Attackcoog
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RE: A different strategy for the G5
(08-01-2018 04:02 PM)YNot Wrote: I haven't done it for the last season or two, but I had crunched FBS attendance and TV ratings numbers and came to the conclusion that about 15-20% of FBS college football fans watch the non-P5 schools. It wasn't a scientific study or advanced statistical analysis or anything. So, take that for what it's worth.
But, let's assume that at least 15% of college football fans want to watch non-P5 games. That's not insignificant.
In my opinion, the goals should be:
1) to maximize the value of the 15% who want to watch non-P5 games.
2) to attract some of the other 85% focused on P5 games.
The NY6 bid has done a decent job to give G5 fans something to cheer for. There is guaranteed, annual access to a big bowl game. Much better than the results during the bowl alliance and BCS eras. However, by November there are only a handful of schools from only a couple of G5 conferences with a realistic shot at the NY6 bid. Think about that - it's still in the hands of the CFP Selection Committee.
This is where the G5 playoff proponents have attempted to capture more value from the 15%. Create a system that engages most, if not all, G5 fans towards a common purpose. But, many G5 playoff proposals devalue the NY6 bid and unravel the G5's seat at the table.
One idea I'd like to see considered is to have a G5 playoff for the NY6 bid. Remove the G5 conference championships games - not enough people watch them anyways. Instead, replace with the first round of a the NY6 "Play-In."
Using the CFP selection committee - or some other G5 committee or rankings process - and match the "top eight" G5 teams. Only rules are that each G5 conference gets a team in the field and no G5 conferences gets to host more than two Round 1 Play-In games. May be also include rules to avoid re-matches, to the extent possible.
Round 1 the first weekend of December at home fields. I'd suggest 2 games on Friday night, one after the other, and 2 games on Saturday - one at 12pm ET, before the SEC and B1G championship games and the other at 10:30pm ET, to take exclusive advantage of the late night kickoff window.
Round 2 the following weekend. Front and center, with sole possession of college football TV this weekend. This could either be at higher-seeds' home fields or at a pre-determined site. I like the idea of a double-header at the same venue. This can get fan bases of at least four G5 schools in town...plus, probably a significant number of college football fans in general (including some from the 85% group!).
Round 3 the weekend before Christmas or the week of Christmas (but still before Christmas) at the new NFL stadium in Vegas. Broadcast on ABC or FOX. Winner takes all and gets the NY6 bid. Losers will still be available for bowl selection under the current system.
Here's how it could have looked last year (using CFP and poll rankings - remember, the field is selected before the conference championship games, which are not played in this scenario):
#1 UCF from the AAC. At this point, UCF was ranked #14 by the selection committee and #11/12 in the polls.
#2 Memphis, also from the AAC (the AAC cannot have anyone else in the top-4, which gets to host a Round 1 Play-In game). Memphis was tabbed at #20 in the CFP rankings and #14/16 in the polls.
#3 Fresno St. from the MWC. The selection committee had the Bulldogs at #25 in the CFP rankings. The polls placed Fresno at #25/26.
#4 San Diego St. from the MWC. They aren't ranked by the selection committee, but #25/27 in the polls. They get the home game ahead of #5 South Florida because of the rule against a single G5 conference hosting more than 2 Round 1 games. In this case, the AAC and MWC each get to host 2 Round 1 games.
The remaining seeds go to #6 Toledo (MAC, ranked at #30 in both polls), #7 Troy (Sun Belt, ranked #29/37 in the polls)), and #8 Florida Atlantic (CUSA, ranked #31 in the coaches poll). Boise St. gets left out, despite being ranked ahead of these three. However, it is ESSENTIAL to get all G5 conferences involved in the NY6 Play-In.
Boise St. gets the consolation of playing the Oregon Ducks in their post-season bowl game.
The Round 1 matchups on December 1-2 are:
Friday
6pm ET: (8)FAU at (1)UCF
9:15pm ET: (5)South Florida at (4)San Diego St.
The only football competition is the PAC championship game at 8pm ET.
Saturday:
12pm ET: (7)Troy at (2)Memphis
10:15pm ET: (6)Toledo at (3)Fresno St.
None of the G5 Play-In games competes with another. This schedule also avoids competing with the B1G, SEC, and ACC championship games. The first Saturday game will compete with the Big 12 championship. (I note that the AAC, MAC, and CUSA championship games were all played at the same time last year. The MWC championship and Sun Belt de facto championship - Troy v. Arkansas St. - played at the same time last year).
So, instead of four G5 conference championship games that will get between 200k to 650K viewers and lackluster attendance (the Memphis-UCF OT game got almost 4M viewers), there are four Round 1 Play-In games at home stadiums. The games actually mean something and the results of each game affect the others. So, you get better viewership and attendance for every game. And, because everybody loves elimination games, you will get decent viewership from the 85% of college football fans that normally don't care about G5 conference championship games.
The Round 2 semi-final Play-In games will have the weekend to themselves and should get great TV ratings. Likely UCF v. USF or SDSU and Memphis v. Fresno St. And, all of those teams are likely ranked when they play the Round 2 games.
The Round 3 Play-In final caps the opening weekend of bowl games, likely to draw 3-4M or more viewers.
Flame away, but I see it as a win-win-win-win-win for the G5.
Its not a horrible idea from a marketing standpoint--but you've set it up where the a G5 has to play 2 extra games just to make the playoff. Frankly, I think just making the G5 access slot a playoff slot will do wonders for G5 viewership and recruiting. Its amazing how many folks attend G5 games and watch G5 games on TV considering these teams are excluded from the post season before the first snap of the season has even occurred. What might happen to their attendance and viewership if these conference races actually have significant post season ramifications?
(This post was last modified: 08-01-2018 05:50 PM by Attackcoog.)
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