"Coaches fear Power 5 Separation" - ESPN

[BEhomer]

p5 64 team tourney will not generate nearly the buzz/interest the current march madness does. tv deal goes down and they wind up losing money. they are money grabbing wh*** they will never do it.

[Gopher+RamFan]

Does anyone else think that it should be the mid major regular season champ instead of the tournament champ? I hate seeing teams like UAB barely above .500 in over ODU or LA Tech that were outstanding all year. Or Hampton .500 over NCC who went undefeated in their conference slate.

You may hate it, but the small conference do not. Their only "big" (for them) source of revenue all year is their conference tournament. Doing this would take it away. It provides a big time atmosphere to school who generally don't experience it.

The conference tournament championship is the only ESPN game these conference will receive. Use the best record, and you won't get this excitement or ESPN to air it. For many of those players on small schools, they'll only get one chance to be on ESPN their entire career (talking about non-powerhouse small programs making it to their conference title game). It's selfish of us to want the "best" team in the NCAA tournament, but at the same time if a team is on a roll through their conference tourney - it generally bodes well for the NCAA tourney (hey UAB).

[robinreed]

Considering that March Madness, the NCAA and CBS/Turner are in the beginning of a 14-year, $10.8 Billion contract, anyone that thinks there will be widespread changes during that time are just flat-out wrong. Nothing (major) is changing to the tournament until that deal runs out in the mid-2020s. That deal that was signed also included language to bump the tournament to 68 teams (from 64), so 68 is staying for awhile too.

Everyone needs to remember that the NCAA moves at a snail's pace. It took them nearly 10 years to create the College Football Playoff. It took them even longer to come up with the Bowl Championship Series. Even if non-Power 5 schools should worry (which they shouldn't be), they would take solace in the fact that nothing major will change for the foreseeable future.

The Big East will be included in the P5 discussions, if a breakaway is to ever occur.

The NCAA had NOTHING to do with creating the college football playoff and has nothing to do with running it. The CFP is not under the authority of the NCAA. The NCAA can move very fast indeed if the power brokers (P-5) want them to. Example: FCOA stipend, autonomy provisions for P5 etc.

As to the 14 year contract it like all other contracts can be amended so long as it benefits both parties in some way and both parties agree to amend.

[Xudash]

Considering that March Madness, the NCAA and CBS/Turner are in the beginning of a 14-year, $10.8 Billion contract, anyone that thinks there will be widespread changes during that time are just flat-out wrong. Nothing (major) is changing to the tournament until that deal runs out in the mid-2020s. That deal that was signed also included language to bump the tournament to 68 teams (from 64), so 68 is staying for awhile too.

Everyone needs to remember that the NCAA moves at a snail's pace. It took them nearly 10 years to create the College Football Playoff. It took them even longer to come up with the Bowl Championship Series. Even if non-Power 5 schools should worry (which they shouldn't be), they would take solace in the fact that nothing major will change for the foreseeable future.

The Big East will be included in the P5 discussions, if a breakaway is to ever occur.

The NCAA had NOTHING to do with creating the college football playoff and has nothing to do with running it. The CFP is not under the authority of the NCAA. The NCAA can move very fast indeed if the power brokers (P-5) want them to. Example: FCOA stipend, autonomy provisions for P5 etc.

As to the 14 year contract it like all other contracts can be amended so long as it benefits both parties in some way and both parties agree to amend.

Which takes us back to a very fundamental point: Any attempt by the P-5 to "break away" for basketball purposes will be thwarted by market (i.e. television) realities, insofar as ANYTHING they would attempt to put together for a tournament that would only involve P-5 teams would fall way short of what they would need in a television revenue package in order to equal what they get now from the existing Tournament, even with such a larger denominator (of schools) involved.

The existing Tournament delivers the David/Goliath first weekend and it delivers a degree of inclusivity that generates the viewership that generates the ratings of the current gig. Truly casual fans tune into this thing because of its existing structure. If it were to be turned into a club deal, it would lead to one of the truly great failures in sports, IMHO. I would feel exactly the same way a police horse on the Cincinnati Police Force would feel if I just learned that Bob Huggins were returning to coach at UC: very depressed - - and, in that specific case, fearful for my smile.

[robinreed]

Considering that March Madness, the NCAA and CBS/Turner are in the beginning of a 14-year, $10.8 Billion contract, anyone that thinks there will be widespread changes during that time are just flat-out wrong. Nothing (major) is changing to the tournament until that deal runs out in the mid-2020s. That deal that was signed also included language to bump the tournament to 68 teams (from 64), so 68 is staying for awhile too.

Everyone needs to remember that the NCAA moves at a snail's pace. It took them nearly 10 years to create the College Football Playoff. It took them even longer to come up with the Bowl Championship Series. Even if non-Power 5 schools should worry (which they shouldn't be), they would take solace in the fact that nothing major will change for the foreseeable future.

The Big East will be included in the P5 discussions, if a breakaway is to ever occur.

The NCAA had NOTHING to do with creating the college football playoff and has nothing to do with running it. The CFP is not under the authority of the NCAA. The NCAA can move very fast indeed if the power brokers (P-5) want them to. Example: FCOA stipend, autonomy provisions for P5 etc.

As to the 14 year contract it like all other contracts can be amended so long as it benefits both parties in some way and both parties agree to amend.

Which takes us back to a very fundamental point: Any attempt by the P-5 to "break away" for basketball purposes will be thwarted by market (i.e. television) realities, insofar as ANYTHING they would attempt to put together for a tournament that would only involve P-5 teams would fall way short of what they would need in a television revenue package in order to equal what they get now from the existing Tournament, even with such a larger denominator (of schools) involved.

The existing Tournament delivers the David/Goliath first weekend and it delivers a degree of inclusivity that generates the viewership that generates the ratings of the current gig. Truly casual fans tune into this thing because of its existing structure. If it were to be turned into a club deal, it would lead to one of the truly great failures in sports, IMHO. I would feel exactly the same way a police horse on the Cincinnati Police Force would feel if I just learned that Bob Huggins were returning to coach at UC: very depressed - - and, in that specific case, fearful for my smile.

While I disagree that anything devised by the P-5 would be thwarted by market (TV) realities as the P-5 have been most inventive in creating media income in football which is unprecedented in scope. I do have complete sympathy for all police horses on the Cincy Police Force should Hugging ever return to UC. What was the name of the freak who punched the horse? I only remember he was brutal, stupid and stoned. Not unlike a fair percentage of Huggins recruits.

[Xudash]

While I disagree that anything devised by the P-5 would be thwarted by market (TV) realities as the P-5 have been most inventive in creating media income in football which is unprecedented in scope. I do have complete sympathy for all police horses on the Cincy Police Force should Hugging ever return to UC. What was the name of the freak who punched the horse? I only remember he was brutal, stupid and stoned. Not unlike a fair percentage of Huggins recruits.[/quote]

Being creative and inventive in creating media income in football has everything to do with FOOTBALL.

We are discussing THE EXISTING NCAA BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT here. Basketball, not football. There is no getting around the first weekend upsets factor and the inclusivity that comes with the existing tournament. They can't create or invent those dynamics between just themselves.

Can't remember the horse whisperer/puncher's name.

[stever20]

I think we'll start to hear noise in about 5-6 years. The contract has 9 years left. So come 2020-2021, will be when you start to hear stuff.

[robinreed]

The following is a quote from the article by Katz:
College basketball coaches outside the Power 5 conferences are fearful of a breakup or a disruption of the current NCAA tournament format, an ESPN survey showed.

Some 150 Division I men's basketball coaches responded to the survey last month. The coaches from outside the Power 5 (the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC and Pac-12), who requested anonymity, were in near concert that they're worried about a potential breakup.

"The thing I fear about the college game is that the BCS continues to separate and create a second tier within Division I,'' a coach from a smaller conference said. "That would be really bad for the game. March Madness is special because of the [George] Masons, VCUs and Butlers.''

I have difficulty seeing how our members who have posted on this thread can dismiss even the possibility of a break in the NCAA tournament when the article clearly states the "COACHES OUTSIDE THE P5 WERE IN NEAR CONCERT THAT THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT A POTENTIAL BREAKUP". Can we assume that we know so much more than the coaches?

Would not the intelligent thing to do be to hope for the best but plan for the worst? Some here seem in blissful ignorance that such a breakup is even possible. One thing the P5 has proven is that they care for no one but themselves and money.

I must admit the last sentence was a paraphrase of Senator (now Secretary) Kerry who speaking of Bill Clinton said: "One thing the Clintons have proven is that they care for no one but themselves and power". However the sentiment can be transferred to the P5 with accuracy.

[xufan02]

Good luck scheduling a non-conference schedule in the P5 realty. All non P5 schools would unify in not scheduling those schools, and let multiple sub .500 P5 schools get into their tournament, making a a mockery of inclusion. Also it will be extremely hard to avoid matching up conferences and regular season matchup in the bracketing.

Bottom line they need us more than they realize.

[billyjack]

The following is a quote from the article by Katz:
College basketball coaches outside the Power 5 conferences are fearful of a breakup or a disruption of the current NCAA tournament format, an ESPN survey showed.

Some 150 Division I men's basketball coaches responded to the survey last month. The coaches from outside the Power 5 (the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC and Pac-12), who requested anonymity, were in near concert that they're worried about a potential breakup.

"The thing I fear about the college game is that the BCS continues to separate and create a second tier within Division I,'' a coach from a smaller conference said. "That would be really bad for the game. March Madness is special because of the [George] Masons, VCUs and Butlers.''

I have difficulty seeing how our members who have posted on this thread can dismiss even the possibility of a break in the NCAA tournament when the article clearly states the "COACHES OUTSIDE THE P5 WERE IN NEAR CONCERT THAT THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT A POTENTIAL BREAKUP". Can we assume that we know so much more than the coaches?

Would not the intelligent thing to do be to hope for the best but plan for the worst? Some here seem in blissful ignorance that such a breakup is even possible. One thing the P5 has proven is that they care for no one but themselves and money.

I must admit the last sentence was a paraphrase of Senator (now Secretary) Kerry who speaking of Bill Clinton said: "One thing the Clintons have proven is that they care for no one but themselves and power". However the sentiment can be transferred to the P5 with accuracy.

Not sure this would get traction, but what would you recommend as a potential solution? Or, right now, what should we look to do to position ourselves better?