Non-Power 5 leaders disagree with June Jones

[SMU 86]

Here is the link to the story.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/sto ... ing-spring

[fifty]

http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/med ... -structure

it's the end of the world as we know it...and i'll be fine

[SMU 86]

Commissioners from the non-Power Five conferences vehemently disagreed with June Jones' suggestion that those leagues should play in the spring to avoid going head-to-head with the bigger conferences.

Jones is in his seventh season as SMU's head coach. The Mustangs are in the American, one of the non-Power Five leagues. The others are the Mid-American, Mountain West, Sun Belt and Conference USA.

“

We have no interest in doing that and have no plans to discuss or look into it. Our position is clear. We are an integral part of the fabric of FBS college football. Our conference is and will be extremely competitive and our goal is to play at the highest level, compete for playoff and host bowl spots and challenge the Power Five. We want to be in the power conference conversation and, sooner than later, be regarded as the sixth power conference.
” -- American commissioner Mike Aresco

"I think the have-nots [non-Power Five leagues] should go ahead and move to the spring just like the USFL did," Jones told WDAE-AM on Thursday. "I think that there's an opportunity to do a complete other side of that division and I think that if we don't think that way as a group of have-nots, we're going to get left behind."

Commissioners Mike Aresco, of the American, Craig Thompson, of the Mountain West, and Jon Steinbrecher, of the MAC, each told ESPN that they have "no interest" nor do they even expect to consider moving from the fall to the spring.

"We have no interest in doing that and have no plans to discuss or look into it," Aresco told ESPN. "Our position is clear. We are an integral part of the fabric of FBS college football.

"Our conference is and will be extremely competitive and our goal is to play at the highest level, compete for playoff and host bowl spots and challenge the Power Five. We want to be in the power conference conversation and, sooner than later, be regarded as the sixth power conference."

Last season AAC champion UCF upset Big 12 champion Baylor in the Fiesta Bowl. In the final AP Poll, the AAC had two teams finish in the Top 15 -- the same number as four of the Power Five leagues (ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and Pac-12).

Steinbrecher also dismissed Jones' idea.

"I have not reviewed this concept with our membership but I cannot imagine we would support such a concept," Steinbrecher said. "We look forward to competing in the fall."

Added Thompson: "There is no chance."

Jones told the Tampa, Florida, radio station if they moved to the spring that in "five-to-seven years, possibly, the public would demand to have the two leagues play, just like I think the USFL had in mind, originally, of the winner of the USFL playing the winner of the National Football League."

There obviously would be a myriad of obstacles to overcome with moving to the spring, including the recruiting and academic calendar, uncertainty of bowl games for non-Power Five leagues, not participating in the new College Football Playoff and NFL draft preparation. Those leagues would also lose the tradition of playing in the fall.

Jones admitted "all those things would have to be figured out," but said the possibility of bigger television deals for the smaller conferences could make it appealing.

"You make your own rules at that point," Jones told WDAE. "Football is the No. 1 sport on television right now and the advertisers want live programming. They don't want Hollywood shows because you can TiVo out the commercials. Live programming is a hot topic right now and I think there's a market for bigger numbers for the non-BCS teams."

Jones, who coached in the USFL from 1984-85 before the league folded, said if some radical changes aren't made, he believes some non-Power Five schools financially won't be able to compete and will "start dropping football."

http://espn.go.com/college-football/sto ... ing-spring

[malonish]

[Fresno Mustang]

he referenced the usfl as a model to follow for moving to the spring. The usfl isn't around anymore June...

[SMUer]

Maybe we should clear comments like this with our Commish first?

[Grant Carter]

Maybe we should clear comments like this with our Commish first?

I do not think he should clear comments with the commish, he should just not have such bad ideas.

[Pony ^]

June just put everyone in a bad position. If I was Rick Hart I would be furious

[redpony]

June just put everyone in a bad position. If I was Rick Hart I would be furious

I'm sure casper will address that in his next issue of 'straight from the hart'.

[Bergermeister]

June just put everyone in a bad position. If I was Rick Hart I would be furious

You're assuming what June Jones says carries some weight. It's a personal opinion. Move along.

[ReedFrawg]

What embarrassing comments by June. And to call your school a "have-not" is an insult to every SMU fan and player.

[PonySnob]

June just put everyone in a bad position. If I was Rick Hart I would be furious

Be mid October, it should be evident to Casper that JJ can't be the coach in 2015............


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Grant Carter]

June just put everyone in a bad position. If I was Rick Hart I would be furious

I tweeted rick asking if he agreed with June's comments. I have not seen a response.

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

We do what we do (in the spring).

[PonyKai]

Oh, Tiki. We shouldn't be surprised. But somehow, we all are.