Arrogance of Big Ten, SEC leaders on full display in New Orleans college football meetings

gatornharlem · Feb 20, 2025 at 9:07 PM

For two decades, every hare-brained development in college football could be boiled down to a simple explanation: “No one is in charge.”

Today, however, two indisputable ruling parties are controlling the sport: the Big Ten and SEC. And they’re about to light the whole thing aflame.

Leaders of the two leagues are meeting this week in New Orleans, where they’re expected to push forward with a full-on takeover of the College Football Playoff. Beginning in 2026, the field would expand to 14 or 16 teams, and the Power 2 would grant themselves four automatic berths each. The ACC and Big 12 would get two, the Group of 5 one, leaving just one or three at-larges.
It’s a ludicrous and unnecessary provision, one made possible by the fact that the Power 2 conferences already negotiated themselves favored nation status in the new CFP contract that begins next year. The previous version required unanimous agreement among the 10 FBS conferences and Notre Dame to make changes to the format. The Big Ten and SEC now get to dictate changes to the others.

While the four-bid idea was first discussed a year ago, before the 2024 season played out, behold the arrogance if the SEC pushes it through immediately after landing just three bids last season.
The first year of the 12-team CFP exposed some largely fixable flaws in the format when it came to seeding and byes. But for the most part, it achieved exactly what was intended. New faces — Arizona State, Indiana, SMU — got to enjoy their moment in the sun. The entire bowl season got a much-needed interest boost from those mid-December games. And No. 8 seed Ohio State and No. 7 seed Notre Dame earned their way to the championship game rather than getting voted into the semifinals like before.

Read full article at The Athletic

kryptonite · Feb 20, 2025 at 9:28 PM

gatornharlem said: ↑

For two decades, every hare-brained development in college football could be boiled down to a simple explanation: “No one is in charge.”

Today, however, two indisputable ruling parties are controlling the sport: the Big Ten and SEC. And they’re about to light the whole thing aflame.

Leaders of the two leagues are meeting this week in New Orleans, where they’re expected to push forward with a full-on takeover of the College Football Playoff. Beginning in 2026, the field would expand to 14 or 16 teams, and the Power 2 would grant themselves four automatic berths each. The ACC and Big 12 would get two, the Group of 5 one, leaving just one or three at-larges.
It’s a ludicrous and unnecessary provision, one made possible by the fact that the Power 2 conferences already negotiated themselves favored nation status in the new CFP contract that begins next year. The previous version required unanimous agreement among the 10 FBS conferences and Notre Dame to make changes to the format. The Big Ten and SEC now get to dictate changes to the others.

While the four-bid idea was first discussed a year ago, before the 2024 season played out, behold the arrogance if the SEC pushes it through immediately after landing just three bids last season.
The first year of the 12-team CFP exposed some largely fixable flaws in the format when it came to seeding and byes. But for the most part, it achieved exactly what was intended. New faces — Arizona State, Indiana, SMU — got to enjoy their moment in the sun. The entire bowl season got a much-needed interest boost from those mid-December games. And No. 8 seed Ohio State and No. 7 seed Notre Dame earned their way to the championship game rather than getting voted into the semifinals like before.

Read full article at The Athletic
Click to expand...

This might have meant something 3 decades ago, but the power brokers outside of the NCAA have decided the way to crown a champion for so long, it is no surprise that money dictates a playoff. SEC and B1G have the money and no reason to share it.

62gator · Feb 20, 2025 at 9:51 PM

MarineG8R · Feb 20, 2025 at 10:14 PM

meh

WESGATORS · Feb 20, 2025 at 11:10 PM

gatornharlem said: ↑

For two decades, every hare-brained development in college football could be boiled down to a simple explanation: “No one is in charge.”

Today, however, two indisputable ruling parties are controlling the sport: the Big Ten and SEC. And they’re about to light the whole thing aflame.

Leaders of the two leagues are meeting this week in New Orleans, where they’re expected to push forward with a full-on takeover of the College Football Playoff. Beginning in 2026, the field would expand to 14 or 16 teams, and the Power 2 would grant themselves four automatic berths each. The ACC and Big 12 would get two, the Group of 5 one, leaving just one or three at-larges.
It’s a ludicrous and unnecessary provision, one made possible by the fact that the Power 2 conferences already negotiated themselves favored nation status in the new CFP contract that begins next year. The previous version required unanimous agreement among the 10 FBS conferences and Notre Dame to make changes to the format. The Big Ten and SEC now get to dictate changes to the others.

While the four-bid idea was first discussed a year ago, before the 2024 season played out, behold the arrogance if the SEC pushes it through immediately after landing just three bids last season.
The first year of the 12-team CFP exposed some largely fixable flaws in the format when it came to seeding and byes. But for the most part, it achieved exactly what was intended. New faces — Arizona State, Indiana, SMU — got to enjoy their moment in the sun. The entire bowl season got a much-needed interest boost from those mid-December games. And No. 8 seed Ohio State and No. 7 seed Notre Dame earned their way to the championship game rather than getting voted into the semifinals like before.

Read full article at The Athletic
Click to expand...

The most egregious part about this is the ACC and Big 12 each getting 2. I would say 7 between the Big Ten and SEC should be the minimum; 8 seems reasonable. I would be fine with no other AQs, *maybe* 1 for ACC and 1 for Big 12. There is no "P4" it's a ridiculous concept. The SEC and Big Ten are head and shoulders above everybody else, and it makes sense that that would be reflected in a playoff.

I would be fine with re-evaluating if this somehow doesn't hold up by metrics over time, but this is where we are at today.

Go GATORS!
,WESGATORS

Crusher · Feb 21, 2025 at 10:13 AM

WESGATORS said: ↑

The most egregious part about this is the ACC and Big 12 each getting 2. I would say 7 between the Big Ten and SEC should be the minimum; 8 seems reasonable. I would be fine with no other AQs, *maybe* 1 for ACC and 1 for Big 12. There is no "P4" it's a ridiculous concept. The SEC and Big Ten are head and shoulders above everybody else, and it makes sense that that would be reflected in a playoff.

I would be fine with re-evaluating if this somehow doesn't hold up by metrics over time, but this is where we are at today.

Go GATORS!
,WESGATORS
Click to expand...

NIL has not created the parity some claim. Instead, it has made the uneven playing field worse and the rich will continue to get richer.

archigator_96 · Feb 21, 2025 at 12:21 PM

kryptonite said: ↑

This might have meant something 3 decades ago, but the power brokers outside of the NCAA have decided the way to crown a champion for so long, it is no surprise that money dictates a playoff. SEC and B1G have the money and no reason to share it.
Click to expand...

True, and if they really wanted to wield some power, they would say no independents. If you want in, you have to be in a conference. Looking at you Noter Lame. I would prefer they join the ACC.

grant1 · Feb 21, 2025 at 12:44 PM

MarineG8R said: ↑

meh
Click to expand...

me too, I'm past caring what they do

GratefulGator · Feb 21, 2025 at 1:10 PM

I know it is a small sample size, but there were much better teams than Boise St, SMU and Arizona St that were left out of the playoffs last year and those teams would have provided much more competitive games than the yawners we had...

RealGatorFan · Feb 21, 2025 at 1:39 PM

The way I see it is this - there will be 2 conferences called the American Conference and the National Conference. The other conferences will eventually move to the SEC and Big 12. You will then see 2 at-large teams make it to the dance. Keep in mind the FCS has 10 teams in their playoffs, the CFP already has 12. The champion will be the one that has enough bodies left over, no way can you have a 4 or 5 game format. But we will soon enough see just 2 conferences mirroring the NFL. You can book it. Question remaining is when. Notre Dame's time is coming to an end if they still want to play for the CFP - they will have to pick one of the 2 or get left out.

Gatorhead · Feb 21, 2025 at 1:47 PM

RealGatorFan said: ↑

The way I see it is this - there will be 2 conferences called the American Conference and the National Conference. The other conferences will eventually move to the SEC and Big 12. You will then see 2 at-large teams make it to the dance. Keep in mind the FCS has 10 teams in their playoffs, the CFP already has 12. The champion will be the one that has enough bodies left over, no way can you have a 4 or 5 game format. But we will soon enough see just 2 conferences mirroring the NFL. You can book it. Question remaining is when. Notre Dame's time is coming to an end if they still want to play for the CFP - they will have to pick one of the 2 or get left out.
Click to expand...

I posted this very thing about 2 years ago. NFL light is coming, College Football will have an NFC / AFC, equivalent, I suspect a more structured Free Agency will develop over the current free market wild wild west of NIL. Colleges are already hiring management teams similar to the NFL model. Call it college football all one wants but "IT AIN"T".

tegator80 · Feb 21, 2025 at 2:54 PM

If I had to make a guess, this is a plan to make it 16 teams or 8 teams. 16 means the other conferences decided to play with the Power 2. 8 teams means that the Power 2 forms its own "league" and each gets 4 teams.

NFL-lite!

Wanne15 · Feb 22, 2025 at 10:23 AM

kryptonite said: ↑

This might have meant something 3 decades ago, but the power brokers outside of the NCAA have decided the way to crown a champion for so long, it is no surprise that money dictates a playoff. SEC and B1G have the money and no reason to share it.
Click to expand...

And money dictates where all the talent goes. Its no surprise that the superior talent should play in the prominent games.

Crusher · Feb 22, 2025 at 11:12 AM

grant1 said: ↑

me too, I'm past caring what they do
Click to expand...

This.

Greed has destroyed amateur sports at the collegiate level and I don't really give a flying f about pro sports. I haven't watched the Olympics since everyone went pro, either.

partdopy · Feb 22, 2025 at 11:18 AM

Crusher said: ↑

NIL has not created the parity some claim. Instead, it has made the uneven playing field worse and the rich will continue to get richer.
Click to expand...

That was the point

tigator2019 · Feb 22, 2025 at 5:46 PM

gatornharlem said: ↑

For two decades, every hare-brained development in college football could be boiled down to a simple explanation: “No one is in charge.”

Today, however, two indisputable ruling parties are controlling the sport: the Big Ten and SEC. And they’re about to light the whole thing aflame.

Leaders of the two leagues are meeting this week in New Orleans, where they’re expected to push forward with a full-on takeover of the College Football Playoff. Beginning in 2026, the field would expand to 14 or 16 teams, and the Power 2 would grant themselves four automatic berths each. The ACC and Big 12 would get two, the Group of 5 one, leaving just one or three at-larges.
It’s a ludicrous and unnecessary provision, one made possible by the fact that the Power 2 conferences already negotiated themselves favored nation status in the new CFP contract that begins next year. The previous version required unanimous agreement among the 10 FBS conferences and Notre Dame to make changes to the format. The Big Ten and SEC now get to dictate changes to the others.

While the four-bid idea was first discussed a year ago, before the 2024 season played out, behold the arrogance if the SEC pushes it through immediately after landing just three bids last season.
The first year of the 12-team CFP exposed some largely fixable flaws in the format when it came to seeding and byes. But for the most part, it achieved exactly what was intended. New faces — Arizona State, Indiana, SMU — got to enjoy their moment in the sun. The entire bowl season got a much-needed interest boost from those mid-December games. And No. 8 seed Ohio State and No. 7 seed Notre Dame earned their way to the championship game rather than getting voted into the semifinals like before.

Read full article at The Athletic
Click to expand...

Oh brother the whining by OP. Silliness of ‘arrogance’ usage.

These are the only 2 conferences worth a shiite. We all know that

The day it went to 12 I predicted that team #13 would complain. Yep

Now the talk is 14-16. Great! SEC and Big10 deserve half the slots

James Madison ain’t competing. Boise gets killed again

It’s REALITY not arrogance. Let me guess- you want 2 from CUSA??? Deer lowered

Long live the king(s)

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