Rumblings of App in 12 Team Playoff

[appstatealum]

The more I think about it, the 12 team playoff will help our recruiting and help us with the portal. Exciting times are coming! It’s a great time to be a Mountaineer!

I totally agree and have posted articles and tried to get discussions going on it but it only gets a tepid response from this board so far. I haven't understood why people aren't jumping up and down about this. In my opinion it's MASSIVELY HUGE for our program. The impact on recruiting (and interest from those in the transfer portal) and the interest generated if we were to make the playoff would be incredible. It's especially significant because one of the complaints about an expanded playoff would be that we would be the last seed and have to play Alabama or Ohio State in game 1 and get slaughtered but this format gives the top 4 seeds a bye so we'd have a shot at an easier game 1 win and then a second playoff game which would have to be a big upset.
Hopefully, they will implement this for the 2024 season which is being considered but no later than the 2026 season I believe.

This is huge for us!!

As soon as it was announced, I started talking about this being another big boost for us like the transfer portal. I'm with you 100. College Football fans that understand big picture stuff like this knew right away what the expanded playoff could do to close the gap further. 3 and 4 star guys won't want to rot away on Alabama bench if they can start at a playoff contender

[AppStFan1]

The more I think about it, the 12 team playoff will help our recruiting and help us with the portal. Exciting times are coming! It’s a great time to be a Mountaineer!

I totally agree and have posted articles and tried to get discussions going on it but it only gets a tepid response from this board so far. I haven't understood why people aren't jumping up and down about this. In my opinion it's MASSIVELY HUGE for our program. The impact on recruiting (and interest from those in the transfer portal) and the interest generated if we were to make the playoff would be incredible. It's especially significant because one of the complaints about an expanded playoff would be that we would be the last seed and have to play Alabama or Ohio State in game 1 and get slaughtered but this format gives the top 4 seeds a bye so we'd have a shot at an easier game 1 win and then a second playoff game which would have to be a big upset.
Hopefully, they will implement this for the 2024 season which is being considered but no later than the 2026 season I believe.

This is huge for us!!

As soon as it was announced, I started talking about this being another big boost for us like the transfer portal. I'm with you 100. College Football fans that understand big picture stuff like this knew right away what the expanded playoff could do to close the gap further. 3 and 4 star guys won't want to rot away on Alabama bench if they can start at a playoff contender

I'm with you both on this being good for us. I can tell Rick83 why it has not gotten more response and that is because 2022 is what matters now and that is a little bit down the road. We also have to field a team good enough to get in before we can even worry about it. No reason to get too excited on this until it is finally set in stone we are entering that season.

On the portal, some 4 star guys will stick with a school like Alabama but no question some will look to transfer. I do think the portal hasn't been brutal to us because of culture and I'm hopeful we maintain that so we don't see our top players leaving. There are G5 schools who the portal has been as bad, or worse, than it has been good for them.

[Rick83]

The more I think about it, the 12 team playoff will help our recruiting and help us with the portal. Exciting times are coming! It’s a great time to be a Mountaineer!

I totally agree and have posted articles and tried to get discussions going on it but it only gets a tepid response from this board so far. I haven't understood why people aren't jumping up and down about this. In my opinion it's MASSIVELY HUGE for our program. The impact on recruiting (and interest from those in the transfer portal) and the interest generated if we were to make the playoff would be incredible. It's especially significant because one of the complaints about an expanded playoff would be that we would be the last seed and have to play Alabama or Ohio State in game 1 and get slaughtered but this format gives the top 4 seeds a bye so we'd have a shot at an easier game 1 win and then a second playoff game which would have to be a big upset.
Hopefully, they will implement this for the 2024 season which is being considered but no later than the 2026 season I believe.

This is huge for us!!

As soon as it was announced, I started talking about this being another big boost for us like the transfer portal. I'm with you 100. College Football fans that understand big picture stuff like this knew right away what the expanded playoff could do to close the gap further. 3 and 4 star guys won't want to rot away on Alabama bench if they can start at a playoff contender

Thank you...we're gonna need more seats...

[AppInDC]

Except for a select few big P5's any expanded playoff format for the G5's will basically start week 1. Assuming that our basic schedule includes at least one P5 (probably needs to include 2) and 2 decent but winnable non-conference games we are probably going to have to go 12-0 or 11-1 (then add in the CCG win) to be in the mix. The only way we could end up as the 6th highest ranked conference champion is if the other G5's either implode or just feast on each other. If the Belt continues to improve there will be really good teams going 9-3. Guess we will see how it goes.

The AAC is losing their top 3 teams and the Sun Belt is now clearly one of, if not the best, G5 conference. The key is winning the Sun Belt conference and then being ranked higher than the other 4 G5 champions and we're in. We are supremely well-positioned to sell this to recruits.

I think people have misunderstood the NY6 rules just like some are misunderstanding future playoff rules. App does not have to go undefeated. They have to win the Sun Belt championship AND outrank the other G5 conference champions. No more. No less. Maybe some years that requires going unbeaten. Sometimes a two loss team has made the NY6. Theoretically it could allow more in a chaotic situation. It could potentially allow a leapfrog of a P5 program as well as Oregon would not have qualified in 2020 (possibly a Covid outlier).

I agree on potential boost to recruiting. It may not help with the 5 star guys but I could see new format allowing more talent to look towards Boone. I know schedules aren't apples to apples but App can claim to have more wins since transition outside of 4 or 5 of the most elite programs. For recruits not getting much attention from Power 5, and maybe even some of them, coaching staff can sell a program that regularly wins 10 or more games and a potential path to a playoff bid.

[Rick83]

Except for a select few big P5's any expanded playoff format for the G5's will basically start week 1. Assuming that our basic schedule includes at least one P5 (probably needs to include 2) and 2 decent but winnable non-conference games we are probably going to have to go 12-0 or 11-1 (then add in the CCG win) to be in the mix. The only way we could end up as the 6th highest ranked conference champion is if the other G5's either implode or just feast on each other. If the Belt continues to improve there will be really good teams going 9-3. Guess we will see how it goes.

The AAC is losing their top 3 teams and the Sun Belt is now clearly one of, if not the best, G5 conference. The key is winning the Sun Belt conference and then being ranked higher than the other 4 G5 champions and we're in. We are supremely well-positioned to sell this to recruits.

I think people have misunderstood the NY6 rules just like some are misunderstanding future playoff rules. App does not have to go undefeated. They have to win the Sun Belt championship AND outrank the other G5 conference champions. No more. No less. Maybe some years that requires going unbeaten. Sometimes a two loss team has made the NY6. Theoretically it could allow more in a chaotic situation. It could potentially allow a leapfrog of a P5 program as well as Oregon would not have qualified in 2020 (possibly a Covid outlier).

I agree on potential boost to recruiting. It may not help with the 5 star guys but I could see new format allowing more talent to look towards Boone. I know schedules aren't apples to apples but App can claim to have more wins since transition outside of 4 or 5 of the most elite programs. For recruits not getting much attention from Power 5, and maybe even some of them, coaching staff can sell a program that regularly wins 10 or more games and a potential path to a playoff bid.

Theoretically, if 2 G5 teams are having outstanding seasons one of them could still get one of the 6 at large bids. I haven't talked about that possibility much because of the P5 bias the committee has. However, if the new playoff format does cause higher talent to be spread around more than concentrated in 5 or 6 schools then who knows. I hope they're able to implement this for the 2024 season! I agree, I don't think some people are aware that this is a done deal or understand the selection process.

[bigdaddyg]

As it stands now the Belt is probably the 6th best conference but once USC and UCLA bolt the PAC (whatever it will be called) may not be that strong. If the remaining teams out there (plus a few minor adds) are fairly even they could easily have a 3 loss champion who might not even be ranked. Under a very real scenario the Sunbelt champ could easily be ranked as the 5th highest. The super conferences will have the usual suspects ranked but will also have lots of 6-6 or worse teams.

[citroknight]

Except for a select few big P5's any expanded playoff format for the G5's will basically start week 1. Assuming that our basic schedule includes at least one P5 (probably needs to include 2) and 2 decent but winnable non-conference games we are probably going to have to go 12-0 or 11-1 (then add in the CCG win) to be in the mix. The only way we could end up as the 6th highest ranked conference champion is if the other G5's either implode or just feast on each other. If the Belt continues to improve there will be really good teams going 9-3. Guess we will see how it goes.

The AAC is losing their top 3 teams and the Sun Belt is now clearly one of, if not the best, G5 conference. The key is winning the Sun Belt conference and then being ranked higher than the other 4 G5 champions and we're in. We are supremely well-positioned to sell this to recruits.

I think people have misunderstood the NY6 rules just like some are misunderstanding future playoff rules. App does not have to go undefeated. They have to win the Sun Belt championship AND outrank the other G5 conference champions. No more. No less. Maybe some years that requires going unbeaten. Sometimes a two loss team has made the NY6. Theoretically it could allow more in a chaotic situation. It could potentially allow a leapfrog of a P5 program as well as Oregon would not have qualified in 2020 (possibly a Covid outlier).

I agree on potential boost to recruiting. It may not help with the 5 star guys but I could see new format allowing more talent to look towards Boone. I know schedules aren't apples to apples but App can claim to have more wins since transition outside of 4 or 5 of the most elite programs. For recruits not getting much attention from Power 5, and maybe even some of them, coaching staff can sell a program that regularly wins 10 or more games and a potential path to a playoff bid.

Theoretically, if 2 G5 teams are having outstanding seasons one of them could still get one of the 6 at large bids. I haven't talked about that possibility much because of the P5 bias the committee has. However, if the new playoff format does cause higher talent to be spread around more than concentrated in 5 or 6 schools then who knows. I hope they're able to implement this for the 2024 season! I agree, I don't think some people are aware that this is a done deal or understand the selection process.

I think 2 G5 will definitely happen at some point, but not often. In the short history of the CFP (2014 onward) we've only had 2 G5 champs in the top 6 champs once, the 2020 covid outlier year. Despite the PAC 12 being underwhelming, they're never actually so far behind to be passed by 2 G5 champs. 2020 was the only exception due to the PAC only playing half a season and then Washington being unable to play in the conference championship game due to players out with COVID, which resulted in Oregon going and winning the CCG even though they were 2nd in their division. Most years the 2nd highest G5 champ is either unranked or barely ranked.

[MrCraig]

Am I the only one still not happy with the 12 team playoff? There's like 10 comments above me talking about how App could MAYBE make the playoff if this-that-and-the-other happens AND we win our conference. Football is the the only college sport in which every conference champion doesn't immediately make the playoffs. We will have 10 conferences and 12 playoffs spots, but the powers that be still say only 1 maybe 2 G5 teams will make the playoff. It's garbage that just continues to entrench the divide between "big" football and "small" football.

[APPdiesel]

I had an argument with my show host yesterday. He keeps trying to sell me on this three headed notion that 1) there should be a G5 playoff, 2) G5 fans should want it, and 3) many G5 fans already want it. He’s a Florida grad and like most talking heads only thinks from a P5 perspective.

I had to explain to him as clearly as I could that zero fans of G5 programs want our own playoff because it clearly distinguishes that the group of 5 are not in the same division as the power 5. A division that many of those fans already believes exists but in fact doesn’t. We want a clear path to THE playoff. Accepting some second tier status trophy sets us all back to the FCS days and accomplishes the P5’s goal of separation from “second class programs” for them.

Every year elite G5s show that they can compete with top P5s. What we want is a chance. Upsets won’t happen every year in the playoff, but they will happen once every 3 or 4. And when they do it’ll be magical.

The pragmatic side of me supports a 12 team playoff with 1 Group of 5 getting in because realistically, only 1 deserves to get in. The best of the best.

I’m addition, why should the dregs of the SEC and Big 10 like Vanderbilt and Rutgers have a clearly defined path to a playoff when elite Sun Belt and AAC like App, Boise, Air Force, SDSU and others be shut out? Why should they get to go on a magical run and accomplish the ultimate prize when we can’t? All because they were in the right place 100 years ago or signed a lucrative TV contract 5 years ago? No way man.

It won’t happen, but the verbiage needs to change from “P5/G5” to something like “power 10”. Division 1 FBS surely hasn’t stuck. As corny and silly as that sounds (especially after the AAC’s P6 debacle), by perpetuating the P/G differentiation we’re supporting a separation that doesn’t actually exist.

[AppInDC]

Am I the only one still not happy with the 12 team playoff? There's like 10 comments above me talking about how App could MAYBE make the playoff if this-that-and-the-other happens AND we win our conference. Football is the the only college sport in which every conference champion doesn't immediately make the playoffs. We will have 10 conferences and 12 playoffs spots, but the powers that be still say only 1 maybe 2 G5 teams will make the playoff. It's garbage that just continues to entrench the divide between "big" football and "small" football.

As an App alum/fan and as a long-time lover of March Madness, my preference would to include all conferences in the playoff. But that was never realistically on the table and the Power 5 conferences were never going to expand the playoff just to add Champs from the MAC, Conferences USA, etc at the expense of teams in their conference ranked in the top 10. Even getting to this scenario had several false starts and vetos from some of the top conferences before they reconsidered.

25 years ago, there was no national championship game of any sort and App was a pretty good 1-AA program. In that span, there has been the BCS starting an official championship game, a four team playoff implemented, and now a 12 team playoff coming soon where there will be at least one spot reserved for the "have-nots" of FBS. And App is now part of that club and will have a path to that playoff. Is it perfect? Probably not. But I don't think we should let perfect be the enemy of continuous improvement.

[AppStFan1]

Am I the only one still not happy with the 12 team playoff? There's like 10 comments above me talking about how App could MAYBE make the playoff if this-that-and-the-other happens AND we win our conference. Football is the the only college sport in which every conference champion doesn't immediately make the playoffs. We will have 10 conferences and 12 playoffs spots, but the powers that be still say only 1 maybe 2 G5 teams will make the playoff. It's garbage that just continues to entrench the divide between "big" football and "small" football.

I get your point but football is way different than these other sports. You have to remember that we have 85 in football and no other sport has anywhere near that many players on a team. When you compare resources we are small football compared to the SEC. That is why there was such a huge deal made out of us beating A&M. There are years that the Sun Belt or CUSA champ might hang and truly belong but imagine a year where the champ has 3 or 4 losses. Could you imagine a 9-4 G5 champion rolling in to play an undefeated Georgia in round 1? That would be a blowout and people would tune out quick. TV people and the CFP don't want that. They want competitive games.

[AppStFan1]

Am I the only one still not happy with the 12 team playoff? There's like 10 comments above me talking about how App could MAYBE make the playoff if this-that-and-the-other happens AND we win our conference. Football is the the only college sport in which every conference champion doesn't immediately make the playoffs. We will have 10 conferences and 12 playoffs spots, but the powers that be still say only 1 maybe 2 G5 teams will make the playoff. It's garbage that just continues to entrench the divide between "big" football and "small" football.

As an App alum/fan and as a long-time lover of March Madness, my preference would to include all conferences in the playoff. But that was never realistically on the table and the Power 5 conferences were never going to expand the playoff just to add Champs from the MAC, Conferences USA, etc at the expense of teams in their conference ranked in the top 10. Even getting to this scenario had several false starts and vetos from some of the top conferences before they reconsidered.

25 years ago, there was no national championship game of any sort and App was a pretty good 1-AA program. In that span, there has been the BCS starting an official championship game, a four team playoff implemented, and now a 12 team playoff coming soon where there will be at least one spot reserved for the "have-nots" of FBS. And App is now part of that club and will have a path to that playoff. Is it perfect? Probably not. But I don't think we should let perfect be the enemy of continuous improvement.

I get what you guys are saying but in football it is just different. Could you imagine a 9-5 NIU team from MAC playing Georgia or Alabama? It would have gotten ugly and nobody wants to see that. I like this scenario because now that undefeated UCF from a few years ago or an undefeated G5 who has shown they are a step above their league will indeed get a job. I could see them eventually going to a 16 team playoff but I hope that would be the max because that is more than enough. FCS and D2 are watered down letting too many teams in. A 6-5 team in FCS has no business in their playoff and I truly hope we don't see 7-5 teams in FBS going to the playoff.

[bigdaddyg]

I had an argument with my show host yesterday. He keeps trying to sell me on this three headed notion that 1) there should be a G5 playoff, 2) G5 fans should want it, and 3) many G5 fans already want it. He’s a Florida grad and like most talking heads only thinks from a P5 perspective.

I had to explain to him as clearly as I could that zero fans of G5 programs want our own playoff because it clearly distinguishes that the group of 5 are not in the same division as the power 5. A division that many of those fans already believes exists but in fact doesn’t. We want a clear path to THE playoff. Accepting some second tier status trophy sets us all back to the FCS days and accomplishes the P5’s goal of separation from “second class programs” for them.

Every year elite G5s show that they can compete with top P5s. What we want is a chance. Upsets won’t happen every year in the playoff, but they will happen once every 3 or 4. And when they do it’ll be magical.

The pragmatic side of me supports a 12 team playoff with 1 Group of 5 getting in because realistically, only 1 deserves to get in. The best of the best.

I’m addition, why should the dregs of the SEC and Big 10 like Vanderbilt and Rutgers have a clearly defined path to a playoff when elite Sun Belt and AAC like App, Boise, Air Force, SDSU and others be shut out? Why should they get to go on a magical run and accomplish the ultimate prize when we can’t? All because they were in the right place 100 years ago or signed a lucrative TV contract 5 years ago? No way man.

It won’t happen, but the verbiage needs to change from “P5/G5” to something like “power 10”. Division 1 FBS surely hasn’t stuck. As corny and silly as that sounds (especially after the AAC’s P6 debacle), by perpetuating the P/G differentiation we’re supporting a separation that doesn’t actually exist.

I absolutely agree with you. I've asked the question before- who exactly decided that there is such a thing as P5 and the G5 (group of 5)? I understand basically how and why those descriptions exist but considering that every team and conference at this level is the same how can these arbitrary descriptions remain? I've felt the same way in regards to certain crappy (generally speaking) teams that simply belong to certain conferences but rarely ever compete for the title much less a NC. How long has it been since NC State won the ACC? Hell Wake has won it before they have. To decide which conference champions make the playoffs- based on rankings is also ridiculous. Nobody can control their SOS because levels of competition ebb and flow and for schools like App who schedule games out years in advance you never know how good or bad the teams they play might be. We admittedly got a down UNC and USC a few years back and it remains to be seen how good or bad A&M really is. By all accounts there are several legit teams in the Belt and our conference might be the 4th strongest of all this year. The only fair way to do the playoffs is to flat out include every conference champion. If the 4th best team in the SEC is 10-2 but gets left out that's tough.

[AppStFan1]

I had an argument with my show host yesterday. He keeps trying to sell me on this three headed notion that 1) there should be a G5 playoff, 2) G5 fans should want it, and 3) many G5 fans already want it. He’s a Florida grad and like most talking heads only thinks from a P5 perspective.

I had to explain to him as clearly as I could that zero fans of G5 programs want our own playoff because it clearly distinguishes that the group of 5 are not in the same division as the power 5. A division that many of those fans already believes exists but in fact doesn’t. We want a clear path to THE playoff. Accepting some second tier status trophy sets us all back to the FCS days and accomplishes the P5’s goal of separation from “second class programs” for them.

Every year elite G5s show that they can compete with top P5s. What we want is a chance. Upsets won’t happen every year in the playoff, but they will happen once every 3 or 4. And when they do it’ll be magical.

The pragmatic side of me supports a 12 team playoff with 1 Group of 5 getting in because realistically, only 1 deserves to get in. The best of the best.

I’m addition, why should the dregs of the SEC and Big 10 like Vanderbilt and Rutgers have a clearly defined path to a playoff when elite Sun Belt and AAC like App, Boise, Air Force, SDSU and others be shut out? Why should they get to go on a magical run and accomplish the ultimate prize when we can’t? All because they were in the right place 100 years ago or signed a lucrative TV contract 5 years ago? No way man.

It won’t happen, but the verbiage needs to change from “P5/G5” to something like “power 10”. Division 1 FBS surely hasn’t stuck. As corny and silly as that sounds (especially after the AAC’s P6 debacle), by perpetuating the P/G differentiation we’re supporting a separation that doesn’t actually exist.

While there is not an official divide there is a divide when it comes to resources and that is probably where he is coming from. We hear talk on here and 247 all the time about how we don't even spend near the money that Louisiana and you can see how the head coach at many of these P5s makes more than we spend on entire budget. I think changing the nomenclature might help some but the P5s won't go for that. We really don't have leverage to demand anything because we need to be in same division as the SEC more than they need us. They could move away and have own playoff but still play us in OOC games like we do with FCS teams now.

He is definitely wrong about us wanting our own playoff. The only way that would happen is if P5s break away and we can only go along by invite so thus left behind. It helps us some with high school recruits and even more so with transfer portal players from P5s knowing that they can come play for us with a shot at the playoffs.

[appvette]

Am I the only one still not happy with the 12 team playoff? There's like 10 comments above me talking about how App could MAYBE make the playoff if this-that-and-the-other happens AND we win our conference. Football is the the only college sport in which every conference champion doesn't immediately make the playoffs. We will have 10 conferences and 12 playoffs spots, but the powers that be still say only 1 maybe 2 G5 teams will make the playoff. It's garbage that just continues to entrench the divide between "big" football and "small" football.

Not true they only allow 1-2 G5 teams. Theoretically, 11 G5 teams could make it in if they're good enough. The reason why we're happy about this setup is we control our own destiny. If we have a strong schedule and go undefeated, we'll be in the playoffs. If we're really good, we'll make it in. That wasn't true before. You're asking for a setup that allows teams that aren't very good to make it in, and that's not reasonable.

[appvette]

Anyone remember Satterfield saying he left because he felt he accomplished everything possible here? With this new playoff format, getting and keeping good coaches will be easier since there is no longer that ceiling.

[AppStFan1]

Am I the only one still not happy with the 12 team playoff? There's like 10 comments above me talking about how App could MAYBE make the playoff if this-that-and-the-other happens AND we win our conference. Football is the the only college sport in which every conference champion doesn't immediately make the playoffs. We will have 10 conferences and 12 playoffs spots, but the powers that be still say only 1 maybe 2 G5 teams will make the playoff. It's garbage that just continues to entrench the divide between "big" football and "small" football.

Not true they only allow 1-2 G5 teams. Theoretically, 11 G5 teams could make it in if they're good enough. The reason why we're happy about this setup is we control our own destiny. If we have a strong schedule and go undefeated, we'll be in the playoffs. If we're really good, we'll make it in. That wasn't true before. You're asking for a setup that allows teams that aren't very good to make it in, and that's not reasonable.

Exactly. All that is fair to ask for is a viable path where we get in if we are worthy. If we went 12-1 with a SBC title then we could very well get in. I personally don't want to see us go play Alabama if we are 8-5 as Sun Belt Champs. That would be embarrassing.

[AppStFan1]

Anyone remember Satterfield saying he left because he felt he accomplished everything possible here? With this new playoff format, getting and keeping good coaches will be easier since there is no longer that ceiling.

I do remember that and this new format indeed makes it possible to do something that was 99% unlikely to happen before. It is now 99% likely to happen if we run the table and win the Sun Belt.

Scott left for the money though. Had App been able to come anywhere close on money or raise the staff salaries so he could remain competitive I think he would have stayed. He did not want to move to Louisville and it is widely known his wife did not want to go either. You could see it on her face during their introductory press conference. She was not happy to be there and only accepted it because of the money.

[TheMoody1]

Anyone remember Satterfield saying he left because he felt he accomplished everything possible here? With this new playoff format, getting and keeping good coaches will be easier since there is no longer that ceiling.

I remember him saying that, but he left for the money.

[APPdiesel]

Am I the only one still not happy with the 12 team playoff? There's like 10 comments above me talking about how App could MAYBE make the playoff if this-that-and-the-other happens AND we win our conference. Football is the the only college sport in which every conference champion doesn't immediately make the playoffs. We will have 10 conferences and 12 playoffs spots, but the powers that be still say only 1 maybe 2 G5 teams will make the playoff. It's garbage that just continues to entrench the divide between "big" football and "small" football.

Not true they only allow 1-2 G5 teams. Theoretically, 11 G5 teams could make it in if they're good enough. The reason why we're happy about this setup is we control our own destiny. If we have a strong schedule and go undefeated, we'll be in the playoffs. If we're really good, we'll make it in. That wasn't true before. You're asking for a setup that allows teams that aren't very good to make it in, and that's not reasonable.

Exactly. The 6+6 is the most REASONABLE playoff scenario. Everyone has a path. Everyone is still held to a high standard.

I’m reasonable enough to admit that a 1 or 2 loss Michigan State is *probably* a better football team than a 2 loss App State when there’s an undefeated Cincinnati ranked higher than us when viewed through the lens of an entire season’s worth of data. In that situation I’m fine with App being left out because we didn’t show enough to prove we were better than Cincinnati or Michigan State. They’d have the same number of losses against a tougher schedule. There’s no debate in that scenario.

We need to look at earning at large playoff berths the same way we’ve looked at the Sun Belt’s growth. Just get a seat at the table and earn your way in. If 10 years from now the SBC has raised its profile enough to earn a regular at-large, great. The P5 fan bases won’t be able to deny or dispute it. But if we (plural, as in all G5s) are simply gifted a second seat then it can be.