Repost: An Independent "Consortium" for Football

Here's a great idea posted by Jim Small from GO IRISH BLOG. I was actually having a conversation this weekend about several schools I could see going independent within the next few years, so this post is timely. Check it out.

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An Independent "Consortium" for Football

Here's an idea I'd like to float by the Athletic Directors of the following eight schools: Notre Dame, Texas, Oklahoma, USC, BYU, Miami, Navy and Army -- and the top executives at NBC and Fox. FYI: We launch this in 2015:

The creation of the Consortium of Football Independents (CFI) -- a group of eight college football programs (all independent) that cover each time zone and every top high school recruiting hotbed in the country. The aforementioned eight schools would have an "allegiance" that would call for the following:

1. They would agree to schedule each other -- on a home and home basis -- every year.

2. They would agree to negotiate their own individual TV contracts with either NBC or FOX -- keeping 100 % of their own revenue.

3. They would all agree to schedule a "13th" game each year -- a CFI Championship Weekend -- a three day celebration of college football where all eight teams would play. On Friday night, the #8 and #7 ranked teams in the CFI would play each other. On Saturday at 1 PM, the #6 and #5 ranked teams would play each other. At 8 PM the #4 and #3 ranked teams would play each other and then on Sunday evening, the CFI Championship game would pit the #2 and #1 ranked teams.

4. The revenue generated from the CFI Championship Weekend would be the only revenue the eight schools would ever share in this consortium. This would become the greatest single collection of games ever in the same city, same facility -- over a 48 hour period -- in the history of sport in America! Imagine the "rights fees" the CFI could generate from the host city and NBC/FOX. It would be a bigger "get" than the SUPER BOWL or FINAL FOUR for any US town!

5. Now, if the NCAA wouldn't allow all eight teams to play a 13th game then I'd ask each of the eight schools to play their "rivalry" game on Thanksgiving Weekend -- in the same town, same facility and over the same three day schedule. (See the proposed "rivalry" game schedule below) Please note: The Texas/Oklahoma and ND/USC games would rotate each year from Saturday night to Sunday night if we weren't playing a 13th game. In this scenario - each of the teams would keep the revenue generated from their specific game -- negotiating their own revenue share with their opponent -- and there would be a revenue share amongst all eight schools on any "over arching" deals that might be packaged for the four game weekend.

6. The CFI would also negotiate an automatic berth in the BCS for the winner (or highest ranked team) and would also secure Bowl deals with the following bowls: Gator, Cotton, Capital One and Hawaii.

7. Each of the eight teams would keep "100%" of the revenue they generate from earning a spot in a bowl game.

8. The CFI would also establish their own officiating crews -- to handle their games.

Can you imagine a football weekend with the following games in the same city, same facility, same weekend?:

- Friday night at 8PM -- Army vs. Navy

- Saturday at 1 PM -- Miami vs. BYU

- Saturday at 8 PM -- Oklahoma vs. Texas

- Sunday at 8 PM -- Notre Dame vs. USC

The bottom line here is this -- overnight the CFI would become the most powerful voice in college football.