Mark Cuban thinks four, 16-team leagues is bad idea

[tm3308]

Please explain your theory. I am interested in hearing about alternative solutions to what is currently in place. It doesn't seem fair that teams can now play for a National Championship without having to play a conference championship game.

You do realize, that under the old system (pre-2011), the ONLY BCSconference that DIDN'T either play a conference championship game or a round-robin conference schedule was the Big Ten, right?

Now, every conference either plays round robin or has a CCG. So why bother going to 16 teams? Oh yeah, that's right: $$$$$$$$$$$

 

[DwayneTwill]

You do realize, that under the old system (pre-2011), the ONLY BCSconference that DIDN'T either play a conference championship game or a round-robin conference schedule was the Big Ten, right?

Now, every conference either plays round robin or has a CCG. So why bother going to 16 teams? Oh yeah, that's right: $$$$$$$$$$$

How does adding four crappy teams to the Big Ten net more money for the current schools?

 

[DwayneTwill]

Just saying...there are probably ways to get around not playing a team for 6 years.

I'd like to hear these.

 

[tm3308]

How does adding four crappy teams to the Big Ten net more money for the current schools?

I'm just saying that's what's driving the expansion bus. Money and TV markets. Playing a conference championship game isn't the #1 priority. I just thought it was funny that his argument was "it's not fair that teams can compete for a NC when they don't have to play a CCG", when the only BCS conference that didn't play a CCG or play a round-robin conference slate was the Big Ten.

And now everyone either has a CCG or a round-robin schedule. Yet there is still an expansion push. It's all about trying to make more money. It's got nothing to do with determining a national champion "fairly".

 

[DwayneTwill]

I'm just saying that's what's driving the expansion bus. Money and TV markets. Playing a conference championship game isn't the #1 priority. I just thought it was funny that his argument was "it's not fair that teams can compete for a NC when they don't have to play a CCG", when the only BCS conference that didn't play a CCG or play a round-robin conference slate was the Big Ten.

And now everyone either has a CCG or a round-robin schedule. Yet there is still an expansion push. It's all about trying to make more money. It's got nothing to do with determining a national champion "fairly".

I know. That's what I'm saying. I don't think adding four so-so schools to the table and splitting the pie 16 ways is going to make the current 12 schools more money. I don't care about round-robin schedules or CCGs or national champions.

 

[tm3308]

I know. That's what I'm saying. I don't think adding four so-so schools to the table and splitting the pie 16 ways is going to make the current 12 schools more money. I don't care about round-robin schedules or CCGs or national champions.

Mizzou and Notre Dame are the only two schools that I could realistically see the Big Ten adding that would add revenue. Mizzou gives us the KC/STL markets, and Notre Dame is Notre Dame. After that, the pickins are pretty slim.

 

[DwayneTwill]

Mizzou and Notre Dame are the only two schools that I could realistically see the Big Ten adding that would add revenue. Mizzou gives us the KC/STL markets, and Notre Dame is Notre Dame. After that, the pickins are pretty slim.

I'm skeptical about Missouri, but let's assume they'll make enough to cover their share. Where do the other two teams come from out of the slim pickins? All the wackos insist 16 is the magic number and that 16 is where we're inevitably going to end up.

 

[tm3308]

I'm skeptical about Missouri, but let's assume they'll make enough to cover their share. Where do the other two teams come from out of the slim pickins? All the wackos insist 16 is the magic number and that 16 is where we're inevitably going to end up.

Agreed, which is why I don't like the idea of 16 teams. I said last summer that 14 would be the absolutely highest I would be okay with, and I knew that could still be a mess with scheduling. There just aren't enough schools in this region that we could bring in that make sense.

 

[DwayneTwill]

Gotcha.

 

[troy]

Superconferences will suck. I hope they don't happen.

LOL! Fair enough!

 

[JHHawk]

While we are at it,lets just elimate conferences altogether and seed all the teams 1-64 to start the season and then just build 4 brackets based on seedings...then lets put advertising on the sides of the helmets..we could be the Monsanto Hawkeyes,and become affiliated with an NFL team as part of their minor league system. Pay bonuses to the players for each win. Eliminate attending school as a requirement and let them be paid employees of Monsanto/Vikings....there, finally college football will be fixed once and for all and maybe finally some fans will start to follow the sport and it will be dragged out of the obscurity is has operated in all these years.

I mean,real traditional conferences are so passe,right? Welcome to our new rivalry with Boise St...neato.

 

[JHHawk]

I read the Cuban blog,and he nailed it. There is a diminishing return after 12 teams in a conference. If you are going with two divsions,12 is the exact right number.
The Big Ten has 4 huge tradition-laden programs,Neb,PSU,OSU,MICH, and then a few very strong programs in Iowa,Wis,MSU,Purdue, then 4 bottom feeders in NW,Ill,Minny and IU. That breaks out perfectly in terms of balance. Their will always be 8 strong enough teams to represent in bowls, and 3-4 strong enough to make runs to BCS bowls,and provide the marquee regular season matchups that the networks require.
Yet,when it comes time to split the pot of money..it only splits 12 ways,not 16.
The last two additions have been huge money-makers in PSU and Nebraska...why add a weak sister program like Missouri just to make those who relish some kind of playoff happy?

 

[ssckelley]

The Big 10 is going to make more money for all the schools if they expand into areas that get them additional dollars for the BTN. They collect a much higher premium from cable & satellite companies when they have a school from that market. Right now the Big10 holds all the cards as they can pretty much take anyone they want.