What are the chances of going to a 13 (or more) game CFB regular season?
Something I've noticed over the past few decades of CFB is the gradual expansion of the window for the CFB regular season, both into mid Aug and into mid Dec. Coupling that with the conference realignment/expansion trend, does anyone else see an increase in the number of regular season games (per team) likely? If so, when do you believe this would happen.
September 12th, 2019 at 8:32 AM ^
Not counting conference championship games as part of that number, of course.
September 12th, 2019 at 8:34 AM ^
I think more likely would be the shrinking of the regular season with the expansion of the playoffs.
September 12th, 2019 at 4:35 PM ^
The problem with that is all the teams that don't make the playoffs lose games and money.
That ain't gonna happen.
September 12th, 2019 at 8:35 AM ^
Yes. Probably tomorrow.
September 12th, 2019 at 8:40 AM ^
Zero. They're going to eventually need to expand the playoff.
September 12th, 2019 at 8:48 AM ^
Pay the kids and then maybe they can have a conversation.
I'd rather go in a different direction: Cut the regular season back down to 11 games (+ Conference Title Game) in favor of a 16-team playoff. People will argue that it will water down the regular season, but it will guarantee we get matchups that we rarely see in September. I think there are plenty of benefits for the kids that could go in a diary, but more kids would probably see the field if the margin for error to getting into the playoff is greater.
September 12th, 2019 at 2:47 PM ^
Similar to the NFL's attempt to add 1-2 games. The season is already too long and the extra games just add to the injury potential of the players. Ain't gonna happen.
September 12th, 2019 at 8:49 AM ^
The regular season should be pared back to 11 games max, and the playoffs expanded to at least 8 teams.
As more games are piled on the players, the justifications and excuses for not paying them decrease.
September 12th, 2019 at 9:06 AM ^
Agreed. The players are already playing every week (with one bye) from Labor Day until Thanksgiving. This puts the whole 'student' athlete moniker at risk. If you add more regular season games, they drift further toward 'employee' athlete.
September 12th, 2019 at 12:08 PM ^
Conference championship games should also be done away with; plus conferences being made to condense down to allow full round-robin play. This would increase the number of relevant conferences to either six or seven.
September 12th, 2019 at 8:52 AM ^
I'll give a different answer. It's possible, but I definitely don't want it.
"For every time there is a season", as the saying goes.
Pre-Labor Day weekend is still summer. I'd rather be at the lake in Northern Michigan, as I traditionally do that weekend.
2 weekends post Thanksgiving (and beyond) is now Christmas Holiday season and, at that point, winter.
Regular season college football doesn't feel right for either time (IMO).
I don't even like the B1G ending their regular season on Thanksgiving Weekend. Michigan plays Ohio State every year that Saturday, of course. Biggest game of each school's season. And the students really aren't there, instead scattered around back home! I still wish that game (and all the B1G finales) was the Saturday before Thanksgiving.
September 12th, 2019 at 8:52 AM ^
The push for an expanded playoffs is much, much more than expanding the regular season. And expanding the playoffs will ultimately limit the regular season.
I think we are at 12 games for the foreseeable future.
September 12th, 2019 at 8:52 AM ^
Change like that is super gradual. Athletic Directors want more games for more money. Coaches do not!
The regular season needs capped at 12, I would actually prefer one preseason scrimmage if we are to maintain ccg and a playoff. A uniform schedule across the p5 needs to be instituted for fcs games, #conf games, ccg and playoffs.
I do think the money will dictate we go to 8 team playoff sooner rather than later.
September 12th, 2019 at 9:08 AM ^
I've been thinking about this topic too...
Thinking outside the box a bit (and counter to the history of College Football), would anyone be willing to add two games a year if the quarters were cut by 3 min. ea (more in line with high school football)? For the regular season at least, it would mean slightly less total minutes than now ("player safety"), but adds the potential for more games.
September 12th, 2019 at 12:20 PM ^
All this would do is lead to more insurance commercials.
September 12th, 2019 at 9:10 AM ^
Expand playoffs.
September 12th, 2019 at 9:29 AM ^
I think a lot of fans would rather see regular season reduced a game any playoffs expanded, but I don't expect any changes to occur unless they generate equal or greater revenue. I don't think an expanded playoff will be enough to offset the revenue lost by reducing the season by a game. I think there's about a 130 teams in the FBS some of the games cut by reducing schedule by a game will be against FCS teams so maybe we're talking 70-80 fewer games a year in FBS stadiums. I'm not sure if the added revenue of an eight team playoff will exceed money lost, additional I would expect the traditional Bowl games would see a drop in revenue generated.
September 12th, 2019 at 9:33 AM ^
No. It's too many.
September 12th, 2019 at 9:33 AM ^
Yay. Another opportunity to give my schedule-realignment snowflake. It's so pretty, just like all the other snowflakes.
I don't like (except for my own personal appetite) football starting in August. Too hot and too little practice, so there are some injury concerns there. And, I'd like for athlete-students to begin the transition into the fall semester before the games start...
2 game non-con schedule; 1 real and 1 cupcake (or mid-level, or top level if the AD has the stones, or service academy if the AD has lost his marbles)
8 game conf schedule (division heavy, w/1 maybe 2 crossovers)
4-8 team conference playoffs (2-3 games)
11 team national tourney w/p5 champs getting a bye, and 6 others in one-game wildcards to fill the other three spots.
A conference champ that goes to the final would end up playing 15-16 games. A wildcard in the final would play 16-17.
A bunch of the "bowls" could reorganize themselves into a sub-tournament (a la NIT) for 32 of the have-nots. That makes as many as 15 games and possible tournament championship for a team that fails to make its conference playoffs, and probably a max of 17 for a team that gets to its conf final but still misses out on the national wildcard.
September 12th, 2019 at 9:46 AM ^
Hope not. Cut the regular season to 11 games and have a 16 team playoff if you don’t make the playoff and have a winning record still have bowl games in place to give teams a reward and 12th game to end season
September 12th, 2019 at 9:52 AM ^
50-50
September 12th, 2019 at 9:53 AM ^
Hopefully no chances.
We don't need 13 regular season games. We need to go back to smaller conferences so we don't have these instances where we play certain teams only once every 5 years.
If this makes me a "get off my lawn," person, so be it.
September 12th, 2019 at 10:03 AM ^
You could have an expanded playoff and a minimum 12 game season for everyone. Have everyone with a defined 11 game schedule, and then those who make the playoffs (say16 teams) would continue in playoff mode. All other FBS teams could have a pre-set scheduling of games/locations based on their ranking or conference standing as their 12th and final game. For example, it could be predetermined that the 7th place B1G team plays the 5th place Big XII team, or something like that. That way, no one loses 12 game revenue, you could still have bowl games afterward for those eligible, and the rest of us get to see an expanded playoff. Of course, there would have to be some modificaitons, as the number of teams per conference making the playoffs would not be known until the end, but I'm sure smarter people that I could work around that.
September 12th, 2019 at 10:25 AM ^
I can't see it happening but then again, what do I know? I'm just some guy from the internet.
September 12th, 2019 at 10:49 AM ^
I hope they go less regular season and more playoff.
The NCAA should grow a backbone and takeover the conference organization. Force teams into 16 eight-team divisions, and tie two of those divisions together. I.e. B1G West and B1G East.
You play your 7 division teams every year. You play 4 of your intra-conference teams every year, for an 11 game schedule. All division champions go to the playoff, with division record being the decider, overall record being the first tie breaker, and CoFoPoff rating being the last tie breaker. In a 4-year span you play every team on the other side of your conference in a home and home series. The only time you play out of conference teams is during the playoff and bowl games.
September 12th, 2019 at 11:27 AM ^
I doubt it will happen due to the eventual need to add to the playoff format. However, I'd be shocked if there was a reduction because the other 130 teams that don't make the playoff aren't going to want to lose revenue. Everyone has their own pros and cons about why they want certain things but we all know that $ is the driver of whatever will be done.
September 12th, 2019 at 12:19 PM ^
I hope they don't keep adding games. I love football but it is brutal.