Life of Riley - National Champion

[Breakwood]

How does an 11 team playoff work?

[slightly shotgunned]

That's the problem. If you don't incorporate the Bowls it's never going to happen. There is way too much money involved. The Rose Bowl is never going to allow anyone but the Rose Bowl to determine what teams play every year on January 1. Sure, you could tell them to go off and they'll take their 20 million bucks and a -load of sponsors with them.

It just isn't as simple as finding the perfect tournament layout. You have to take all the other factors like money, sponsors, and TV into account as well. In my business the first question asked with any new project is this "how do we pay for it?" Once you've answered that one, the rest is easy. None of the proposals I've seen here are bad ideas but none of them address the real issue either which is "how do we pay for it?" That's one reason (and it's a big one) why we can't just trash the big 4 bowl games and forge ahead.

You always gotta pay the freight my friend.

You're right they would...the first year.

but how long do you think they'll let the PapaJohns.com bowl rake in the money without any competition while their bowl is hosting a three loss Michigan team ( ) and two loss Oregon at the same time as a playoff and very few people outside of Ann Arbor and Eugene(? not entirely sure of where they are) are watching because it's not actually for anything?

the problem is that we all seem to hold onto this idea that sponsors and TV wouldn't sign onto a playoff if one were to be implemented. But there is plenty of sponsorship going on during the regular season and, i don't know if you've noticed but, there are plenty of games televised nationwide. Let us not forget that the sponsors and the people running these things care about the almighty dollar and will be willing to follow it, however reluctant, where ever it takes them.

So, how do you pay for it?

1.Play the opening round (or rounds depending on your system) at the higher seeds home. why? because we know the fans are going to be there and they are going to sell-out a stadium. in zero degree weather or in a Birmingham rainstorm with painted faces, chests, and whatnot to cheer on their team to a national championship. and the ones that aren't at the game are going to watch, and the fans of the teams that might face them in the next round are going to watch (if it isn't played the same time as their game) because they want to see how the competition is going to look, and the casual fans are going to watch just like they do with March Madness and the NFL and MLB because its PLAYOFF TIME and die hard fans are going to watch because they were going to watch anyway. If the sponsors had any sense at all, they'd be drooling all over themselves to snag those first couple of games.

And as much as I hate to admit it, the fear of playing a home playoff game at Utah is nothing more than a phobia, irrational, as there is no way that any ranking system is going to rank them ahead of any high budget team regardless of how many years they go without a loss. you know it, i know it, Utah knows it.

2.Play the closing round (or rounds depending on your system) at a predetermined bowl site. why? because that way the fans of team a and team b, know where they're going in advance and can start making reservations and plans before their teams have even won so they can be there to see their team compete (if it's me, i'd say just the title game since too many people wouldn't chance the trip to see their team lose or maybe can't afford to travel to a semi-final and a championship). What sponsor wouldn't want the exclusive rights to an NCAA National Title game that's sold out (don't kid yourself it will be even if the entire population of Utah has to take a trip to Miami to fill the stadium)? Hell, ESPN broadcasts all the lower division championships in sports that the majority of this nation doesn't care about, you think they wouldn't want at least a little of the action?

there's not that much of a risk involved here (as far as i see it, which is as an english major, not a business major to take it fwiw...near nothing). the money'll be there no matter how you do it, but i think that this would be the best way to maximize profits. and really, isn't that what this all about?