Mark Cuban vs. the BCS

Gibsons

Lifer
Aug 14, 2001
12,530
35
91
Good luck Cubes.

http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/nba/news/story?id=5924399&campaign=rss&source=NCFHeadlines

DALLAS -- After two failed bids to buy a Major League Baseball team, billionaire Mark Cuban is seriously considering trying to use his money to create a playoff alternative to college football's Bowl Championship Series.

Cuban, the outspoken owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, told ESPNDallas.com on Wednesday that he is "actively interested but in the exploratory stage" of creating and funding a playoff system to crown a champion for major college football.

"The more I think about it, the more sense it makes as opposed to buying a baseball team," said Cuban, who tried to buy the Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers within the last few years. "You can do something the whole country wants done."

News, notes and analysis of the Mavericks from ESPNDallas.com's Jeff Caplan, Tim MacMahon and the rest of our team. Blog

Cuban said he has talked to two athletic directors from BCS conferences who were extremely enthusiastic about the idea. He intends to contact several school presidents and state senators in the coming weeks to determine whether the idea is worth pursuing.

Cuban said he envisions either a 12- or 16-team playoff field with the higher seeds getting homefield advantage. The homefield advantage, Cuban said, would ensure the college football regular-season games would not lose any importance.

The bowl games could still exist under Cuban's plan, but he said he would make it more profitable for programs to make the playoffs than a bowl.

"Put $500 million in the bank and go to all the schools and pay them money as an option," Cuban said. "Say, 'Look, I'm going to give you X amount every five years. In exchange, you say if you're picked for the playoff system, you'll go.' "

One way to push school presidents toward approving the idea would be to lobby major donors of college athletic programs, Cuban said. He suggested convincing the donors to cut off their donations until their presidents approved a playoff system.

Cuban, who is reading the book "Death to the BCS," said he thinks it would take about three or four years of planning before enacting the playoff system. He believes it's a better business opportunity than owning a baseball team, and he admits he's intrigued by the idea of revolutionizing a major sport.

"It's an inefficient business where there's obviously a better way of doing it," Cuban said. "The only thing that's kept them from doing it is a lack of capital, which I can deal with.

"The one thing every college football fan wants you can probably create for less than it takes to buy a baseball team."
 

BeauJangles

Lifer
Aug 26, 2001
13,941
1
0
A lot of people might not like him, but you can't fault him for being passionate about sports and being engaged in what happens to both his team and teams in general.

Good idea, I hope it comes to fruition.
 
Mar 10, 2005
14,647
2
0
schools will never go for it. they make too much money, too easily to drop these bullshit bowls, revenue sharing schemes and blowouts-for-cash.
 

Gibsons

Lifer
Aug 14, 2001
12,530
35
91
A lot of people might not like him, but you can't fault him for being passionate about sports and being engaged in what happens to both his team and teams in general.

Good idea, I hope it comes to fruition.

He's definitely passionate and in this case he's combining it with his business sense, which seems to be very good. He's certainly right about it being an inefficient business. It's a bloated old boy network.
 

zokudu

Diamond Member
Nov 11, 2009
4,364
1
81
Even if he gets a playoff system running who decides who makes the playoffs? Will it just turn into the BCS as a "behind closed doors" money making scheme?
 
May 13, 2009
12,333
612
126
I can't say anything bad about the man. I'm a diehard Dallas Mavericks fan and he's been nothing but great for the team.
 

BeauJangles

Lifer
Aug 26, 2001
13,941
1
0
Even if he gets a playoff system running who decides who makes the playoffs? Will it just turn into the BCS as a "behind closed doors" money making scheme?

If he just took the top-12 or top-16 from the AP poll, that would be better than the crap we have now.
 

preslove

Lifer
Sep 10, 2003
16,754
64
91
I commend him for his efforts, but I don't think it will be feasible, considering all the money already there for schools/conferences.


12 or 16 team? Waaaaay too many.

woah, I agree with you on something.

The playoffs should be just 8 teams. That is 3 extra games for the 2 championship game teams, which is just right.
 

GagHalfrunt

Lifer
Apr 19, 2001
25,284
1,998
126
Even if he gets a playoff system running who decides who makes the playoffs? Will it just turn into the BCS as a "behind closed doors" money making scheme?

Hopefully he'll wise up, cut it to an 8 team playoff and take nothing but conference champs. EARN your way in, EARN the title, no votes.
 

BeauJangles

Lifer
Aug 26, 2001
13,941
1
0
But i thought half the problem IS the AP poll.

I don't think the polls get it right all the time, but at least with a playoff there's a chance for the #2-#12 ranked teams to play for the title, rather than automatically assuming that the #1 and #2 teams are better.

As for the money, if this playoff ever got off the ground I think they'd make even more money than the bowl games. Turning the end of the football season into anything resembling March Madness would generate more excitement, more viewers, better stories, and keep college football relevant on the sports landscape longer into the year.
 

preslove

Lifer
Sep 10, 2003
16,754
64
91
I don't think the polls get it right all the time, but at least with a playoff there's a chance for the #2-#12 ranked teams to play for the title, rather than automatically assuming that the #1 and #2 teams are better.

As for the money, if this playoff ever got off the ground I think they'd make even more money than the bowl games. Turning the end of the football season into anything resembling March Madness would generate more excitement, more viewers, better stories, and keep college football relevant on the sports landscape longer into the year.

srsly. I think even having a #1-#8 playoff would be fine. There might be some complaining about #9 deserving to get in, but it wouldn't be that bad. Most of the bitching comes from the #3-#5 teams missing out.
 

CPA

Elite Member
Nov 19, 2001
30,322
4
0
12 or 16 team? Waaaaay too many.

why? Division II, III and NAIA division I and II all have 16 or more teams in a playoff.

I think 16 is a good number, but would prefer 32.
 

Gibsons

Lifer
Aug 14, 2001
12,530
35
91
schools will never go for it. they make too much money, too easily to drop these bullshit bowls, revenue sharing schemes and blowouts-for-cash.

It looks like his whole pitch is that the schools will make more money under his plan than with the bowls. See the part about the 500 million he'll put up?

I think he's saying he'll take the same revenue stream, increase it, but take a smaller cut.
 

rcpratt

Lifer
Jul 2, 2009
10,433
110
116
I think 12 is the best number, the top 4 deserve a bye for their accomplishments throughout the season. That's usually the cutoff between good and great teams.

I'd be okay with 8, too.
 

preslove

Lifer
Sep 10, 2003
16,754
64
91
why? Division II, III and NAIA division I and II all have 16 or more teams in a playoff.

I think 16 is a good number, but would prefer 32.

Div I has much bigger/faster players who hit with much more force & they are playing for free with the eventual hope of making it to the NFL. Too many extra games = more injuries = more ruined careers for "students" playing for free.

+8 keeps the "every game is important" aspect of the the regular season and makes the conference championship very important. WTF is the point of the sec championship if 3 or 4 sec teams will go to the playoffs, anyway?
 

CPA

Elite Member
Nov 19, 2001
30,322
4
0
Div I has much bigger/faster players who hit with much more force & they are playing for free with the eventual hope of making it to the NFL. Too many extra games = more injuries = more ruined careers for "students" playing for free.

+8 keeps the "every game is important" aspect of the the regular season and makes the conference championship very important. WTF is the point of the sec championship if 3 or 4 sec teams will go to the playoffs, anyway?


lol, are you serious, that's your argument against going to a 16 team playoff.

I guess you believe the NCAA Bball tournament should be 8-16 teams then.
 

GagHalfrunt

Lifer
Apr 19, 2001
25,284
1,998
126
Div I has much bigger/faster players who hit with much more force & they are playing for free with the eventual hope of making it to the NFL. Too many extra games = more injuries = more ruined careers for "students" playing for free.

+8 keeps the "every game is important" aspect of the the regular season and makes the conference championship very important. WTF is the point of the sec championship if 3 or 4 sec teams will go to the playoffs, anyway?

The bigger aspect is the number of conferences. D2 has about 16 conferences and they take 16 teams into the playoffs. D3 has more like 30 conferences, they take 32 into the playoffs. The BCS has 6 "major" conferences and about 4 that don't get automatic bids. Take the 6 major conference champs and they get 6 automatic bids into the playoffs, the 4 smaller conferences do a play-in game for the remaining 2 spots and bingo, you've got a playoff system of nothing but conference champs. The post-season bowls/playoff games take on extra significance and the regular season is critical because you have to win your conference.
 

preslove

Lifer
Sep 10, 2003
16,754
64
91
lol, are you serious, that's your argument against going to a 16 team playoff.

I guess you believe the NCAA Bball tournament should be 8-16 teams then.

Yes, because injury filled Football and Basketball are the same :rolleyes: They're two completely fucking different games.
 

rcpratt

Lifer
Jul 2, 2009
10,433
110
116
The biggest difference is that you can't play two football games in one weekend. That's all that really needs to be said.

Anything more than 16 is ridiculous. 32 teams would be 5 extra weeks of football. There's no way. I mean, there's a way, but it seems excessive to me.