https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/ ... r-AA1nxgQr

I have come around to the idea of a playoff..

I'd be all for a Group of 5 playoff.

I've also seen a proposed super league with a "G5 relegated" division (see picture for reference). My dream would be to have a G5 playoffs, then have the top 2-4 teams from said playoffs move up to the Super/Premier League, while having the bottom 2-4 premier league divisions down to G5.

This would be the nail in the coffin for me. Not trying to spind like a fair weather fan...but being in a league like this would feel like a true step down to FCS level... I know our current situation is not the most glamorous, but at least in a crazy year, we can be ranked in the same rankings as the other bigger programs

Wyoming, San Jose State, Hawaii, and Air Force should go there.
For the rest of the MWC plus Oregon State and Washington State belong in the P5 world.
The future hinges on finding the right media deal in the near future.

Sounds like the G5 is getting shafted financially. I think the P5 (4, 2, whatever it is) might start sweating when they lose their whipping boy. If the G5 can make more money on their own, I say do it. I’m cheering for USU wherever they end up.

Yup. The worst thing for the P-4 would be if we quit playing them and they only had each other to beat up on.

One of them being the loser in every game would be a nightmare for them

That is leverage that the G-5/? Could use if we would stick together. Of course, there will always be a few who hope to join them in the future and would not be willing to offend them.

Every decision being made about the future of the college sports is being driven by the rich who will simply get richer. The amount of money being unleashed on college sports will further the divide. That is not going to change and is not good news for USU.

cval wrote: ↑

April 26th, 2024, 5:40 pm

Yup. The worst thing for the P-4 would be if we quit playing them and they only had each other to beat up on.

One of them being the loser in every game would be a nightmare for them

That is leverage that the G-5/? Could use if we would stick together. Of course, there will always be a few who hope to join them in the future and would not be willing to offend them.

So we end up becoming the new FCS just to spite the P5? No thank you. If we think the money is bad now...imagine a world where we are not even in the same league.
Do current FCS games air on TV? That's the world we would live in. We may end up being forced to that being our new reality, but not one I would ever choose. If I'm a G5 AD, I am pushing for a league that is similar to the current basketball situation...where the odds are stacked against us but at least every once in a blue moon a G5 team makes it to the finals.

TV and the Power conference world seemed to not realize that a big part of the MWC plus Oregon State and Washington State would get all the markets at that point which would maximize the money.

UStater wrote: ↑

April 26th, 2024, 6:02 pm

cval wrote: ↑

April 26th, 2024, 5:40 pm

Yup. The worst thing for the P-4 would be if we quit playing them and they only had each other to beat up on.

One of them being the loser in every game would be a nightmare for them

That is leverage that the G-5/? Could use if we would stick together. Of course, there will always be a few who hope to join them in the future and would not be willing to offend them.

So we end up becoming the new FCS just to spite the P5? No thank you. If we think the money is bad now...imagine a world where we are not even in the same league.
Do current FCS games air on TV? That's the world we would live in. We may end up being forced to that being our new reality, but not one I would ever choose. If I'm a G5 AD, I am pushing for a league that is similar to the current basketball situation...where the odds are stacked against us but at least every once in a blue moon a G5 team makes it to the finals.

If we really believe the money the MW gets is because of the grace and goodness of the P5, then that's embarrassing, and we should drop down to FCS. The fact is, G5 is probably taking a discounted payout at the playoff level just to be in the conversation with the P5. The MW is a strong league with good football. Let the bottom half of P5 struggle to keep up with the top half, and let's have a conversation in 10 years when their boosters are pissed because they've dropped $100M in NIL to still be a bottom feeder.

On the other hand, I totally get the argument for staying in the same division as the big boys. That's obviously the goal. But unless we get big money and big support, we aren't going to be able to keep up. Better to compete at the top end of what we are able to, and grow from there. That's how Boise got to where they are, that's how Utah go to where they are. It's a process, and I just don't think getting caught up in this arms race is going to end well for us. (Spoiler, unless something drastic happens, it's only going to end well for Ohio State, Texas, USC, and Georgia, and maybe 5 other schools, that's about it).

SLB wrote: ↑

April 26th, 2024, 3:20 pm

Wyoming, San Jose State, Hawaii, and Air Force should go there.
For the rest of the MWC plus Oregon State and Washington State belong in the P5 world.
The future hinges on finding the right media deal in the near future.

I’m in favor. We are the new FCS. There is the SEC and Big Ten, the next tier is the Big 12 and ACC. If you don’t believe me look at Florida State. The playoff is most likely going to 14 in order to include an additional SEC and Big Ten team. The only reason the top FBS teams haven’t broken off is because they can’t figure out where to draw the line and those that don’t make it have a lot of money to spend on lawyers.

So all you in favor of this idea, is it because you think it's inevitable (which it might be) or because you would prefer it to how things are as of right now?

coolag wrote: ↑

April 26th, 2024, 8:34 pm

SLB wrote: ↑

April 26th, 2024, 3:20 pm

Wyoming, San Jose State, Hawaii, and Air Force should go there.
For the rest of the MWC plus Oregon State and Washington State belong in the P5 world.
The future hinges on finding the right media deal in the near future.

This isn’t even his most unreasonable post in this thread

UStater wrote: ↑

April 27th, 2024, 7:35 pm

So all you in favor of this idea, is it because you think it's inevitable (which it might be) or because you would prefer it to how things are as of right now?

There is a bit of both. I think it gives G5 conferences some power. I think there is more value in G5 football than Sankey and Tony Petitti, the Big Ten’s Commissioner graciously allow the G5 to receive. They want as much $$$$ as they can extract and don’t care who’s expense it’s at. I think this money would be at least as much as the playoff pays the conferences, and it would hurt the perception of the first round of the new playoff format if there isn’t a Cinderella to root for. Do fans want to watch fourth, fifth, and sixth place Big Ten and SEC teams playing one another.

So let me see if I have this all straight...

If the P4 leagues never have to leave their home stadiums in OOC play due to the massive bowl payouts the P4 conferences and programs collect...

This sounds an awful lot like the G5 leagues are basically stuck playing a P4 programs on the road plus maybe an fcs program at home and peer level (another g5) home and away in OOC every year.

Assuming a fairly positive result/outcome, this sounds very much like a 1-3 start many years, or a 2-2 in the good years.

Making much more than an 8 win season seem quite improbable.

Am I just being too pessimistic?

Not interested…

To me, this is beginning to feel like what the power conferences want is just a "Bridge too Far".

The P4 keep hogging all the profits and all of the money in College Football. They are all getting rich.

Meanwhile, how can G5 programs break-even?

The deck keeps getting reshuffled to make even having a successful existence as a G5, next to impossible.

So, maybe I have just had a belly full, and don't really want to play their game of charades any longer.

For years, it felt like MWC level competition was a good fit for Utah State.

Now with NIL and Open Transfers, it is starting to feel like Utah State is continually getting our bones picked clean.

Is this really how it is supposed to be?

First a proposed G5 playoff and now a G5 top 25.

https://footballscoop.com/news/group-of ... new-top-25

They P4 is separating from the G5, it is only a matter of time.

NavyBlue wrote: ↑

May 13th, 2024, 1:16 pm

First a proposed G5 playoff and now a G5 top 25.

https://footballscoop.com/news/group-of ... new-top-25

They P4 is separating from the G5, it is only a matter of time.

By the time it happens, there won't be four, only two. Actually, there will be just one with two divisions. I've been predicting this for years now.

I agree. The separation is happening now right in front of us.

The funny thing is that in the long-term, it is a completely untenable situation IMHO.

How many fans/supporters of the current P4 have ever shown even the slightest interest in having their team finish with a .500 record?.

And yet, that is the system that they are setting up! Traditionally, "level playing field sports" are funny that way. One team wins. One team loses.

So this will get interesting. In my opinion, "interesting" as in, will never ever happen

NavyBlue wrote: ↑

May 13th, 2024, 1:16 pm

First a proposed G5 playoff and now a G5 top 25.

https://footballscoop.com/news/group-of ... new-top-25

They P4 is separating from the G5, it is only a matter of time.

The P4 have already separated from the G5. Just look at the disparity in facilities, media deals, NIL, bowl and playoff access, the list goes on and on and on. It sucks to say, but We aren’t even on the same damn planet as the P4’s. The way the G5 needs to progress and grow isn’t necessarily to compete with the P4’s. They do this by growing a football brand that is regional and competitive and enjoyable to watch. USU trying to become like Utah, let alone an Alabama is a complete lost cause and we would be smart to recognize that and work with what reality has given us.

I’ve always been very opposed to this. But I would be fully on board if there was pro/rel between P4 and G5 (and between G5 and FCS)

Such a bad idea to self demote. Lesser semi-pro isn’t something I’m excited about but neither is more semi-pro. I loved college sports but we don’t have them anymore. I’m thinking hockey?

Yes. As a land-grant and Ag-focused G5, there is no reason to self-demote. We already get demoted enough.

But, I would not mind seeing something more than table scraps being set aside for a G5 representative in a 12 team playoff.

The separation that we see is on-going right in front of us. It is happening on right now.

Let's focus on those things that we can control. Things like strengthening traditional rivalries. building geographical connections, and working in symbiotic ways to improve fellow MWC institutions.

We already have pretty good rivalries in the states of Nevada, California, Colorado, Idaho, Hawaii and New Mexico.

I look forward to enhanced rivalries with WSU/OSU and the states of Washington/Oregon.

RogerAndersen wrote: ↑

Yesterday, 2:57 pm

Yes. As a land-grant and Ag-focused G5, there is no reason to self-demote. We already get demoted enough.

But, I would not mind seeing something more than table scraps being set aside for a G5 representative in a 12 team playoff.

The separation that we see is on-going right in front of us. It is happening on right now.

Let's focus on those things that we can control. Things like strengthening traditional rivalries. building geographical connections, and working in symbiotic ways to improve fellow MWC institutions.

We already have pretty good rivalries in the states of Nevada, California, Colorado, Idaho, Hawaii and New Mexico.

I look forward to enhanced rivalries with WSU/OSU and the states of Washington/Oregon.

This ^^. Amen my Aggie brother!! I like the way you are thinking.

NavyBlue wrote: ↑

April 25th, 2024, 2:09 pm

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/ ... r-AA1nxgQr

I have come around to the idea of a playoff..

Fu*king hate this proposal! This is what the "power 4" schools want, the rest of the teams to relegate themselves, removing a litigation hurdle if they decide to break away. Terrible idea.

The P4 leagues are simply always going to be pushing for an unbalanced distribution of $$ and # of participants over the G5 leagues in any championship model that gets brought forth. That is just how it is going to be.

I believe that Conference Championships and Rankings should mean something. Every outright FBS conference champ and every team that appears in the final CFP rankings should have some path forward after the CCG's or whatever mechanism is in place for deciding the outright Conference Champions..

I am fine with the P4 Conferences getting more entrants or better seeds to a CFP, but there should be a real opportunity for every Conference Champ. I am also OK with seeding all of the participants in the CFP based on rankings or whatever other mechanism the parties agree to.

C'mon folks. This does not need to be rocket surgery, and how much more fun and captivating for all of America would it be?

My belief is it would take over the NFL playoffs as the #1 most watched and most captivating sports event of the year.

College Sports needs something right now. Even In the day and age of NIL, College Football just still has a different level of connectedness and personal care factor over Pro Sports. It is time for College Football to Figure it out.