DIVISION 4?

[huskie3]

BCS conferences talking more about breaking away from non-BCS and taking their money with them.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootbal ... -athletics

[asu7]

It is coming unfortunately. Which is why many of us felt a move was needed to secure our spot in that 2nd tier. So you are now going to have BCS conferences and then we will have everyone else in FBS. Then comes FCS and D2 and so on. We knew it was coming. I say let them go and pay whatever they want to the players. Keep FBS in tact and start a 16 team playoff for the FBS championship.

I bet FCS drops schollies and cuts their losses.

[rbarthle17]

This should be a surprise to absolutely nobody.

[ASU-FTW]

Not that this is a huge surprise, but it's absolutely disgusting, the arrogance of Bowl Movement and the rest of those schools' leaders. The destruction of amateur athletics is here.

If/when this happens, I just hope that we can realign in a more geographic conference with true regional rivals.

[bcoach]

Not that this is a huge surprise, but it's absolutely disgusting, the arrogance of Bowl Movement and the rest of those schools' leaders. The destruction of amateur athletics is here.

If/when this happens, I just hope that we can realign in a more geographic conference with true regional rivals.

It will happen or ESPN will die trying.

[JCline0429]

Not that this is a huge surprise, but it's absolutely disgusting, the arrogance of Bowl Movement and the rest of those schools' leaders. The destruction of amateur athletics is here.

If/when this happens, I just hope that we can realign in a more geographic conference with true regional rivals.

As you alluded, it is all about money and the machismo of the so called big boys of NCAA athletcs.

[8993]

When they start losing games, can't quite cover everything that they need to cover, and want back into today's D-1, don't let them back in.

This could either be a good or bad thing. It could be good because we have made it now to the FBS level of football, so we're in the clear. This could result in a complete realignment of our conferences to be more regional rather than national, and that would definitely be good. At the same time, this could be awful. App would not be allowed to compete(and put in their place) schools like UNC, VT, or Michigan.

If they want to go, let them go, but when they go, they have to handle everything on their own. We'll be fine with or without them.

[Maddog1956]

Can the NCAA put a penalty for leaving like the ACC did? That would be karma for the NCAA to say they can't leave and then vote to put a $300 million penalty on any school that did.

[bcoach]

When they start losing games, can't quite cover everything that they need to cover, and want back into today's D-1, don't let them back in.

This could either be a good or bad thing. It could be good because we have made it now to the FBS level of football, so we're in the clear. This could result in a complete realignment of our conferences to be more regional rather than national, and that would definitely be good. At the same time, this could be awful. App would not be allowed to compete(and put in their place) schools like UNC, VT, or Michigan.

If they want to go, let them go, but when they go, they have to handle everything on their own. We'll be fine with or without them.

They are the ones that make the majority of the money so they will be just fine. There will be less for us and that is just a fact.

[Kgfish]

Perhaps I am in the minority but I see this as a potentially thing good for schools like App. Even if the Power Five conferences separate themselves they will still need to play schools like us. Once the TV money begins to dry up a bit from the GOF schools travel dollars will become more critical and they will be forced into realignment. The eastern conference we have all been hoping for could come about .

[bcoach]

Perhaps I am in the minority but I see this as a potentially thing good for schools like App. Even if the Power Five conferences separate themselves they will still need to play schools like us. Once the TV money begins to dry up a bit from the GOF schools travel dollars will become more critical and they will be forced into realignment. The eastern conference we have all been hoping for could come about .

Not arguing just asking. Why will they have to play us?

[firemoose]

If you've read previous posts of mine I've been saying for over a year that this was going to happen. It was just a matter of when. And I posted that those who were worried about travel costs and no playoffs should just stand by because when this happens the rest of FBS will have no choice but to continue the realignment but only this time to more regional conferences, and that there would be nothing standing in the way of a full FCS type playoff, only this time we would be with schools that are closer to us in terms of size and type. FCS will become the new D-2 with reduced scholarships and the current D-2 teams will have to make the choice to increase up to the new level or drop back to D-3. This has been hinted at for a couple of years now and it will be interesting to see where everything goes from here but at least we are in a better position than if we were still FCS and looking. EVERYBODY has been saying this or something like it was coming (Power 5 breaking off by themselves) and this was the reason behind the big push. We either had to move or wind up truly a D-2 team.

[RankinApp]

They are the ones that make the majority of the money so they will be just fine. There will be less for us and that is just a fact.

For awhile.

Of the 60+ BCS schools only a handful of them have a legitimate shot of winning year after year. Will the Baylors, Vanderbilts, Indianas, North Carolinas, Kentuckys, and Washington States want to finish every year with a losing record? Because that's going to happen. Less bowls, less playoff opportunity.

Then there's the disaster of paying players..bidding wars. Watching Alabama, Texas, and Oklahoma pay out the yang probably won't sit well with the Mississippi States.

I still think it'll happen, and I think they'll come to regret it in the long run.

[asumike83]

The article mentions the possibility of all the conferences not only following in the Big Ten's footsteps by eliminating games with FCS opponents but extending that exclusion to non-AQ conferences as well. This will be the key to whether a potential break-off is to the benefit or detriment of schools like Appalachian.

If they are allowed to pay players as much as they want, offer as many scholarships as they want, allow part-time students to participate and leave the rest of the FBS off the schedule, it would certainly be a bad thing for everyone else. The quality of recruits, fan interest and budgets would all decrease.

I think we might find that many of the major conference schools would oppose the idea of not scheduling anyone but other power conferences. Doing so would, in essence, relegate programs like Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Duke, Indiana, etc. to an endless run of losing seasons. They struggle to get bowl eligible as it is and many times, they do so with FCS and/or lower FBS wins.

If they broke away but continued to schedule FBS teams, it could end up being a great thing for App. They'd continue to get games with the big schools along with the fan interest and paycheck that comes with them. It would make it official that they'd never play them for a national championship but realistically, that is already the case. If it means that the other conferences would regionalize into groups of like-minded institutions in close geographic proximity, drawing that line officially is well worth it.

[goapps93]

I've got to wonder how the academic administrations of these universities will weigh in. Chancellors, Presidents, et al have to be concerned about how/if this move will affect the academic integrity of their institutions. I think this is what will affect the decisions of the Baylors, Vanderbilts, Northwesterns, etc. In reality, probably less than half of the current "BCS" schools can afford to compete with each other on the level that is being proposed unless revenue sharing agreements call for those schools to be compensated more. Will Texas, 'Bama, Michigan, Ohio State, etc really be willing to keep the others going like the Yankees keep Pittsburgh above water? It sounds to me have as if GREED has finally won.

[Kgfish]

Perhaps I am in the minority but I see this as a potentially thing good for schools like App. Even if the Power Five conferences separate themselves they will still need to play schools like us. Once the TV money begins to dry up a bit from the GOF schools travel dollars will become more critical and they will be forced into realignment. The eastern conference we have all been hoping for could come about .

Not arguing just asking. Why will they have to play us?

These schools don't want to go through an entire season playing each other. The folks in the SEC are in a war every week and they play teams like us as a breather. Why do you think Georgia is playing us late in the season and not in the beginning? With the Big Ten leading the movement to stop playing FCS schools I see more opportunities for the GOF schools.

[moehler]

What's apparent to me is the Big Ten is top dog in the BCS in terms of setting policy and the direction of the BCS conferences. The ACC, SEC, PAC, Big 12, don't seem to have the backbone to stand up to them, and seem to follow them like sheep to the slaughter. If past actions are any indication of the what might happen in the future. Then you can expect the Big Ten to screw over these other conferences once the leave, not that I will have any sympathy, their greed brought it on, but it will happen, when you make a deal with the devil, you got to pay.

[bcoach]

What's apparent to me is the Big Ten is top dog in the BCS in terms of setting policy and the direction of the BCS conferences. The ACC, SEC, PAC, Big 12, don't seem to have the backbone to stand up to them, and seem to follow them like sheep to the slaughter. If past actions are any indication of the what might happen in the future. Then you can expect the Big Ten to screw over these other conferences once the leave, not that I will have any sympathy, their greed brought it on, but it will happen, when you make a deal with the devil, you got to pay.

I think you are going to see that the SEC will have something to say about that.

[AppSt94]

I'm not a lawyer but there seems to be a lot of pitfalls to this divorce. If the schools pay players, will they be contract employees? Would they need work comp insurance? If you release a player from his scholarship do you have to pay the balance of the scholarship or unemployment claims? Will they lose tax exemption status and pay Uncle Sam for some of that windfall? I am sure that they have people smart enough to think about these scenarios and prepare for them. But on the other side of the fence are people eager to challenge the validity and legality of the situation. This stinks of greed and if 60 or so schools break away, then how long until they start in-fighting for unbalanced dispursements? I hope that the NCAA takes a stand and decides that if these schools want to break away for football then it will cost them membership in the NCAA for all teams. I disagree with the way the NCAA handles some things but they are better than this mess.

[97APP]

Perhaps I am in the minority but I see this as a potentially thing good for schools like App. Even if the Power Five conferences separate themselves they will still need to play schools like us. Once the TV money begins to dry up a bit from the GOF schools travel dollars will become more critical and they will be forced into realignment. The eastern conference we have all been hoping for could come about .

Not arguing just asking. Why will they have to play us?

These schools don't want to go through an entire season playing each other. The folks in the SEC are in a war every week and they play teams like us as a breather. Why do you think Georgia is playing us late in the season and not in the beginning? With the Big Ten leading the movement to stop playing FCS schools I see more opportunities for the GOF schools.

Not only are they going to worry about increased losses, many of these P5 schools schedule 7-8 home games a year. That's not going to happen when they can only play other P5 teams. Those schools would lose a ton of money by dropping 1-2 games off their home schedule annually.

My prediction is that stipends/"true cost to attend scholarships" will be the dividing line in the immediate future. IMO, that would lop off 100 or more DI schools as I doubt too many non-football schools want to add that to their budgets. I doubt the NCAA tourney money for many smaller conferences who are typically 1 and done in the basketball tourney could make up the difference the stipend adds. If you're non-scholarship you're out.

You could reduce DI from 371 teams to 173 teams. The new DI could include all of the current FBS schools plus the schools from consistent multi-bid DI non-football conferences (A-10, Big East, MVC and WCC). That creates a new division that's large enough for diversity among opponents and small enough for a much more streamlined administration. Plus with the requirement of the stipend every school would be demonstrating a committment to athletics. Whereas many of the 200 teams left out are not.

This places all the power (control of governance) back into the P5 schools hands, which, IMO this their real concern - POWER.