The college football playoffs are for the most part fun. Some games are better than others. That said, in order to win the championship, the winning team (and runner up) will end up playing 16 games this season. Given that these players are college students it is a lot to ask of them to play that many games. Yes they get paid, but it is not yet their fill time profession. They are playing 12 regular season games. Some play conference championships. Many play bowl games or playoff games. There is spring practice, summer conditioning and fall camp. There is the regular season and daily practices. Travel time. The time commitment is all consuming. At the end of the season it becomes a question of roster attrition. Many of the best players are hurt and not playing. I think that it’s time in college to cut back the number of games. Go back to an 11 game season. Eliminate conference championships. Who cares who wins the B1G championship? The top 2 or 3 teams will make the playoffs anyway. Give these kids a break.
Too many games
- Thread starter HawkNorth
- Start date
OP, I hear you. But the money cat is out of the bag. I do miss the 11 game schedule...those were the days.
Great to see some discussion about this 👍 I completely agree with the big picture. Money drives the game and all of a sudden we have NIL, the portal and the college football playoffs all at once. Some athletes do actually go to college for the education along with playing sports. I can't imagine managing it all along with having some semblance of a personal life.
The NCAA along with input from the coaches needs to step back back and evaluate how they can at least restructure what they can. We already have mention of getting to a 14 team playoff with the goal of getting to 16. I think 8 at neutral sites seems ideal but they didn't expand the playoffs with the interests of the players in mind. Something has to give.
If the kids didn't want to play in these games they wouldn't. So......
Nfl plays 17 games these young adults want the money your going to play games
I have to disagree. Heck if you are an Illinois High School player you need to play 14 games to win the championship, and they don't get paid. Most of these players wanted to get paid, so a few more games isn't anything really big. Heck if you are a pro to win you need to play 21 games, and in some instances, they are making less than college players.
Where did you get the impression that just the guys playing on the scout team and such care about academics? Listen to or read some of the player interviews and you might get a different picture. Student athlete has always seemed a misnomer but at the same time many have always had a stereotype of these guys as just jocks. In reality I think it has always seemed more of a mixed bag than many people realize.
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Lower level has been doing this for years and years.
College students are barely in school from Thanksgiving to mid January.
They are missing more class by playing a couple of regular season road games than they are during the playoffs.
They are missing more class by playing a couple of regular season road games than they are during the playoffs.
I don't remember that long of a break in college but you have a point. I think the OP made a great point in that maybe we can cut out some unnecessary games like the conference championship games or the 12th regular season game. That won't happen because of tv revenue but that kind of seems the point.
Big time college football has become a money machine that has driven the changes in the game. I may have a minority opinion in that some of it seems a bridge too far.
Assuming Iowa isn’t out of the ordinary, they return to school January 21st. If they made the national championship game, the playoffs would not cause them to miss a single class..
You’re not wrong that it has become a money machine. That ship sailed decades ago.
The missed classes has been an excuse for not having a playoff for decades. It’s always been a red herring.
We really don't disagree. I like the playoffs and just think we have too many teams. The first round I thought showed we don't have 12 teams worthy of competing for the national championship. I do agree with you that the college football money machine didn't start yesterday. It just has become more pronounced in some ugly ways IMO.
I don’t think we disagree at all.
I’m just making the point that missing class is not an issue, and never has been, but I remember it being brought up as issue since as long as people have talked about the idea of a playoff.
It’s the best adjunct education for these young men outside of their classrooms. The work ethic, habits, and planning will handsomely reward those who choose to understand the value post-football. If they ultimately get their compensation, in addition to their current support structures, it is no different than any professional who works, undertakes continuing education and training throughout the year, travels for work, and needs to, most importantly, attend to their sleep, health & fitness, and family.
Ultimately, their compensation may not be similar to those of us that do this, but it’s not awfully dissimilar. Being paid, football is indeed their work, along with being a student. Many students have jobs; this new football job for students just happens to make them a bigger COG in a bigger machine.
Ultimately, their compensation may not be similar to those of us that do this, but it’s not awfully dissimilar. Being paid, football is indeed their work, along with being a student. Many students have jobs; this new football job for students just happens to make them a bigger COG in a bigger machine.
Football takes a tremendous toll on the body. They are wearing less padding than the old days too. Shoulder pads are much smaller and I'm not sure how many of them wear pads below the shoulders anymore. Everyone has a mouth guard and few actually use them. Players are stronger, faster and hit harder.
On the other hand player fitness is much better. They prepare 12 months a year for the pounding. Better diets and weight training.
CF is huge money now. There's no turning back.
On the other hand player fitness is much better. They prepare 12 months a year for the pounding. Better diets and weight training.
CF is huge money now. There's no turning back.
We didn’t usually have four teams worthy of competing for the title. Oklahoma seemed to be the fourth quite often and usually was given no shot of beating the Alabama and Ohio State’s.
Division II, now known as FCS--the UNI teams of the college football world--have had a national playoff for 47 years. They are about to complete this year's 24-team event that will have the two teams in the final playing 15 games. Nearly half a century track record would indicate it's not too much.
OTOH, I wouldn't mind cutting the season back to 11 games if it means I don't have to see the likes of Albany or UMass inside Kinnick Stadium.
Isn't FCS the old "D1AA?" Teams like UNI, North Dakota State, Montana, etc.
D2 is the Ferris State, Valdosta State, etc teams.
But still yes, they've had playoffs for a long time.
Yeah. I see zero appeal in playing FCS teams. I get that everyone does it. Doesn't make it anymore appealing.
Going to say same. D3 title game be each teams 15th game. FCS title game will be their 16th.
As a football fan more games the better. Yes, first rd of playoffs 4 games weren’t competitive but usually that weekend not much besides maybe a nfl game on Saturday and if lucky get a decent college bball game. Same with complaint for too many bowls. I like it. Gives me an option to watch one if it intrigues me. Like Thursday KState rutgers lot more fun than bears Seahawks.
But, just for context, the FCS (UNI level) has had a playoff for 47 years. This year's championship game will feature teams playing in their 15th game. No, it's not a perfect comparison, but those kids seem to have handled it OK for nearly half a century.
