NFL-lite

These items would primarily only affect the P4, and probably only the upper-to-middle tier of the P4. I do think that day is coming, and yes, it would greatly diminish my interest in watching them.




These items would affect (at the very least) all of FBS, unless the P2 achieve their ultimate goal of breaking away completely. I think all three would be a detriment to the game.




This, too, is coming. I think it will come about as a result of NCAA unsportsmanlike conduct rules being eased to allow it. However, I do think it would be an institutional decision whether or not to allow it. Some coaches will continue to preach the "act like you've been there before" philosophy. Others would allow all manner of choreographed goofiness for "the fans!" or "the kids!" or "the players!" I'd hope beyond hope any team(s) I followed would be in the former group. Act like you've been there before. Leave the shenanigans to the wannabe's of the world.


As for the greater question... would I still watch?

Well, I grew up a UGA fan. And living in Alabama for the last 34 years, especially in the pre-Internet days, it was tough to watch and/or get news about UGA, so I adopted Bama and Auburn (yes, both, but usually in that order) as secondary and tertiary P5 teams.

There was never any indecision about which team to root for when Jax State had one of these on the schedule. JSU was always No. 1. Always.

And this system worked well for pretty much my whole life.

I didn't have any issue with it, not because the Gamecocks were on a lower level (in our pre-FBS days) but because I felt there was at least some mutual respect between those schools and mine. If we scheduled Auburn or LSU or FSU or Ole Miss or whoever, we'd get a big fat check for our trouble. Sometimes, we'd even come away with a win, which was incredibly cool.

But I never felt they were "out to get us" because we served an important purpose in their food chain: giving them a cheap home game which (usually) was a relatively easy win, allowing them to rest their starters and play their bench a bit more than they'd be able to once their conference schedule kicked off.

Then the SEC and Big Ten started flexing their wee little P2 muscles, and acting to get far more than their fair share of CFP revenue, and shutting mid-majors out of the NIT tournament, and campaigning to reduce the number of autobids available to mid-majors in the NCAA tourney.

And now, I kind of get pissed when I see a UGA, Bama, or Auburn logo.

Will I still watch? I dunno. Maybe, if I don't have anything better to do, like rearranging my sock drawer, or organizing my underwear by color. They've pretty much lost me as a fan, and that's before any of the other doomsday predictions even come to pass.

Yes, p5 (or p4 or p2, or whatever the heck they want to be called). Mostly... but, some of the things in my nightmare scenario could & I think probably would affect JSU & other G5's.
I became a Gamecock in the mid-70's after coming here as a freshman, but I grew up a Bama-first fan till I actually enrolled there after transferring from JSU. Then finally switched to a monogamous relationship with Jax State cause I couldn't stand the obnoxious Tide fans & their entitled attitudes.
True story, my future wife & I attended a T-Town church in '75 & the Bear was in attendance with whoever was the starting QB. The pastor gushed all over us with Tide Pride, & asked a special prayer for God to make sure the Tide won the following Saturday.

I grew up a Florida fan, and they will always have a special place in my heart, and I will always root for them, but other than them I could care less about the SEC or most of the P5 teams. G5 football to me is far more interesting and exciting! No matter what happens I will forever be a Gamecock and will support JSU in every way I can

Why does everything that goes forward have to go backwards too?

Strange times of cancel culture and rewriting history (though some of it is ugly) ... Today, is a far different time.

Social media and people creating a personal / player brand has as much to do the state of disarray we're as the stubbornness, lack of foresight, and poor governance by the NCAA.

I know NIL isn't not going anywhere, but I'm genuinely tired of everybody having their hand out for doing what they're supposed to do. 

I second that.

theathletic.com/5439967/2024/04/23/group-of-5-playoff-realignment/

Great article. Includes the things we've discussed here.