understand that. People can grasp the difference in being NFL Lite vs playing college football.

I think becoming NFL Lite runs some really big risk for schools like USC, UCLA, Washington, Northwestern, Maryland, Vanderbilt, etc., who run the risk of no longer being compared vs college peers but rather compared against the local NFL teams. I doubt OU wants people comparing their basketball team to the Thunder instead of Kansas and Texas.

They need to LEAVE and make it clear the shop is closed so presidents don't foolishly spend trying to get invited to the club.

[moorecajun]

Thank you for posting. I happen to agree totally, although I know that doesn't really matter.

Greed wins even though I don't want it to.

[Esqueleto]

The G5 would be much better off the the greedy 4 moving on

[UL_Cajuns]

The G5 would be much better off the the greedy 4 moving on

I don’t like it but if the G5 conferences can maintain the TV contract and exposure they have been getting then it would make more sense and wear on me. Only about 10-12 teams realistically have a shot at winning a Natty in FBS Football nowadays. The rest are there just like the G5 so I can see some P4 teams opting out as well after the whole thing begins to fall apart. The amount of money being thrown around is not sustainable.

[Cajunrunner]

If it evolves into semi-pro, then why even have the football teams associated with those schools? Have those athletes who desire such a setup play on teams that don’t bear a university name on the jersey.

And then hey! They don’t even have to worry about going to class!

Those athletes who still want to be actual student athletes can still get athletics scholarship to the university of their choice that sponsors football, and I’m not even opposed to some sort of NIL with rules and boundaries. However, the no-sit transfer portal needs to be eliminated. You want to transfer, you sit out a year.

Maybe an exception if the head coach that recruited you opts to leave to go to another school.

[UL_Cajuns]

If it evolves into semi-pro, then why even have the football teams associated with those schools? Have those athletes who desire such a setup play on teams that don’t bear a university name on the jersey.

And then hey! They don’t even have to worry about going to class!

Those athletes who still want to be actual student athletes can still get athletics scholarship to the university of their choice that sponsors football, and I’m not even opposed to some sort of NIL with rules and boundaries. However, the no-sit transfer portal needs to be eliminated. You want to transfer, you sit out a year.

Maybe an exception if the head coach that recruited you opts to leave to go to another school.

They basically already simply just bear the university’s name on the jersey for certain teams. That’s what it comes down too. That’s what they want which ultimately to me is not a true representation of a student athlete or the university. At that point I’m out of supporting this system. I’m hanging on my a few threads with hopes of some sort of change and hope that my university will have a fair shot to continue to compete at the highest level of CFB, but that hope is dwindling as the days go on.

[Big Buds]

Before NIL and the Transfer Portal, I would have laughed you out of the room. Today, I’m strongly considering embracing the split…crazy.

[SlickRick]

If it evolves into semi-pro, then why even have the football teams associated with those schools? Have those athletes who desire such a setup play on teams that don’t bear a university name on the jersey.

And they hey! They don’t even have to worry about going to class!

Those athletes who still want to be actual student athletes can still get athletics scholarship to the university of their choice that sponsors football, and I’m not even opposed to some sort of NIL with rules and boundaries. However, the no-sit transfer portal needs to be eliminated. You want to transfer, you sit out a year.

Maybe an exception if the head coach that recruited you opts to leave to go to another school.

The HC leaving for the big check is what started this whole mess.

[CajunEXPRESS]

All that may be true, but there could also be a totally new conference with about 32 teams. That conference won’t be SEC, and Big 10 but the best teams of those. Once they consolidate their bargaining power will get them money just below the NFL. Forget NIL, you’re drafted after qualifying academically. You’re a pro so much for transfer portal.

[CajunNation]

Destroying the PAC told me all I need to know. They are going to create a super league of about 50 schools in the SEC/B10.

[ZoomZoom]

The HC leaving for the big check is what started this whole mess.

Arkansas State weathered multiple changes and were still successful until they missed on the next hire. They aren’t the first or last to do this.

The former coach doesn’t create the mess, it’s the administration making the next hire, along with the new coach.

Destroying the PAC told me all I need to know. They are going to create a super league of about 50 schools in the SEC/B10.

Nobody has mentioned the FACT, whatever the magic number of super teams end up, someone has to finish last. And someone may become the new Vanderbilt.

[VObserver]

Destroying the PAC told me all I need to know. They are going to create a super league of about 50 schools in the SEC/B10.

I don't disagree with your super league conclusion, but the SL will be more likely to include Clemson, Florida State and Oklahoma State than Vanderbilt, Purdue and Mississippi State.