The best chance for SMU to join a BCS conference now...

[smupony94]

Notre Dame is sad

On a day when the Atlantic Coast Conference introduced Syracuse and Pittsburgh as new members, poaching them from an unhappy Big East, Notre Dame's athletics director did little to mask his exasperation.

"I don't understand it," Jack Swarbrick said as a new round of conference hopping in college athletics moved into high gear Sunday. "How do you vote as a collegiate president on something that has the potential to provide some benefit for your institution and the conference you're affiliated with but has a very negative consequence for a host of other members of the academy, as presidents like to call it?

"I'd like to know how much of these discussions are: What's right? What is the best thing for the larger enterprise, and how many other schools would be adversely impacted?

[abezontar]

It's great to hear fans that have some hope for us in this realignment mess. Our coach last week at the luncheon said we would be left out. Maybe it's true but throw me a bit of hope! It's not over til it's over...

Wait...June said this?

[abezontar]

I'm not so sure. A lot of teams went down without a fight when the BCS was formed and really this is just more concentration resulting from the creation of the BCS. The BCS is the cause-conference realignment is the effect. I really don't know why a lawsuit hasn't been filed a decade ago when the case was much better. Any astute observer of college football could have seen this happening from the day the BCS was formed.

I could be wrong, but I see one major problem with the BCS that will likely kill them (likely in court). You can't consolidate to some finite number and expect those that were left out to switch his/her loyalty for the sake of supporting a team. Their "model" requires that I, as a SMU fan, cheer for say UT if SMU is left out of the 64. To assume this is not the case is foolish (IMO) because there will be WAY too much money not following college sports otherwise. College football wants the most aggregate profitability, and IMO that isn't just 64 teams -- unless of course we're all willing to become UT fans.

The general public may be willing to do that though. I think outside of the "marquee" schools there is far less fan loyalty that would prevent someone from cheering for a UT or Alabama, etc.

[ericdickerson4life]

The general public may be willing to do that though. I think outside of the "marquee" schools there is far less fan loyalty that would prevent someone from cheering for a UT or Alabama, etc.

Outside of SMU, I cheer for whomever I bet on. Go Eastern Michigan Eagles, you can cover that +28!!

[redpony]

Even if we gave up fball I would NEVER root for the whorens. I of course might always root for the other team.

GO PONIES!!!

[BIGHORSE]

Even if we gave up fball I would NEVER root for the whorens. I of course might always root for the other team.

GO PONIES!!!

I might pick another team to pull for, but never ever the cows!!!

totally agree with ya.

[docabel]

I'm not so sure. A lot of teams went down without a fight when the BCS was formed and really this is just more concentration resulting from the creation of the BCS. The BCS is the cause-conference realignment is the effect. I really don't know why a lawsuit hasn't been filed a decade ago when the case was much better. Any astute observer of college football could have seen this happening from the day the BCS was formed.

I could be wrong, but I see one major problem with the BCS that will likely kill them (likely in court). You can't consolidate to some finite number and expect those that were left out to switch his/her loyalty for the sake of supporting a team. Their "model" requires that I, as a SMU fan, cheer for say UT if SMU is left out of the 64. To assume this is not the case is foolish (IMO) because there will be WAY too much money not following college sports otherwise. College football wants the most aggregate profitability, and IMO that isn't just 64 teams -- unless of course we're all willing to become UT fans.

They don't care about you or your money. They care about the $$$$ coming from the TV contracts. You could support any school (or not), but as long as your TV is tuned to college football on Saturdays, then they are happy.

[ericdickerson4life]

They don't care about you or your money. They care about the $$$$ coming from the TV contracts. You could support any school (or not), but as long as your TV is tuned to college football on Saturdays, then they are happy.

That's the whole point. They have to have enough teams included so that TV's stay on, and people are in front of their TV's.

What else am I suppose to watch on Saturday's? Am I suppose to go outside an ignore my beloved TV? It's too hot, I'm too lazy, and TV is too good of a friend to turn my back on. They've got me hooked. ESPN is the devil, always tricking me to watch some crappy game or program.

Do they have indoctrination camp for when I am forced to root from the cows? Just wondering when I'm going to be forced to sign up and how this cult experience works.

[03Mustang]

It's great to hear fans that have some hope for us in this realignment mess. Our coach last week at the luncheon said we would be left out. Maybe it's true but throw me a bit of hope! It's not over til it's over...

Wait...June said this?

I was thinking the same thing here...what gives? Can anyone else confirm that June said this?

[Cadillac]

This morning on The Ticket, they said they believe four 20 team conferences are coming.

I heard that as well, and thought it was the best chance we'd have for getting into the club.

4 Conferences, with 4 pods each. Each 5 team pod based on regional play, with additional conference games rotating, and non-conference games to fill out. The only thing that nuts me out about the process is that the Texas schools look like they'll be divided up between the uber-conferences. Though I guess residing in a Pod with Houston, Rice, TCU, and Baylor would be pretty cool.

-CoS

[redpony]

They don't care about you or your money. They care about the $$$$ coming from the TV contracts. You could support any school (or not), but as long as your TV is tuned to college football on Saturdays, then they are happy.

That's the whole point. They have to have enough teams included so that TV's stay on, and people are in front of their TV's.

Then the question becomes would you spend your day watching teams that you didn't care anything about or would you be doing something else rather than watching fball on TV?
Also, would you be willing to pay extra to watch those games?

GO PONIES!!!

[SMUer]

OK, I think I've got it. Mark Cuban creates HDNet Football channel and recruits members of defunct BigXII, BigEast and combines them with the best-of-the-best MWest, WAC, CUSA members to form 4 new 9-team conferences. All other sports stay in current conferences. Each team plays each member of its conference (8 games), plus 4 at-large games (other HDNet conference teams, Sun Belt, CUSA, whatever), so 12 games total. Each HDNet conference winner/runner-up goes to a 8-team playoff system, and eventually a "national champion" emerges. Huge marketing campaign "only proven national champion". etc. Season games played Wed, Thurs, Friday and Sunday night. No team will play a Sunday then a Tuesday or a Friday then a Tuesday, etc. Sunday games only before bye-weeks. Media would love it. BCS teams would look like chickens/fattened cows. Texas is just too much of a football hot-bed to not have a) a conference b) regional rivalries.

[Comet]

This morning on The Ticket, they said they believe four 20 team conferences are coming.

I heard that as well, and thought it was the best chance we'd have for getting into the club.

4 Conferences, with 4 pods each. Each 5 team pod based on regional play, with additional conference games rotating, and non-conference games to fill out. The only thing that nuts me out about the process is that the Texas schools look like they'll be divided up between the uber-conferences. Though I guess residing in a Pod with Houston, Rice, TCU, and Baylor would be pretty cool.

-CoS

That would make for some amazingly fun rivalry games. More so in a BCS conference than mid-major ones.

[03Mustang]

OK, I think I've got it. Mark Cuban creates HDNet Football channel and recruits members of defunct BigXII, BigEast and combines them with the best-of-the-best MWest, WAC, CUSA members to form 4 new 9-team conferences. All other sports stay in current conferences. Each team plays each member of its conference (8 games), plus 4 at-large games (other HDNet conference teams, Sun Belt, CUSA, whatever), so 12 games total. Each HDNet conference winner/runner-up goes to a 8-team playoff system, and eventually a "national champion" emerges. Huge marketing campaign "only proven national champion". etc. Season games played Wed, Thurs, Friday and Sunday night. No team will play a Sunday then a Tuesday or a Friday then a Tuesday, etc. Sunday games only before bye-weeks. Media would love it. BCS teams would look like chickens/fattened cows. Texas is just too much of a football hot-bed to not have a) a conference b) regional rivalries.

Three letters: X. F. L.

[ericdickerson4life]

Three letters: X. F. L.

Can we bring in Vince McMahon? Or He Hate Me?