1. As I said, the 14-team playoff works well for the P2 because their champs will get byes, and they don’t want to devalue their conference championship games. That’s why the 16 team playoff is unlikely in my view. 2. Not sure about a conference selection committee. I think each conference will choose the AQ teams they are sending. Most likely, I think they’ll use conference standings with complicated tiebreaker rules. 3. Non P2 conferences don’t have much leverage here. Let’s say the ACC boycotts the CFP changes and tries to start a new non-P2 playoff instead. What would the Big 12 do? They’d have two choices: - Option 1: Join the ACC in the non-P2 playoff. This would likely generate a lot less money. - Option 2: Join the P2 and send a couple of teams to the P2 playoff. This would likely bring in more money and cut the ACC out of the national picture. You know which option Yormark would choose. 4. In my opinion, the only credible threat the ACC or non-P2 conferences can make is potential antitrust litigation. At least, this may lead to change the language and they may say the “top two” conferences get four bids and the third and fourth conferences get two bids, instead of specifying conference names.

the rest of FBS football first. The ACC, B12, and the G conferences will take their medicine. There is no other option for the ACC.

for the ACC (and of course for the B12 and G6). I don’t see a need to check with the B12 or other conferences. Even if they all agree to oppose the AQ, the hypothetical “alliance” among non-P2 conferences won’t work because these non-P2 conferences have an incentive to ditch the alliance and join the more profitable P2 playoff. And to be honest, I don’t know if the ACC can trust Yormark.

the B12 is in no position to have anything to do with the ACC, other than to become an ally. The P2 is, has, and will be the party the ACC has to worry about. The B12 only becomes relevant if/when the the P2 goes after the ACC top brands.

I am more and more thinking that the P2 will kick out some schools too, because they don’t generate enough ratings/💵. Then the remaining ACC, B12 and G6 that didn’t get invited to the P2 will have their own 🏈 playoff and probably 🏀 tournament too. Maybe in basketball the top two face off for the Division 1 National Championship, or maybe the P2 doesn’t want to risk losing, and they don’t play. I don’t know right now, but as a Virginian and older adult, I remember when William and Mary and the University of Richmond played at the same level as the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech. They battled a lot for the same High School recruits. They even beat UVA and Tech in games too. When W&M and UR split off to the D1AA, I didn’t like it, even though I went to Tech. Now I look back at it and think it’s wonderful. W&M and UR have maintained stellar Academics and both have made the playoffs, Richmond even won the National Championship under the current William and Mary coach. So there is a lot of good that came out of it. Consequently if we are going there, let’s stop beating around the bush, and just go there.

As you said, all non P2 leagues will just have to be in a freefall until the P2 completes their moves on their timeline. I think it is only after that handful of teams destined for the P2 get there AND a handful of current P2 teams destined to be kicked out are kicked out that the little p2 and "group of" will have any power to fashion their future.

avid Toledo Rocket fan, because of my dad, and have gone to many games, as a kid, and as an adult. When you look at the G5, they have pretty much already been left in the dust. I say to hell with the P2. Instead of them breaking away, and offering the ACC and B12 schools a token to continue to participate, I say the rest of FBS, and all of division one basketball break away, and form their own league. Let the media fall where it may, and get back to playing college ball. Maybe include FCS team in the football part, maybe not - it would all depend on what the individual schools want, not what ESPN or the P2 dictate. I'm pretty sure there is enough content to get a pretty good chunk of media money, and the playoff revenue can be distributed to the participants, including conference champions. Let the p2 have their semi pro league, let them pay their athletes as free agents, and lets get back to the idea of educating our kids, and competing against others that have the same set of rules.

I think that ESPN/Fox etc will dramatically reduce their production staffs and pretty much limit that to producing P2/playoffs. I can see ESPN 2 etc only receiving streamed in content, adding their announcers and advertising and send it out. It will be incumbent on the little p2/group of to be able to produce and send to any media outlet a quality product.

and I do not disagree with the sentiment, however, anybody getting media revenue will be paying the players something going forward. That genie is out of the bottle and not going back in no matter how hard some might wish otherwise. ** Edited by 2hhoop3 at 2/23/2025, 4:21:07 PM

put back in the bottle, and maybe it shouldn't. A different system than "revenue sharing" would have to be discussed, decided on, and then implemented. If the kids could then make the big bucks by transferring to the semi pro league, so be it. Give them the choice, and opportunity to be a pro. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, figure out a way that all student athletes can share in a more equal payment system. Even the non revs. Not all players are good enough for the NFL, NBA, MLB, or the P2. If they make the cut on any of the above, let them make millions - I really don't care. If they can't, then pay them (all of them) an appropriate amount that is fair, and hold their feet to the fire of credit hours and graduating. Playing college athletics is a privilege, not a right - at least it should be once again.

the question is what is an appropriate and fair amount? There are clearly some that a higher amount might be more fair, however, I suspect that for many the free ride and other associated benefits might be sufficient, even more than sufficient in some cases.

for the love of the game, and an opportunity to get an education. I don't hear of many NIL deals at that level. Move on up the ladder through the C5, and there aren't a whole lot of kids on those teams that have a shot at the pros (including the P2). They constitute the lions share of athletes playing the game. Every athlete would like to become a pro and make the big bucks, but you are right, most are just fine getting the scholarships, benefits, and being able to put on that uniform, and wink at the cheerleaders. That kind of ball would still sell. The money part is complicated with the media revenue and ticket sales. What is fair, and what is not, may be above my paygrade. I'm not even sure I'd like to take a stab at it, other than it should be equal across the league, level, or division.

Ratings weren't as high as they hoped. Running out of time slots. General football fatigue on weekends that double up with NFL playoffs. And if you are waiting for the NFL to clear TV slots to help college football......

The caveat is the money would need to be distributed more evenly for competition sake, so….not likely. But, it could be sooooo good. Split the P4 into 9 team divisions. And play the same 8 conference games every year. (Welcome back rivalries!). Fill out the 3 nonconference games by matching up finishing positions in each league vs each of the other three P4 leagues (I.e. 1st place ACC plays nonconference games vs 1st place SEC/B10/Big12 and then work your way down). This creates loads of compelling games for the next year and increases scheduling parity. Cap the season at 12 games so exactly 1 buy game is played vs G5 teams annually and all schools will rotate between 6 and 7 home games every year. Ban FCS games from counting towards records. With the scheduling parity above, this paves the way for the Top 2 in each division to qualify for a 16 team tournament. Tell ND they either join a league or are left out. Once the 72 spots are taken, that’s it…. Cut out the G5. The job is done. The handwringing over a 9-3 SEC team getting beat out by a 9-3 ACC team would be sweaty, but that happens in the NFL when you have a 9-8 division champion of a weak division getting in over a couple 10-7 teams that don’t get a wild card. But that lasts a week until the playoffs start and nobody ever remembers it. Pay all media rights money to each of the 72 teams equally, set a salary cap for players annually and restricted portal times to after the playoffs and before Spring practice/OTA’s. No more bowl games. Start the next season with a nonconference game. Maybe find a way to set up neutral sites for these for biggest opening week nonconference matchups and use that as a “preseason bowl week”

1. If teams will play the same 8 conference games every year, then what is the point for the conferences remaining at 18 members vs. creating 8 conferences with 9 members? It seems to me that your proposal scheduling format would mean teams would never get to play the 9 teams in the other division. 2. If a team's OOC is already pre-determined, then what would that mean for the ACC-SEC rivalries? You say "Welcome back rivalries!" in one sentence, but your proposal potentially risks harming other rivalries.

#2. Illustrates why this is so screwed up anyway, when you can set up 8 annual rivalries and have somebody nitpick one extra rivalry being lost.

and UVA to willingly stop playing each other in football forever. Even the pay increase may not be enough to convince them to trade the Commonwealth Clash for 7 or 8 Fredo-like rivalries. Before you say it would never happen, remember there is just as much probability that the 2 VA schools end up in opposite divisions because the ACC wants equal representation for a state or region as there is they will end up in the same division. It very well may be screwed up, but no reason to screw it up even more because people may not like the result when someone is forced to push the self-destruct button.

the Commonwealth of VA was represented in both divisions. Particularly since a team would never get to play the teams in other division which could impact recruiting because teams would never get to play in or play against teams from certain states. The same logic could be used for other states and regions. There is a good chance both divisions would have the following composition. 1 FL school 1 GA or SC school 2 NC schools 1 VA school 1 TX school (note: it would require the ACC to add a second school from TX assuming Notre Dame doesn't join the ACC for football) 1 CA school 1 Ohio River Valley school 1 NY or MA school The only reason it never happened the first time is because the ACC decided to use the same divisions for basketball for various reasons. The only way VT and UVA could play twice per season is if both teams were in the same division. If the ACC had not used divisions in basketball or it was willing to use a different division compositions for basketball, then there is a good possibility VT could have been placed in the Atlantic Division and paired with UVA for football. As a result, the football divisions would have looked like this (with the protected cross-division pairings). Atlantic/Coastal BC UMD VT UVA Wake Duke NC State UNC Clemson GT FSU Miami