the BREAKAWAY…saying goodbye

editorial -

by TexCane

This series examines how the NCAA and special interests have mismanaged college athletics and how we can get OUR game back on track.

Today we take on the biggest elephant in the room, the National Colligate Athletic Association (NCAA).

After decades of mismanagement and failed leadership, the association is a “paper tiger.” It’s time to say good bye.

If I were commissioner, I would spin off 80-100 schools and start from scratch. The NCAA problems are so large there no longer is hope they can be repaired and survive.

BREAK UP THE NCAA

Our fourth strategic goal is the break up of the NCAA. Spin off approximately 100 schools and form a new college athletic association. For discussion purposes only, we will name it United States Colligate Association or USCA for short. I’m sure a good name can be created.

STEP ONE: Form geographic conferences

Form eight conferences based primarily on geography. Let’s go ‘back to the future.” It’s the right thing to do for the student-athletes, coaches and the fans. Here is an eight conference model to accomplish this goal. We expect not all schools will elect to join USCA.

American Conference (14)

Navy, Army, Temple, Syracuse, UConn, Boston College, Cincinnati, Memphis, UAB, East Carolina, Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, UCF, South Florida

Atlantic Coast Conference (13)

Georgia Tech, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Duke, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Louisville, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Clemson, Miami, Florida State, Notre Dame

Big 12 Conference (13)

Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Colorado, Colorado State, Air Force, Utah, BYU, Arizona, Arizona State, Oklahoma State, Tulsa, Missouri State

PAC-12 Conference (12)

Washington State, Oregon State, Utah State, Boise State, UNLV, New Mexico, San Diego State, Wyoming, San Jose State, Fresno State, Nevada, Hawaii

Conference USA (12)

Wake Forest, UMass, Delaware, Louisiana Tech, Western Kentucky, Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State, Middle Tennessee, Florida International, Liberty, Sam Houston State

Mid-American Conference(12)

Buffalo, Western Michigan, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Ohio, Northern Illinois, Akron, Ball State, Eastern Michigan, Miami (OH), Toledo, Kent State

Sun Belt Conference (13)

Coastal Carolina, James Madison, Old Dominion, Georgia Southern, Marshall, Georgia State, Appalachian State, Southern Mississippi, UL- Monroe, Troy, Arkansas State, Louisiana, South Alabama

Southwest Conference (12 )

Rice, Houston, UTSA, Texas State, Baylor, TCU, SMU, Texas Tech, North Texas, UTEP, New Mexico State, Tulane

As you can see, we used seven existing conferences with modifications for geographic integrity. We also added an eighth conference (Southwest Conference) to address that region.

All conferences will play a 12-game schedule. As you can see, conference makeups still need more work for scheduling purposes. We expect not all schools will elect to join

It’s beyond my pay grade. Lol! But you get the idea

STEP TWO: Centralize management and operations

These eight conference commissioners will report to the chief executive officer (CEO) and make up the executive management council. They will be joined by the heads of finance, operations, legal, marketing, development and enforcement. Yes, this resembles a typical corporate leadership model.

All will be located at the new US100 headquarters in Dallas, Texas. All operations will be centralized in this location.. Separate conference offices will be eliminated. No more power struggles between conferences.

STEP THREE: Implement a new playoff model

Championships will be earned on the field of play.

The USCA Playoffs will be an eight team model consisting of the eight conference champions. No more polls. No automatic qualifiers. No more secret selection committees. No more backroom politics!

The playoffs will use seven existing bowls across the country, starting the third Saturday of December and ending on New Years Day.

STEP FOUR: Media Rights

USCA will execute media rights agreements with multiple providers, including national, regional and local entities.

STEP FIVE: Game of the Week

Our goal is to give each conference a weekly featured national Game of the Week at a neutral venue in their geographic area. For example, every Monday night, the Sun Belt Conference will feature two conference schools at a neutral site such as Charlotte, NC. Schools scheduled for a Game of the Week will get a bye the week before. Blitz the airways every day of the week except Sunday. We want to blitz the national airways every day of the week except Sunday. Exposure for conferences, schools and players is our strategic weapon.

Here is a possible featured scheduling model.

Monday (PM): Sun Belt @ Charlotte

Tuesday (PM): Mid-American @ Indianapolis

Wednesday (PM): Conference USA @ Jacksonville

Thursday (PM): Southwest @ New Orleans

Friday (PM) American @ Baltimore-Washington

Saturday (Noon): Big12 @ Memphis

Saturday (4PM): PAC12 @ San Francisco

Saturday (7PM): ACC @ Atlanta or Orlando

The revenue generated from media rights will be disbursed to member schools based on field results. There will be a base amount that every school will receive. If you win a conference championship, you get a bonus amount. If you make the Final Four, you get another bonus amount. If you get to the finals, another bonus amount. If you win the national championship, you get a final bonus.

Excellence on the field of play will be rewarded.

BOTTOM LINE:

While we cannot know how many schools would accept an invitation to join some entity like USCA, we are planning on a 96-school model. What we do know is the current situation for college athletics can only get worse.

[EDITOR’S NOTE: We do not expect Notre Dame and perhaps another three schools to join the USCA]

There’s an old axiom…”when the pain to stay the same exceeds the pain to change, then change will occur.”

Has the situation for schools, coaches, players and the fans reached that point?

Thank you for hearing me out.

Remember, I will always be a Cane.

GO CANES!