Started By
Message
Could COVID-19 actually make College Football better?
Posted on 7/10/20 at 11:52 am
Posted on 7/10/20 at 11:52 am
Call me crazy, but I'm pumped about the idea that the SEC might follow the Big 10's lead and institute a conference-only schedule and I think it could bring College Football back in a big way. TV Ratings bounced back pretty nicely in 2020, but it certainly wasn't because of inter-conference play. Here were the most-hyped non-conference games of the first 5 weeks of 2019:
Week 0
Florida vs Miami (5.97M viewers - only game on that weekend)
Week 1
Duke vs Alabama (4.64M)
Houston at Oklahoma (5.44M)
Auburn vs Oregon (6.86M)
Notre Dame at Louisville (5.6M)(Basically a conference game)
Week 2
Texas A&M at Clemson (6.46M)
LSU at Texas (8.63M)
Week 3
Oklahoma at 0-2 UCLA (2.74M)
Week 4
Notre Dame at UGA (9.29M)
Notre Dame's trip to Georgia was the most-watched of any of them, but overall for the regular season it placed 5th in TV ratings. This isn't to take away from cool non-conference games, although it is important to note that 3 of the 4 most watched inter-conference games were home-and-home series. In Week 3 of 2019, Oklahoma-UCLA was the 6th-most watched game behind 5 more compelling conference games, such as Bama-South Carolina, Clemson-Syracuse, and Florida-Kentucky.
My point is basically this: Fans of College Football are over neutral-site games and cupcakes. Outside of a few of super-compelling OOC games each year, the most interesting and most watched regular season games are conference matchups. The 10 highest-rated games of the regular season looked like this:
LSU @ Alabama (16.64M)
OSU @ Michigan (12.42M)
Alabama @ Auburn (11.43M)
PSU @ OSU (9.43M)
Notre Dame @ UGA (9.29M)
LSU @ Texas (8.63M)
Oklahoma v Texas (7.25M)
Auburn @ LSU (7.18M)
UGA @ Florida (6.98M)
Oregon v Auburn (6.86M)
This season has the potential to be great, if everything goes right with the virus. No cupcakes, no boring neutral site games, just good old-fashioned football. I hate to lose the 3 or so good home and home OOC games, but I'll trade them to not have to play Kent and Georgia States.
Week 0
Florida vs Miami (5.97M viewers - only game on that weekend)
Week 1
Duke vs Alabama (4.64M)
Houston at Oklahoma (5.44M)
Auburn vs Oregon (6.86M)
Notre Dame at Louisville (5.6M)(Basically a conference game)
Week 2
Texas A&M at Clemson (6.46M)
LSU at Texas (8.63M)
Week 3
Oklahoma at 0-2 UCLA (2.74M)
Week 4
Notre Dame at UGA (9.29M)
Notre Dame's trip to Georgia was the most-watched of any of them, but overall for the regular season it placed 5th in TV ratings. This isn't to take away from cool non-conference games, although it is important to note that 3 of the 4 most watched inter-conference games were home-and-home series. In Week 3 of 2019, Oklahoma-UCLA was the 6th-most watched game behind 5 more compelling conference games, such as Bama-South Carolina, Clemson-Syracuse, and Florida-Kentucky.
My point is basically this: Fans of College Football are over neutral-site games and cupcakes. Outside of a few of super-compelling OOC games each year, the most interesting and most watched regular season games are conference matchups. The 10 highest-rated games of the regular season looked like this:
LSU @ Alabama (16.64M)
OSU @ Michigan (12.42M)
Alabama @ Auburn (11.43M)
PSU @ OSU (9.43M)
Notre Dame @ UGA (9.29M)
LSU @ Texas (8.63M)
Oklahoma v Texas (7.25M)
Auburn @ LSU (7.18M)
UGA @ Florida (6.98M)
Oregon v Auburn (6.86M)
This season has the potential to be great, if everything goes right with the virus. No cupcakes, no boring neutral site games, just good old-fashioned football. I hate to lose the 3 or so good home and home OOC games, but I'll trade them to not have to play Kent and Georgia States.
8
Posted on 7/10/20 at 12:04 pm to Goombaw
I wouldn’t mind adding a conference game and dropping the FCS game if all power 5 teams did this.
Posted on 7/10/20 at 12:10 pm to Goombaw
Sure. IF they actually play.
Posted on 7/10/20 at 12:13 pm to Goombaw
The lack of fans in the stands will have a big impact on the overall television viewing experience in my opinion.
Posted on 7/10/20 at 12:14 pm to Goombaw
If we had more out of conference matchups like this I think it would also help ensure the best teams make the playoffs
Posted on 7/10/20 at 12:20 pm to Goombaw
I dont get how OSU vs Michigan got that high ratings. That game is usually boring af
Posted on 7/10/20 at 12:26 pm to Goombaw
quote:
Could COVID-19 actually make College Football better?
Quite a few of the best and most historic rivalries in CFB are not conference games. I'd also rather play a home game against Texas rather than adding someone like Vandy/Kentucky/USC to the schedule.
Posted on 7/10/20 at 12:43 pm to lsufball19
I get that, but LSU is also getting rid of UTSA, Rice, and Nicholls. Removing those games and replacing them with better SEC teams seems like a net win to me.
Posted on 7/10/20 at 12:54 pm to Goombaw
quote:
I get that, but LSU is also getting rid of UTSA, Rice, and Nicholls. Removing those games and replacing them with better SEC teams seems like a net win to me.
I don't think a season is happening at all if I'm being honest, but even if we do have a season, I don't foresee a 12 game all-SEC schedule either. I think you're just going to see your SEC games already on the schedule and just eliminating those OOC games (so an 8 game season). I know there are rumors floating around about adding 2 more SEC games for a 10 game schedule but I just won't believe that until I see it.
This post was edited on 7/10/20 at 12:55 pm
Posted on 7/10/20 at 12:59 pm to lsufball19
In my opinion "All SEC schedule" is equivalent to "2 weeks quarantine to flatten the curve." its just a placeholder to slowly move towards no football season period. If they suddenly went from full Football season to no football season there would be riots
This post was edited on 7/10/20 at 1:01 pm
Posted on 7/10/20 at 1:01 pm to Goombaw
So we're going to go from about 6 wins to maybe 3..
Posted on 7/10/20 at 1:03 pm to Goombaw
I think Covid will cure the playoff problem once and for all at least.
Conference only games then the winners go to the playoffs after 2 weeks of quarantine to ensure that no one is sick then on to the playoffs.
Conference only games then the winners go to the playoffs after 2 weeks of quarantine to ensure that no one is sick then on to the playoffs.
Posted on 7/10/20 at 1:26 pm to Lemonpuppy
quote:
Conference only games then the winners go to the playoffs after 2 weeks then on to the playoffs
This would be nice, but there are five conferences for four playoff spots.
I'm still a fan of the 64-team model with four 16-team super conferences:
64 teams in four conferences;
NFL-like division championships and playoffs;
Everybody else plays in bowls or moves down a division.
Posted on 7/10/20 at 1:31 pm to paperwasp
Yea what I meant was it could force them to expand the playoffs. The power 5 winners get automatic bids then select 3 at large teams. I’m not sure how many other conferences there are but they could make it work with all the conference winners somehow.
Posted on 7/10/20 at 1:35 pm to ManBearSharkReb
quote:
I wouldn’t mind adding a conference game and dropping the FCS game if all power 5 teams did this.
The PAC-12, Big Ten, and Big 12 have already done this.
Page 1 of 1
Popular
Back to top
Follow SECRant for SEC Football News