SURVEYING THE LANDSCAPE
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College Notebook No. 18 Friday, March 31, 2006 By Denny O'Brien

Reality check: Pigskin playoff wouldn't measure up

©2006 Bonesville.net

Few sporting events match the charm and mystique of March Madness.

Professionally, perhaps The Masters and the British Open at the Old Course are worthy rivals. But at the college level, nothing else remotely approaches the emotion and widespread appeal that is generated by the NCAA Tournament.

Attribute that to the large role Cinderella plays in college basketball’s Grand Ball.

No doubt, some of the most indelible tournament moments are the unexpected ones when David stones Goliath. I, for one, don’t recall too much about Connecticut’s title in 2004, but I vividly remember Bryce Drew’s shot in 1998 that sent Valparaiso into the second round and Ole Miss back to Oxford.

My guess is that George Mason’s magical run this season will be remembered for ages. So much so that many will continuously reference it as point in favor of a football playoff.

If the Patriots can do it hoops, why can’t North Texas or Tulsa in football? That’s the type of question many are mumbling as Mason Mania caravans its way to Indianapolis.

It’s a fair question, no doubt. It’s also one for which there is a fairly simple answer.

At this stage, a college football playoff couldn’t possibly generate the drama or attention that has become standard fare for NCAA Tournament. Here’s why:

Inclusion — make that a lack of it. Though technically Division I-A college football has an open door to the national title, the realities imposed by the Bowl Championship Series eliminate anyone outside of the “Power Six” conferences before the season begins.

My guess is a football playoff would do the same.

The NCAA has absolutely zero control over the Division I-A postseason, and it would need to have full reign in order to conduct a playoff fairly. But the odds of the BCS relinquishing that kind of power over to the NCAA are much lower than George Mason making a run at the hoops title.

That means any football playoff in my lifetime is almost certain to exclude the same leagues the BCS does today. And it’s hard for Cinderella to cut a rug if she has no chance of making it to the dance.

Parity — it isn’t there. And it won’t get there unless significant changes to the college and pro landscape take place.

The climate in college hoops is conducive to fairly significant postseason runs for less-celebrated programs. Because of low scholarship numbers and early entries into the NBA draft, basketball powers no longer can stock the ends of their benches with blue-chip talent.

For football to achieve the same level of parity, the NCAA would have to reduce Division I-A scholarships to 70, and the NFL would have to relax its standards on early entry into the draft. That would greatly increase the talent pool and level the playing field.

The common themes of experience, chemistry, and discipline are typically attributed for the success of the likes of George Mason, Bradley, and Wichita State. And while each certainly applies to that crowd, it’s obvious that each program has plenty of talent in the fold.

Location: Neutral sites make up much of the charm surrounding Marchapalooza. Aside from the championship game, a football playoff would be unlikely without hosting games at home sites. Otherwise, attendance would greatly suffer.

In a 16-team field, it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which No. 16 could win a game on No. 1’s home turf. Really, how fair is it to send Arkansas State (IF the Sun Belt was actually extended a bid, which is doubtful) across the border to face Texas?

Competition: Heard of the NFL? Unlike the NBA, it’s a ratings monster that dwarfs its college counterpart, and you’re unlikely to get fans from major markets to divert their attention towards a college playoff.

The timing of a college tournament would coincide with the NFL’s stretch run and extend into a portion of the pro playoffs. Not to be overlooked is the fact that the NFL regularly schedules Saturday showdowns the moment the college regular season ends — or the fact that the league already has mumbled the possibility of scheduling more Saturday games in the future.

And if you think the NFL will play the role of Good Samaritan and honor Saturday as a sacred day for the college game, perhaps I also could interest you in a timeshare in Greenland. It would generate a risk for any television network interested in exclusive coverage of a college playoff — thought it’s one someone would definitely take.

Even so, the number of viewers a football playoff would command would pale in comparison to college hoops.

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02/23/2007 02:02:57 AM