Is College Football more or less enjoyable now?

[General Tso]

NIL, transfer portal, realignment, and CFP expansion next year. Does that make it more or less enjoyable?

I've always preferred the NFL because there's way more parity. We will see if this introduces more parity next year, but it does feel like some have-nots will continue to be have-nots.

[catcheryea]

it's a ******* blast for me checking the auburn box score every week

[MikeT14]

My team stinks now, so it's worse for me in that sense. I don't love all the movement from the players either, but it's still quite enjoyable for any neutral games for me. 

[OkeyDoke21]

Less, but I'm still enjoying it.  It's like an arbitrary 7.8 from a 9.4 for me.  The quality of my team and my life/age would also be factoring into that, though, as some of that would have organically occurred had the remained closer to the status quo I fell in love with as a kid; so I don't know how much that vs not personally loving the changes is tipping the scale.  I'm more worried about not enjoying where it ends up than I am my enjoyment of the current state. 

[Texansfan713]

Less but I still watch only because Houston is in the Big 12 now. 

I hate the transfer portal and NIL.  

[ramssuperbowl99]

12 hours ago, General Tso said:

NIL, transfer portal, realignment, and CFP expansion next year. Does that make it more or less enjoyable?

I would say yes, yes, no, leaning yes but unsure in that order. And overall I would say it's different more than it's better or worse.

 

I don't see how the transfer portal is arguable at this point. Joe Burrow to LSU killed that debate.

NIL, yes. Programs being able to invest in their football programs directly makes being a fan more fun, especially as a fan of a school who is trying to rebrand itself and recruit better. It's nice not to hear about the absurd arms race in facilities any more. Anyone know the last time ESPN did a puff piece on Oregon's athletic department or Bama's weight room?

Removing rivalries with the conference realignment hurts the core of the non-NFL minor league side of CFB, and I think there was a way to do that where you could have both.

The CFB playoff could go either way. The current format is obviously better than the BCS, but 15 games to win a natty is already pushing it. That was an NFL schedule for a long time, and the trend is bad. There may need to be rules made about the number of games kids can play in a year, and if that means that backups play against cupcakes for 3 weeks a year, whatever.

Edited October 25, 2023 by ramssuperbowl99

[candyman93]

I enjoy not being affiliated with ESPN anymore.
 

Realignment needed to happen for the schools. 

[AkronsWitness]

Ive always viewed CFB as a sport similar to baseball where if your team is good--its great, but if your team doesnt have top 15ish hopes then its almost unwatchable because whats the point. I dont even watch my alma mater play because they are a team with no hopes of doing anything relevant since they are a MAC school.

I will say the one recent change that has annoyed me from a product standpoint that has made the game worse, is the relaxation on the transfer portal rules. Not that I agree a kid should be 'in prison with no escape' if he doesnt want to attend that school anymore, but I much prefer the more strict transfer rules of days past. Players committing means absolutly nothing anymore because as soon as you bring in competition at the same position--they just get in their feelings and go elsewhere with no guardrails.

If NIL money is involved and they are making money along with the massive amount of cost/time that teams spend on getting these kids into their program, the players need to be held to a little higher standard.

 

 

Edited October 25, 2023 by AkronsWitness

[THE DUKE]

Honestly, I preferred the BCS system.  One loss could derail a season, made the stakes way higher and week to week watching much more meaningful.  I still watch a ton of CFB because I love football, but regular season games feel so much more casual nowadays

[OkeyDoke21]

2 minutes ago, THE DUKE said:

Honestly, I preferred the BCS system.  One loss could derail a season, made the stakes way higher and week to week watching much more meaningful.  I still watch a ton of CFB because I love football, but regular season games feel so much more casual nowadays

I've always felt the same way, but have just learned to understand that it's pretty clearly a minority opinion.  That's going to get even worse when they go to 12.  

[beekay414]

The transfer portal makes it so much more fun

[Texansfan713]

18 hours ago, beekay414 said:

The transfer portal makes it so much more fun

How?  College basketball I can see, but CFB is worse. 

[beekay414]

1 hour ago, Texansfan713 said:

How?  College basketball I can see, but CFB is worse. 

Joe Brrr

Quinn Ewers

Caleb Williams

Obviously Brrr was before the portal but he's prime example why it works. If coaches can move freely, players moving freely makes sense as well. 

These are 18-19 year old kids. If they get to campus and the fit ain't right, let em move on without punishment. The portal hurts no one but lazy coaches set in the old ways. 

[OkeyDoke21]

27 minutes ago, beekay414 said:

Joe Brrr

Quinn Ewers

Caleb Williams

Obviously Brrr was before the portal but he's prime example why it works. If coaches can move freely, players moving freely makes sense as well. 

These are 18-19 year old kids. If they get to campus and the fit ain't right, let em move on without punishment. The portal hurts no one but lazy coaches set in the old ways. 

I think it just needs some guard rails.  Avoid the JT Daniels, Kedon Slovis, Jarret Doege type musical chairs scenarios.  I think for Covid/Covid adjacent time period, it was a good thing, but there should be some form of structure to it, as we move forward.  Maybe a one time free transfer without sitting a year.  Same with grad transfers, but a 2nd transfer in that window between the two should probably have to sit a year.  That still gives you those listed situations, but cuts back on the mercenary type moves.     

[beekay414]

3 hours ago, OkeyDoke21 said:

I think it just needs some guard rails.  Avoid the JT Daniels, Kedon Slovis, Jarret Doege type musical chairs scenarios.  I think for Covid/Covid adjacent time period, it was a good thing, but there should be some form of structure to it, as we move forward.  Maybe a one time free transfer without sitting a year.  Same with grad transfers, but a 2nd transfer in that window between the two should probably have to sit a year.  That still gives you those listed situations, but cuts back on the mercenary type moves.     

I'm pretty sure you can only transfer once. The Daniels/Slovis/Doege transfers were due to COVID rules and grad transfers on top of it. Like if Quinn Ewers were to transfer from Texas due to Arch Manning, he'd have to sit a year IIRC.