SMU coach: 'Have-not' CFB programs should play in spring

[JWarrior]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap200000 ... the-spring

I'm actually for this idea. Although I don't like the fact that the big name teams won't be in the mix with the smaller schools anymore. The alternative Coach JJ proposes is sure to become a reality. (I think I might pay him a visit this year at his office at SMU). Small schools like Hawaii, are in trouble of losing their football programs all together. I hate to say it, but if the Big 5 conferences start making their own rules, all small schools are doomed.

Besides, I want to be able to watch football, all year round!

[reignjah11]

Interesting idea but it would never work. There's too much other sports going on in the spring (college basketball, baseball, softball, nba, mlb, nhl, etc.) that tv networks would give priority to than a mid major college football league. I wouldn't be surprised if even the bcs teams spring games get more priority over this new league. Plus the nfl draft happens in the spring so that would greatly hamper the chances on mid major players making it to the nfl.

[ubercow]

if it seriously turns into league with an un-level playing field, then I'd be okay with this or even swaths of teams just dropping div-1 football altogether. the one side effect of either situation would be the 'haves' wouldn't be able to schedule games with the 'have-nots' and ~50% of the 'haves' will have a losing season to deal with without other teams to play with.

[unpaid]

Football is the driver for schools who make money...and for schools who don'T football still earns more than other sports on campus...so I don't really see football being anything other than a fall sport...no matter what division the university is playing in.The driver,football,sets the tone for the rest of the year,finacially....no school,even aD-III school will wait until spring to let the biggest revenue generator start up.

Like the other poster said,.NFL draft times make it unlikely that colleges would schedule football games in the spring when the draft is held.There are still players who get drafted from DIV.II AND III schools..

If you lose football,it doesn't matter when football is played if your school isn't fielding a team anymore...The schools who play football aren't going to worry about what a school that dropped football thinks.

.

[My3Cats]

JJ may not win many votes from around the country on this, but at least he is trying to think outside the box and has probably started conversations on the continued existence of the have-nots. Kudos for that. Everyone else probably just waitng to see what the Power 5 is going to do first. I do miss JJ's first strike mentality. So much better than being too conservative on the football field.

[poidog]

If not Spring football, then Summer football!!! After watching CFL and NBA Summer league, I am dying for something "real" to watch. The cable networks would fork over cash for this.

Or how about this: Late Summer/Early Fall football? The first half of the season is against Non-BCS conference foes and the second half are early season games against the Power 5 schools. I mean, we can't schedule games against the big boys late in the season anyway (thanks to expanded league play and conference championship games).

[J-Rod]

The non-P5 conference commissioners basically all but called JJ a total idiot. Idea was totally dismissed by those who could make it happen. Craig Thompson seemed borderline disgusted that anyone would even make that suggestion. They are not conceding anything to the P5.

[BigWave96744]

Does any coach support JJ?

[EITSwarrior]

I'm sure their are other coaches and what-not that have similar ideas as JJ floating around privately amongst themselves. Whether they take it seriously or not is another matter. They just haven't brought it up cause it seems too hard to implement in real life. That said I like that JJ brought it up cause the non-power 5 conferences are pretty much screwed going forward. The non-power 5 schools need to start thinking on how they'll survive with not just football, but all other sports.

[reignjah11]

And so it begins...http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story ... onferences

This will ruin college football

[WA Warrior]

I hope this ruin colleges football, the way they are acting, it deserves it.

I'm in the minority that if it cannot be played on an even field across the board, then abandon the college sports concept and go to club sports and pay the kids.

Let's get out of the illusion of education for these kids, we all know the top flight athletes (the ones that will go pro and stay pro) aren't educated enough to get into college and there's hardly a difference upon their departure. Let's stop fooling ourselves and let's just call it for what it is. Club sports.

For the real student athletes, let's keep it to paying them with a scholarship or go to school based on playing for a sports club.

STOP THE ILLUSION AND FOOLING YOURSELF!

[tico brown]

If FCS, D2 and D3 Football could survive all these years, I'm sure the non GO5 can survive as well. All these Eastern Michigan, FIU, FAU schools gotta stop living beyond their means and play within the level theyre supposed to play in. You know darn well they have no business playing vs Bama, Michigan, USC, etc..

[EITSwarrior]

If FCS, D2 and D3 Football could survive all these years, I'm sure the non GO5 can survive as well. All these Eastern Michigan, FIU, FAU schools gotta stop living beyond their means and play within the level theyre supposed to play in. You know darn well they have no business playing vs Bama, Michigan, USC, etc..

You know UH falls into that group too.

I don't see UH football surviving for long with all the expenses it has to dish out mainly due to travel. Those other schools mentioned like Eastern Michigan or the FCS,D2 and D3 schools can survive cause they don't have to fly halfway across the Pacific every road game.

[WA Warrior]

If FCS, D2 and D3 Football could survive all these years, I'm sure the non GO5 can survive as well. All these Eastern Michigan, FIU, FAU schools gotta stop living beyond their means and play within the level theyre supposed to play in. You know darn well they have no business playing vs Bama, Michigan, USC, etc..

You know UH falls into that group too.

I don't see UH football surviving for long with all the expenses it has to dish out mainly due to travel. Those other schools mentioned like Eastern Michigan or the FCS,D2 and D3 schools can survive cause they don't have to fly halfway across the Pacific every road game.

Personally, I thought that went without saying, but I guess it needed to be pointed out.

UH is going to the "other" league with the rest of the MWC.

[FatherofCody&Casey]

There is one thing you can guarantee now that the NCAA is giving the P5 an unlimited amount of power: their list of demands will never end. The NCAA made itself look like Neville Chamberlain with this.