How Does...

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

The 4 team playoff vs. the BCS affect conference re-alignment (if at all) in your minds? Curious how everyone feels about this as it pertains to Marquette Basketball... As we all have seen the goings on of football have changed the basketball landscape greatly...

[TheSultan]

It takes away the Big East's advantage v. other conferences "beneath" it in that there is no longer any sort of automatic qualification that I can tell. That means that the advantage that the BE has over other conferences is its annual television payout is greater, and its bowl payout may be better, but they will not benefit in any sort of BCS bowl windfall. What this means is that a school like Boise might just be able to stay in the MWC, if that conference decides to divide revenue in a manner that isn't 100% equitable.

It is too bad that this wasn't announced a year ago because I don't know if Syracuse and Pitt would have left...but who knows?

The next battle is going to be how they divide up the revenue for this new championship series. There are 11 conferences participating. The top conferences are going to want the most $$ going to those who participate in the playoff. The bottom ones are going to want a more equal pay-out. There is going to be some sort of negotiation in this regard, but if it gets ugly and lawsuits are threatened, there is still a remote possibility that the larger conferences break away to do their own thing and share revenue with no one.

I have no idea how this impacts MU. But if they can figure out how to divide up the pie, I think it will bring more stability to the conference landscape.

[CaribouJim]

I can't help think that ultimately it will hurt the MU's of the b-ball landscape. Aren't they talking about $5 billion pot for the new set up - don't know over how many years, but sounds like a lot of dough. I can see some D1 schools closing up shop or going to a lower level - the rich will get richer and the poor will get more so with the result being slowly but surely the big, football affiliated schools pulling away from the rest of the pack with b-ball possibly following suit.

Day by day my hatred for all things football, college football in particular, grows.

[Goose85]

All depends on how they divide up the money between conferences. Sure does make a bigger conference like the ACC with 16 teams less lucrative than the 10 team conference like the Big 12.

If the Big East gets a TV deal relatively close to the ACC, it really makes you wonder if Syracuse made the right move. They will have gone from basically the face of the best basketball conference in the country to the at best third wheel in a state of North Carolina driven conference.

Sounds like the committee may use strength of schedule as a factor and that could be interesting.

[ge1974]

Interesting article here. If the Big East has an undefeated football team, it still may not get in to the four team playoff.

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigeast/tag/_/name/120627-bcs-reaction

[Goose85]

Interesting article here. If the Big East has an undefeated football team, it still may not get in to the four team playoff.

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigeast/tag/_/name/120627-bcs-reaction

That is why we may see more top level non conference games going forward. Louisville, Cincy, Houston and Boise (if they still come) will likely work really hard to get a tough non conference game or two to help out if the Big East isn't considered as strong.

Can also hurt Big 10, Pac 12 and ACC schools too. Let's look locally first. What if a school like Wisconsin has a Big Ten season where they don't face Michigan or Ohio State in league play and played nobody in non conference? You lose out to a one loss SEC school.

Pac 12 has been down, but the top schools there - USC and Oregon always play a couple top non conference games, but what if a team has a great season and doesn't face USC or Oregon? ACC - this could hurt Florida State but they too normally schedule a big non conference game.

[Markedman]

Looks like UW is finally going to start playing tough games in the non conference because of the new playoff format.http://host.madison.com/sports/college/football/uw-football-bielema-alvarez-talk-about-scheduling-upgrade/article_fdf326b2-c302-11e1-9540-001a4bcf887a.html

[Mark Miller]

If I recall, Cal Poly was a pretty tough non-league game for Wisconsin. Wonder if that kicker for Cal Poly still thinks about that game?