BCS conferences leaving NCAA?

by **Red** » July 23rd, 2013, 12:39 pm

Former UNI AD Bob Bowlsby who is now the Big 12 Commissioner hinted that the BCS conferences are considering leaving the NCAA and forming their own group. This would kill leagues like the MVC. They could choose to pay their own players - good luck recruiting against a school that can pay a recruit 10k a year.

How screwed are we?

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by **AngryShock** » July 23rd, 2013, 1:09 pm

I'll believe it when I see it. They've been blowing smoke up everyones asses for years and nothing has happened.

by **GoRamblers** » July 23rd, 2013, 1:19 pm

Would it hurt or help mid-major conferences?

If the BCS schools decided to leave the NCAA and pay their players, wouldn't that just create an additional league between "true" amateur and the NBA? Plenty of schools would stay in the NCAA. I doubt that the two "leagues" would play each other.

by **unipanther99** » July 23rd, 2013, 1:20 pm

That's not exactly what he said. I think he was suggesting more of a sport by sport approach. I think a more likely scenario is a BCS football division and a combo of the rest of D1 and D1AA. D2, D3, Non-scholarshipi D1, and all other sports would remain unaffected.

If that happened, it might actually be a good thing for us.

by **TheAsianSensation** » July 23rd, 2013, 1:43 pm

This really can go either way, IMO. A football-only breakaway that preserves the NCAA, or a full-on breakaway that leaves others in the dust. I get the feeling that in an ideal world, the Big 5 would break away on football and men's and women's basketball and leave everything else as is. However, I think the options are breaking off football or everything, with basketball being the breaking point.

Needless to say, we know which is better for the MVC.

If it's a football only breakaway, I do think the MVCF could entertain the idea of moving up to the equivalent level of the Sun Belt, MAC, etc. Like mentioned above, the new configuration would be something like:

FBS = big boys (AAC/MWC is a dividing line)
FCS = MAC/Sun Belt/CUSA/MVC/CAA/Big Sky/a couple other prominent FCS conferences
F"D"S = non-scholarship D1 football

by **uniftw** » July 23rd, 2013, 5:44 pm

TheAsianSensation wrote:This really can go either way, IMO. A football-only breakaway that preserves the NCAA, or a full-on breakaway that leaves others in the dust. I get the feeling that in an ideal world, the Big 5 would break away on football and men's and women's basketball and leave everything else as is. However, I think the options are breaking off football or everything, with basketball being the breaking point.

Needless to say, we know which is better for the MVC.

If it's a football only breakaway, I do think the MVCF could entertain the idea of moving up to the equivalent level of the Sun Belt, MAC, etc. Like mentioned above, the new configuration would be something like:

FBS = big boys (AAC/MWC is a dividing line)
FCS = MAC/Sun Belt/CUSA/MVC/CAA/Big Sky/a couple other prominent FCS conferences
F"D"S = non-scholarship D1 football

I really see there being another split in your FCS situation
I see the breakdown happening something like this

Top level
B1G, B12, SEC, PAC12, ACC, MWC, likely AAC

Next level (full funded scholarships whatever the level allows...be it same as top level or reduced like the FCS currently sits)
MAC, Sun Belt, CUSA, MVFC, Big Sky, SoCon, CAA, and maybe Southland

Third level (partial scholly/no scholly)
Big South, Ivy, MEAC, NEC, OVC, Patriot, Pioneer, SWAC

Big South and Patriot just went to full scholarship FCS football though...but if they could be in a situation that they don't have to fund 63 they probably would

by **Mikovio** » July 24th, 2013, 8:58 am

Below is an article outlining a case to be made against the NCAA by I-AA/FCS schools under the Sherman Antitrust Act in the Vanderbilt Journal of Technology and Entertainment Law, written by a former DOJ prosecutor, with a good recap of the history of NCAA antitrust litigation. Senators Orrin Hatch, Chuck Grassley and Tom Harkin were pushing action against the BCS and the Obama DOJ said they were looking into it, but that apparently fell by the wayside when the football playoff announcement happened (and, Utah admittance to the Pac-12 probably smoothed things over with Sen. Hatch). It could easily be applied to a Power 5-breakaway situation.

http://www.jetlaw.org/wp-content/journal-pdfs/Maney.pdf

I think the Valley, or most of the Valley, won't be walled off from the Power 5 when all is said and done. This may only affect football, but even if it doesn't, the Power 5 can't just form a cartel and separate (ie restrain trade via boycott) without a reasonable justification. Even if the "We want the ability to pay our players $4k stipends" argument is persuasive, they'll almost certainly be required to allow other schools with the ability to do this the chance to pay their players as well and join their club, and I think most if not all MVC teams could afford the extra $52k (at least initially until they start jacking up the stipend amount to squeeze out the mids one by one). If they extend the requirement to all the other sports maybe that could make a difference, but for many non-football schools I think that's doable. If their argument is not bought by the court and seen as the naked power/money grab/illegal boycott that it is, the Valley and other mids could win an injunction and the Power 5 could be ordered to pay treble damages... even face criminal penalties. So I wouldn't panic yet, but your school's financial situation just became more important than ever.

by **tribecalledquest** » July 24th, 2013, 10:30 am

Red wrote:Former UNI AD Bob Bowlsby who is now the Big 12 Commissioner hinted that the BCS conferences are considering leaving the NCAA and forming their own group. This would kill leagues like the MVC. They could choose to pay their own players - good luck recruiting against a school that can pay a recruit 10k a year.

How screwed are we?

It's not like the MVC is getting kids who are legitimately offered by the top 5 power conference schools anyway. Every once in a while? Maybe. But it's not happening very often. Kids go to the highest level they are recruited to.

by **unipanther99** » July 24th, 2013, 6:51 pm

Jim Delany has chimed in from the Big Ten's perspective:

http://thegazette.com/2013/07/24/b1gs-j ... ructuring/

This quote is important:

“I think without getting into too many details is how we have the flexibility and the autonomy to do what we need to do but also provide structures that allow institutions that don’t have the resources to compete in the same events,” Delany said.

by **rlh04d** » July 24th, 2013, 7:30 pm

tribecalledquest wrote:
Red wrote:Former UNI AD Bob Bowlsby who is now the Big 12 Commissioner hinted that the BCS conferences are considering leaving the NCAA and forming their own group. This would kill leagues like the MVC. They could choose to pay their own players - good luck recruiting against a school that can pay a recruit 10k a year.

How screwed are we?

It's not like the MVC is getting kids who are legitimately offered by the top 5 power conference schools anyway. Every once in a while? Maybe. But it's not happening very often. Kids go to the highest level they are recruited to.

Incorrect. A good chunk of MVC recruits have offers from power conference schools. Playing time is a big reason for kids to choose to play at a "lower level" than they are recruited to.