Mark Cuban interested in funding BCS alternative

[Chip R]

http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/nba...ory?id=5924399

[Roy Tucker]

This will be interesting to watch develop. If anyone can pull it off, its Cuban.

There was an interesting article in SI a few weeks back about bowls and money and the money that colleges and universities are leaving on the table by not having a playoff. It was pretty sickening, actually.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vau...92/1/index.htm

[Sea Ray]

A lot hurdles to cross but it is worth following. If he can pull it off, most likely the NCAA will step in and finally do what they should have all along. Which would be fine for us fans but it'd be a bummer if after doing all this work and Cuban shows them how to do it, if he doesn't get to reap in the rewards

[Orenda]

i think mark cuban should start a professional minor league football league instead of worrying about what college football is doing. The pro league would have a built in advantage over basketball and baseball because football players have to wait 3 years before they can enter the nfl draft anyhow. 10-20 teams with paid NFL prospects, you would probably need an upstart television network because the status quo would want to protect their interests in college football.

[Brutus]

Originally Posted by Orenda

i think mark cuban should start a professional minor league football league instead of worrying about what college football is doing. The pro league would have a built in advantage over basketball and baseball because football players have to wait 3 years before they can enter the nfl draft anyhow. 10-20 teams with paid NFL prospects, you would probably need an upstart television network because the status quo would want to protect their interests in college football.

Why can't Cuban care about college football? I imagine every single person that wants a playoff would do exactly what he's doing if they had the power/resources to make it happen.

He's a businessman and a fan also. He has every right to do it and if he wants to, he should. Good on him, actually.

[Boston Red]

His playoff plan would be worth truckloads of money. Your minor league football idea would be akin to burning money.

[WMR]

I would much rather have someone like Cuban in charge than a bunch of academics who have never had to run a business or turn a profit.

Cuban is incredibly savvy... would be great if he could get some momentum going for a playoff.

[Orenda]

Originally Posted by Brutus the Pimp

Why can't Cuban care about college football? I imagine every single person that wants a playoff would do exactly what he's doing if they had the power/resources to make it happen.

He's a businessman and a fan also. He has every right to do it and if he wants to, he should. Good on him, actually.

He can if he wants, my point is that I think there would be a market for a pro league where guys get paid, can accept endorsements, concentrate solely on their pro careers and go to school later if they so choose. College athletics is in many ways a joke IMO, largely because of their own standard of ethics.

[Sea Ray]

Originally Posted by Orenda

i think mark cuban should start a professional minor league football league instead of worrying about what college football is doing. The pro league would have a built in advantage over basketball and baseball because football players have to wait 3 years before they can enter the nfl draft anyhow. 10-20 teams with paid NFL prospects, you would probably need an upstart television network because the status quo would want to protect their interests in college football.

That's been tried many times and failed each time. Most recently done with the Wrestling guy, Vince McMahon and players like HeHateMe. No sense in going through that again.

[Roy Tucker]

You guys really ought to read that SI article I quoted above. And google "sports illustrated the bowl system bcs" and the reactions to it.

Colleges are leaving hundreds of millions of dollars on the table and mostly losing money on bowls while they are also in financial trouble. And fat cat bowl dudes roll in the money. Its sickening.

More... http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...bcs/index.html

[Orenda]

Originally Posted by Sea Ray

That's been tried many times and failed each time. Most recently done with the Wrestling guy, Vince McMahon and players like HeHateMe. No sense in going through that again.

Has it ever been tried with high school kids who are waiting 3 years before they can go to the nfl? This is essentially what many of the top college programs are already however the Cam Newtons and Reggie Bush's would be free to get paid for their services. I don't see why that wouldn't appeal to the top high school players.

[dougdirt]

Originally Posted by Orenda

I don't see why that wouldn't appeal to the top high school players.

Because if the league flops after 1 year, those kids still have to wait 2 years to play in the NFL and they won't be able to go to college to play, so perhaps they have to go to the CFL or Europe to play, where they won't draw nearly the attention of scouts and front offices, thus making their chances of being drafted lower and even if they do get drafted, their chances of going high lower and decreasing their signing bonus.

[Chip R]

Originally Posted by Orenda

Has it ever been tried with high school kids who are waiting 3 years before they can go to the nfl? This is essentially what many of the top college programs are already however the Cam Newtons and Reggie Bush's would be free to get paid for their services. I don't see why that wouldn't appeal to the top high school players.

Probably because minor league/semi-pro football isn't as attractive as going to college. Even the collegians who don't get money under the table get free books, tuition, room and board. If they are playing minor league/semi-pro ball, they usually have to have to hold down another job to make ends meet. They have to pay for room and board not to mention other expenses you and I have to pay. Most of these games are played before sparse crowds in high school stadiums. If they don't perform, they get fired whereas in college they just get demoted to special teams. Just becayse you are getting paid doesn't mean you are on Easy Street.

[Sea Ray]

Football is a very expensive sport to fund. Just ask NCAA schools. Plus Cuban would need a lot of players to field a league of teams. I don't think that would work