NCAA Authority

[BlueHair]

If he NCAA decided they wanted a playoff, what would have to happen? Who could ultimately make that decision? Who would vote on it?

The reason I ask is I'd like to see the NCAA set up a tournament and invite teams. Don't change anything with the bowls. Teams could choose between playing in a bowl or having an opportunity to win the National Championship. Fair warning could be given. They could notify schools that starting with the 2014 season, there will be a playoff.

[il Padrino Ute]

If I remember correctly, back before the BCS was the Bowl Coalition Alliance that came about because of the bigger name teams that called themselves the CFA (College Football Association, I believe) the NCAA tried to tell those conferences who had made the tv contracts with ABC, CBS (and perhaps ESPN?) that they couldn't do that because the NCAA wasn't making any money from those separate contracts. Those conferences told the NCAA to stick it or they would disassociate themselves from the NCAA because they'd proven that they didn't need the NCAA to get any tv revenue.

The NCAA cowered and did nothing further. I'm guessing that the BCS conferences would do the same today and tell the NCAA to take a hike and the NCAA would not want to lose any of those conferences from the basketball tournament, so it would again allow conferences to dictate what happens.

[statman]

The NCAA would not want to lose any of those conferences from the basketball tournament, so it would again allow conferences to dictate what happens.

The basketball revenue is the ace in the hole that the NCAA has - that and the dedication that University Presidents have to the NCAA as an ideal that promotes athletics and academics.

If the NCAA had any balls, they could just dictate it - and let teams leave the NCAA if they wanted. But do that, and they'd be leaving for EVERYTHING, not just football. Not many University Presidents are going to go along with that. Sure, some might want to leave, but the vast majority would comply, and the others would come cowering back...

[il Padrino Ute]

The basketball revenue is the ace in the hole that the NCAA has - that and the dedication that University Presidents have to the NCAA as an ideal that promotes athletics and academics.

If the NCAA had any balls, they could just dictate it - and let teams leave the NCAA if they wanted. But do that, and they'd be leaving for EVERYTHING, not just football. Not many University Presidents are going to go along with that. Sure, some might want to leave, but the vast majority would comply, and the others would come cowering back...

I dunno....how many times have we seen the NCAA not punish the big money names for infractions that would end up as a trip out to the woodshed for others? Look at Calipari for example. How the hell is he allowed to even coach, let alone coach at Kentucky?

The NCAA is a balless organization that caters to the programs that make it the most money. It's been that way for as long as I can remember.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Wasn't there some undercurrent of talk, maybe lead by Bobby Knight about 10-15 years ago suggesting that the schools interested in sports break away from the NCAA? And that was from a basketball perspective. If the NCAA shoved an unwanted football playoff down the throat of major college sports I think you would see a massive break away from the NCAA.

[BoylenOver]

This wouldn't happen. Both the NCAA and the BCS are largely controlled by the University Presidents. The ones with the most power recognize and benefit from the coexistence of both.

[Coastal Ute]

Boylen's right. If there was a departure of the BCS from the NCAA (or vice versa), it would only make the institutions weaker. If that were to happen, there actually might be ethics involved though. However, thats a big "might", and I don't think we'll see any kind of break off in the near future.