On Tuesday, the BIG 10 and PAC 12 conferences announced they would postpone the college football season until the spring of 2021. Meanwhile, the BIG 12, ACC, SEC, and AAC are moving forward with their fall seasons. With many college football conferences postponing their seasons, could they be in trouble in the future?
There is a growing movement among college football players wanting to play this year and making their voices heard with the Twitter hashtag #WeWantToPlay. Current coaches like Jim Harbaugh of Michigan and Ryan Day of Ohio State are supporting the players to play in the fall. One of the questions I have with both conferences postponing their seasons is will the players transfer out of those conferences to go to schools that are looking out for them and will listen to them.
These players, especially those who are near the end of their college careers, are looking to improve their draft stock to get ready for the NFL. They are not going to play in the spring simply because of the NFL combine in February and the draft in April.
By not having a football season or fall sports in general, these players are going to have to find a way to stay active while preparing for the next phase of their lives. With both conferences gone this year, it also brings a new opportunity for new conferences to emerge and get in the playoff.
Since the college football playoff began in 2014, only the power five conferences have gotten in, leaving the group of six out of the playoff. The University of Central Florida, a member of the American Athletic Conference, has been vying for a spot in the playoff for the last three years. In 2017, they went undefeated with a 13-0 record and ended up in one of the New Year’s Six bowls. With the Big 10 and PAC 12 gone this year, will UCF or any other group of six teams finally get a chance to be in the playoff?
Now, we still don’t know if there will be a college football season this year, let alone the playoff given the pandemic. However, if there is a season, could those conferences, which are going forward, gain the most ground not just by playing football, but by getting future recruits to commit to their colleges.
Those future college sports athletes who are in the process of making the biggest decision of their lives are going to want to go somewhere that will play sports no matter what the outsiders say. Now don’t get me wrong, the BIG 10 and PAC 12 are still going to be able to recruit players for all sports. Right now, by them not playing, they are going to lose more than just current recruits and players.
These conferences also have television deals with ESPN, Fox Sports, along with their stations Big Ten and PAC 12 networks that rely on fall sports for revenue. What are they going to put on in the fall when it should be college football season? According to an article by CNBC’s Jabari Young, the BIG 10 conference could lose more than $700 million with no fall sports. Meanwhile, some college teams like Nebraska, are exploring options to play in the fall without the BIG 10.
With these two conferences not playing this year. Could these events lead to the next conference realignment? Could teams like Nebraska find a way out of the BIG 10 and go elsewhere? Notre Dame has already joined the ACC for its football season this year as Notre Dame is an independent team while the rest of their sports are a member of the ACC. What’s interesting about independent teams is they can choose who they want to play with every year. Notre Dame cashed in by joining the ACC this year for football. Otherwise, if they were in a conference that canceled their season, they would be out of luck.
BYU is another powerhouse independent team that is currently weighing its options right now. They may not have a choice but to postpone their season as not only the PAC 12 is not playing but also the Mountain West Conference. But what if things were different. What if there were more independent college football teams? What if they had the option to choose where they want to play instead of being in a conference? I think these events would have some teams exploring the independent scene.
The fans and media can lecture everyone all they want about why independent teams should be in a conference. What they are failing to understand is the freedom that a college football team has versus those who are at a conference. These college teams can make their schedules and not be told what they can and can’t do. There is a reason why college teams like Notre Dame will remain independent for a long time. It’s moments like these that give them the power to explore options that otherwise they would not have.
One last thing on college conferences canceling fall sports is the teams that might have to leave the FBS and go to the FCS. Many college campuses are going to lose money and will look to cut back on programs, including football. They could limit the number of scholarships for players and have to look at other options to try to keep programs going, especially the smaller schools that are not in a power five conference. Conferences like the MAC, and Conference USA rely on college football for revenue.
If there is no money coming in, none of those teams will get money, and that, in turn, will force colleges to make cuts. That could mean these teams may not play in the FBS much longer and would have to either return to or join the FCS. These smaller conferences should’ve gambled and played their seasons even if it means playing in a bubble-like atmosphere just as the NHL, NBA, and other sports have done.
There is no question that this pandemic has changed sports nationwide. It’s how you deal with the current situation presented to you that could seal your success or cost you. Those who adapt to what they need to do will be in a better position than those teams who catered to the outsiders and decide not to play this year. Regardless it’s the players right now left in limbo and their futures that could suffer by sitting the year out.
