ESPN article on the future of the G of 5

[425cougfan]

Not a lot of surprises here but there are some nuggets that may be relevant.

State of the Group of 5: The challenges facing smaller conferences

While Boise State made this year's playoff, the challenges the Group of 5 faces are bigger than ever.

www.espn.com

 

[CougPatrol]

It's a good article. I'd like to see the G5 create their own playoff. What I'd really like to see is a movement away from the NCAA where the G5 schools can break free and create their own league. That's the direction where I think this is eventually going head.

There are a lot of schools in the G5 and FCS ranks. If they can somehow reorganize into their own governing body, it would give them leverage. The money obviously wouldn't be as good, but a G5 football playoff played on campus sites would still draw fans and TV interest. Maybe tie in 2nd round games with the current lower tier bowls that are desperate for meaningful games. I would have been interested in a WSU vs. Army, Navy, Memphis playoff game. The question is, can they figure out a way to bypass the portal? Break free from the NCAA and have kids sign binding contracts? If the Power Programs can carry over 100 scholarship players, why shouldn't the G5 be able to create some regulations to help their new division? Same with the FCS.

 

[BleedCrimsonandGray]

Not a lot of surprises here but there are some nuggets that may be relevant.

State of the Group of 5: The challenges facing smaller conferences

While Boise State made this year's playoff, the challenges the Group of 5 faces are bigger than ever.

www.espn.com

Jerry Kill's Aggies played Minnesota, Wisconsin and Missouri in 2022 - why are they making budget cuts to remove coffee? Those three games have to make up a majority of their income unless someone shit the bed with the money.

G6 schools have to stop taking body bag games against P4 conferences for peanuts. There needs to be the same collusion that the SEC and B10 have created between the G6 schools and make a tiered schedule for taking those games: Top 5 is a $5MM game, top 15 is $3MM, top 25 is $2MM, etc. Circle the wagons on it and simply don't take the games - what are the P4 gonna do, not schedule the G6 anymore?

If they want cupcake wins, they can take some of the $50MM in tv revenue and pay for them.

 

[dgibbons]

It's a good article. I'd like to see the G5 create their own playoff. What I'd really like to see is a movement away from the NCAA where the G5 schools can break free and create their own league. That's the direction where I think this is eventually going head.

There are a lot of schools in the G5 and FCS ranks. If they can somehow reorganize into their own governing body, it would give them leverage. The money obviously wouldn't be as good, but a G5 football playoff played on campus sites would still draw fans and TV interest. Maybe tie in 2nd round games with the current lower tier bowls that are desperate for meaningful games. I would have been interested in a WSU vs. Army, Navy, Memphis playoff game. The question is, can they figure out a way to bypass the portal? Break free from the NCAA and have kids sign binding contracts? If the Power Programs can carry over 100 scholarship players, why shouldn't the G5 be able to create some regulations to help their new division? Same with the FCS.

What kind of revenue would a G5 playoff generate? Twenty percent of the CFP?

Maybe the best play is consolidate. All G5 schools in one conference. Schedule amongst each other and FCS. Cutoff the Power 4, and force those schools into records closer to .500.

 

[BleedCrimsonandGray]

What kind of revenue would a G5 playoff generate? Twenty percent of the CFP?

Maybe the best play is consolidate. All G5 schools in one conference. Schedule amongst each other and FCS. Cutoff the Power 4, and force those schools into records closer to .500.

Something like this is the answer.

 

[Cougini5591]

Depends on TV money right?

I think if the rest of schools that aren't in the power 4 said "phuck em"... did their own... they'd be just fine.

It'd be hilarious on what it would do to March Madness.

The big schools would lose out pretty quickly on the adjusted viewership #'s. West Coast wouldn't have enough late games for more than 1 network.

 

[dgibbons]

Something like this is the answer.

Would hasten what appears to be the inevitable, SEC and B1G breaking away from the NCAA and playing with themselves (literally and figuratively).

 

[KRUSTYtheCOUG]

Would hasten what appears to be the inevitable, SEC and B1G breaking away from the NCAA and playing with themselves (literally and figuratively).

Yup! See how those inflated records hold up. Gotta get Mercer to play along so they don't go play Alabama. That's all I have to say about that

 

[PeteTheChop]

ESPN article on the future of the G of 5

😟

Sobering if you care anything about College Football beyond the power conferences.

Hopefully Pres. Schultz and Anne are working the back channels to facilitate a jump to the Big 12 pronto

 

[ATACFD]

Hopefully Pres. Schultz and Anne are working the back channels to facilitate a jump to the Big 12 pronto

HaHaHa that is one of the most hilarious statements I've read on here.

 

[PeteTheChop]

HaHaHa that is one of the most hilarious statements I've read on here.

Trying to remain optimistic since Dr. Schultz insists he and the administration won't throw in the towel.

@ATACFD ... don't you think the Big 12 could be a great fit for WSU?

 

[CougPatrol]

What kind of revenue would a G5 playoff generate? Twenty percent of the CFP?

Maybe the best play is consolidate. All G5 schools in one conference. Schedule amongst each other and FCS. Cutoff the Power 4, and force those schools into records closer to .500.

That's what I was getting at. Break off and consolidate. Form your own league. Structure it like the professional leagues. Revenue sharing, binding agreements, players union, league commissioner. How much $$ would the league generate? Probably more than is currently imagined if executed correctly. Need someone with a vision to carry the torch. Brand it as a true STUDENT/athlete league.

 

[Fire Kirk Schulz]

😟

Sobering if you care anything about College Football beyond the power conferences.

Hopefully Pres. Schultz and Anne are working the back channels to facilitate a jump to the Big 12 pronto

"Let them eat cake" --Kirk Shulz

 

[CougSinceBirth]

It's a good article. I'd like to see the G5 create their own playoff. What I'd really like to see is a movement away from the NCAA where the G5 schools can break free and create their own league. That's the direction where I think this is eventually going head.

There are a lot of schools in the G5 and FCS ranks. If they can somehow reorganize into their own governing body, it would give them leverage. The money obviously wouldn't be as good, but a G5 football playoff played on campus sites would still draw fans and TV interest. Maybe tie in 2nd round games with the current lower tier bowls that are desperate for meaningful games. I would have been interested in a WSU vs. Army, Navy, Memphis playoff game. The question is, can they figure out a way to bypass the portal? Break free from the NCAA and have kids sign binding contracts? If the Power Programs can carry over 100 scholarship players, why shouldn't the G5 be able to create some regulations to help their new division? Same with the FCS.

If G5 breaks off, you'll see a major nosedive in fan support.

WSU is completely f*cked if that happens, and good luck selling the university then. Literally part of WSU's sales pitch up until two years ago was we're a P5 school. Now it's just admitting they were left behind and gave up.

I know you've said in the past athletics doesn't exactly matter to the younger generation (especially the west coast), and that may be true. However, I 100% would have never considered attending WSU as a G5 or below, even with the understanding of the new collegiate landscape. That P5 athletics element was important to my collegiate experience.

 

[Loyal Coug1]

😟

Sobering if you care anything about College Football beyond the power conferences.

Hopefully Pres. Schultz and Anne are working the back channels to facilitate a jump to the Big 12 pronto

HaHaHa that is one of the most hilarious statements I've read on here.

Trying to remain optimistic since Dr. Schultz insists he and the administration won't throw in the towel.

@ATACFD ... don't yot think the Big 12 could be a great fit for WSU?

Pete does come up with some doozies......

 

[PeteTheChop]

Pete does come up with some doozies......

Thanks Loyal.

I try to be a glass half-full guy

 

[CougPatrol]

I know you've said in the past athletics doesn't exactly matter to the younger generation (especially the west coast), and that may be true. However, I 100% would have never considered attending WSU as a G5 or below, even with the understanding of the new collegiate landscape. That P5 athletics element was important to my collegiate experience.

I felt the same way. D1 athletics was the difference between me choosing WSU over smaller schools. High school kids in WA State don't care about that nearly as much today. It's up to WSU to figure out how to relate to the changing generation and remain positioned as the 2nd best public school in the State.

We'll still have D1 athletics. Maybe it's the G5, maybe it eventually slips to FCS. Montana State has nearly 17K kids enrolled in Bozeman. Montana's enrollment is also up 6%. They're at 11K now. Hell, Western WA has almost 15K students enrolled. WSU has an exceptionally nice campus. We have plenty of real estate. The town is dominated by 18-23 year old kids. Market that. Who wouldn't want to go there?

WSU needs some creative leadership. Stop being so ashamed of the party image we used to be so proud of. Find out what the young people want and give it to them.

 

[How_did_this_happen?]

"Let them eat cake" --Kirk Shulz

Yep. He and his woke wife are the epitome of the elite academic types who despise most of us.

 

[roses04]

I find it ironic that this article comes from the network which primarily started this whole mess. Yes WSU benefited from being in a power 5 conference and all the TV money, without it, there would be no new football facility or mass improvements to the stadium, or the money to hire Mike Leach. Now that it is gone, we have financial problems. Sure, you can blame the House case and NIL for a lot of this, but those things don't happen if the isn't money there. Attorneys don't file suits against poor people, there is no money in it, they go after rich people, which is why all this has changed, and a lot of that money came from the networks.

To show you how bad this has now become, look at this past year on the football field, and most would agree that our Defense was not great. Yet when you look at the portal, look how many players from a bad defense are getting NIL deals. Was it bad coaching, are these other teams desperate for players? Smaller schools cannot sustain the loss of key players every year. The one way to correct the NIL issue and to help the G5 schools from losing players is transfer fees. If you take someone from a team's roster you owe that school at least 1/2 of what you are pay that player in NIL money. If they don't do something quickly many G5 schools football programs will no longer exist.

 

[BiggsCoug]

I find it ironic that this article comes from the network which primarily started this whole mess. Yes WSU benefited from being in a power 5 conference and all the TV money, without it, there would be no new football facility or mass improvements to the stadium, or the money to hire Mike Leach. Now that it is gone, we have financial problems. Sure, you can blame the House case and NIL for a lot of this, but those things don't happen if the isn't money there. Attorneys don't file suits against poor people, there is no money in it, they go after rich people, which is why all this has changed, and a lot of that money came from the networks.

To show you how bad this has now become, look at this past year on the football field, and most would agree that our Defense was not great. Yet when you look at the portal, look how many players from a bad defense are getting NIL deals. Was it bad coaching, are these other teams desperate for players? Smaller schools cannot sustain the loss of key players every year. The one way to correct the NIL issue and to help the G5 schools from losing players is transfer fees. If you take someone from a team's roster you owe that school at least 1/2 of what you are pay that player in NIL money. If they don't do something quickly many G5 schools football programs will no longer exist.

The collectives have to get smarter. They cant sign kids to deals that let them walk away that easily. And if the kids wont sign, let them go somewhere else. The schools need to put their bawlz on and tell teenagers no. Sign it or dont but there are plenty of other kids that will.