🏈 Patterson: Put six in playoff, erase title games

[TerryP]

@TerryP The NCAA is a private entity. Any organization can cap salaries of its members. Happens all the time and certainly not against the law. That's a solution to spending. That's an answer. And yes, I am scoffing at the mention of finances. If schools can't manage on the millions they're generating and collecting, that's a personal problem with the schools. The schools don't have revenue streams, they've got revenue rivers and oceans.

Chief, you're wrong here. It falls under restricting fair trade. The NCAA has already been to court over this matter and it was ruled illegal by Federal courts and that ruling was upheld in appellate courts as well.

 

[TheChief]

Law vs NCAA is the case, settled in the appellate courts. That's as high as the case climbed. It is indeed considered "well settled", but it could be argued still and I think successfully won. Currently, you are correct though, and I stand corrected.

Members could in fact, though, begin the practice on their own. Like that's going to happen.

 

[psychojoe]

I'm fine with the way it worked this year. The best four teams were in, the playoff proved that #1 and #3 may not have been the best two teams. I think the extra game proved it's purpose. I don't like the Big 12 bitching after the fact when they were dumb enough to know the scenario and still nullify a Championship game. The format doesn't need to be changed simply because one conference was left out due to their own stupidity.

You could make a strong case that the best four teams were picked, but a couple of schools out in Texas would disagree with you strongly, and they have a good case. Suppose the Big 12 had a championship game this year. Which one of the four teams that were selected would have been bounced in favor of their winner? If the five power conferences are what is driving this process, (and it is) then each conference deserves to be represented in the playoff format, however they choose to determine their champion.

I understand that there is an NCAA rule that gives them jurisdiction of any post season playoff that has eight or more teams. The Power 5, if they follow through on their threat to establish their own super division, could establish ts own rule for its playoffs.

 

[BamaFan334]

You could make a strong case that the best four teams were picked, but a couple of schools out in Texas would disagree with you strongly, and they have a good case. Suppose the Big 12 had a championship game this year. Which one of the four teams that were selected would have been bounced in favor of their winner? If the five power conferences are what is driving this process, (and it is) then each conference deserves to be represented in the playoff format, however they choose to determine their champion.

I understand that there is an NCAA rule that gives them jurisdiction of any post season playoff that has eight or more teams. The Power 5, if they follow through on their threat to establish their own super division, could establish ts own rule for its playoffs.

Well I think you make that decision once you figure out who the Big 12 Champion is and how that game turned out. Logic would have probably put the Big 12 champion or Ohio State out both based on schedule and result of the Championship game itself. The two Texas schools can whine and cry all they want, but until you play a team better than Minnesota out of conference and can win a little more decisive over a team like Texas Tech, then you really have no leg to stand on. Yes, every team plays a close game during the year, but in our case, we won the SEC, year in year out the best conference in football, with a win over West Virginia in the opener, the team that beat Baylor. I still see no fault in this year's selection. There is no scenario that will make everyone happy. Society can be flourishing, but then you'll always have some group bitching, the country can be in shambles and you'll have people bitching. There will never be 100% agreement on any of this, too much money and too many being left out for everyone to be happy.

 

[psychojoe]

The issue of funding for college athletics can get pretty testy. As this article indicates, states are having their own budgetary issues now, and are asking students to pay a bigger portion of their education costs.

http://www.foxbusiness.com/economy-...-public-colleges/?intcmp=bigtopmarketfeatures

UAB had planned to continue their drowning in red ink football program by further increasing student fees, and as TP indicated, many schools get support from sources other than strictly sports revenue. If the present competitive structure that we all enjoy is to survive, the sports programs need to be self sufficient.

 

[TerryP]

Law vs NCAA is the case, settled in the appellate courts. That's as high as the case climbed. It is indeed considered "well settled", but it could be argued still and I think successfully won. Currently, you are correct though, and I stand corrected.

Members could in fact, though, begin the practice on their own. Like that's going to happen.

You're going to have to help me out here...I can't understand your thinking.

"Members could..." begin capping salaries of their coaching staffs? I can't see that happening, not because they don't necessarily want to decrease their expenditures, but more along the lines of they don't want to end up in court—where they'd lose. I don't understand how you think it could be argued and won now. What's the difference in the NCAA trying to legislate one coach, in basketball, being held to a 13,000K cap but a school can hold the head coach to a certain number?

Here's where I get even more confused. In this conversation you're suggesting schools that are having financial difficulties are at fault because of mismanagement of finances. Yet, in this thread you're also suggesting the answer for basketball is go spend a lot of money and go buy a coach. On one hand money is the answer, but on the other hand it's the problem?

Alabama is in an unique position in that the school is financially solvent—more than solvent in fact. It's even more apparent with Auburn reporting losses this season (they did last fiscal reporting year as well.) When it comes to wins and losses we all know where we want Auburn to be—on the losing end. But, do we want such a massive overhaul to the current system that we see schools like Auburn cutting sports programs left and right? Where are the "rivers and streams" in West Opelika?

A couple of side notes:

The elephant in the room that no one is talking about is the Title IX programs. They are not, in my opinion, the root of the problem. It was an unfortunate case of bad timing that the NCAA started mandating how many scholarships a FBS program could offer around the same time as Title IX legislation was passed. (Getting into the scholarship numbers debate...good lord, a subject for another thread.)

Looking back a few years: How financially responsible was the move of the women's basketball team from Coleman to Fosters? Game day expenses alone demonstrate how good of an idea Coach Moore had there.

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The more you dig into these subjects the cloudier random answers become. Is it a wonder I immediately look at the financial aspect not only to UA, but other schools as well?