The Regionalization of College Football

[The-Hack]

I’ve seen complaints that the sport is regionalizing sharply toward the Southeast.

And it can’t be denied.

In 1987, I worked a summer job in Tulsa Oklahoma. The folks I worked with weren’t all that college football oriented, but were generally knowledgeable.

We’d all go out to eat/drink multiple times a week and spend evenings bullshiting.

One evening one guy says to me that I am visiting the land of college football. I kind of laugh and ask him what he means.

He says “nobody else has programs like Oklahoma and Nebraska.”

I responded “that the SEC has 6 programs that have multiple national titles, and seat more than 80,000 in their stadium.” The guy seems shocked, so the rest of his evening was getting to hear about Bear Bryant, Shug Jordan, General Robert Neyland, etc., etc. My parting thought was that should there ever be a National Playoff, or simply teaming No. 1, vs. No. 2 in the bowls, I thought the SEC would dominate.

And my thinking in that era was hardly radical. After the SEC adjusted to integration (thank you Herschel and Bo) the narrow gap that had existed for decades favoring the SEC was bound to grow to yawning proportions.

And it has.

Which conference will have the most NFL players drafted in June? And which conference will break it’s own record for having the most drafted?

This whole shift is said to be bad for college football, but how do you stop it?

Broaden the playoffs, and you just get more laughable blowouts, and almost assure that the SEC will get two or more participants.

Put Bama and Georgia and whoever else is in the Top 8 next year in a playoff, and unless all SEC teams are on the same side of the bracket, what chance is there the SEC will boast both teams in the title game? At least 50 percent.

I will argue that Kentucky has been a net beneficiary of the SEC’s dominance. Since 2000, our profile has been as high or higher than it has in any other 20 year period of college football, sans the Bryant years, and I think it is our proximity to the mid-west. We can give players a ticket to the real game, without Grandmaw having to buy a plane ticket to the Deep South.

 

[yoshukai]

I agree 100%.

 

[vhcat70]

Which conference will have the most NFL players drafted in June? And which conference will break it’s own record for having the most drafted?

This whole shift is said to be bad for college football, but how do you stop it?

This wouldn't fix, but I'd
- prohibit players from transferring to a school with a better record if that record was over 500 the previous UNLESS said player sat out a year & lost that year as eligibility.
- prohibit JC players from attending top 10 school unless they sat out a year.

These should reduce stockpiling to a degree.

Another thing would be to reduce scholarships for the very top teams. Win the national championship as AL did & reduce total scholarships by 2 for following season and 1 the second year. If you made playoffs, reduce total scholarship by one for following season.

So I'm punishing success? YES, for a few schools to the benefit of the whole.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

You cant prohibit someone from attending a school Sure you can make the rule, but the first time someone challenged it would be reversed. Reducing scholarships would work but it's going to take more than 2. When Smith. Harris, Jones all signed, you think they were the bottom 2 on th he list? The 2 or 3 kids Bama wouldnt sign would be the 2-3 kids you never hear about after signing day. Now you take 10 off 1 year and 5 the next, you can do a little to bring them back to the pack.

 

[YaketySax]

Agree. It's not quite college basketball yet (most of the ratings come from Indiana, Kentucky, and North Carolina), but doesn't mean they can't do some things to appeal to a broader audience. No team west of the Miss. River has won a championship since USC over 15 years ago.

Personally, I'd like a 10 team playoff. #1 and #2 seeds get byes and top seed gets home game until the final four. The same blue bloods will win, but more representation will keep broader swaths of the country interested.

 

[Caveman Catfan]

This wouldn't fix, but I'd
- prohibit players from transferring to a school with a better record if that record was over 500 the previous UNLESS said player sat out a year & lost that year as eligibility.
- prohibit JC players from attending top 10 school unless they sat out a year.

These should reduce stockpiling to a degree.

Another thing would be to reduce scholarships for the very top teams. Win the national championship as AL did & reduce total scholarships by 2 for following season and 1 the second year. If you made playoffs, reduce total scholarship by one for following season.

So I'm punishing success? YES, for a few schools to the benefit of the whole.

Eeeeeeeek! I just threw up in my mouth more than a little. Me no likee.

 

[bigblueinsanity]

TV is the answer. In the 80s there was one program with a national tv deal (Notre Dame which helped fuel their dominance). Everything else was regional broadcast, if even that. Usually only the best games were on (think JP sports) and the rest were relegated to radio which is very regional.

So short of bowl season (which was much different then) all anyone ever has the chance to see/hear were teams in one's region.

In the recent past espn brought nationwide viewing to football, even to the smaller schools via their streaming. Now if someone wants to see a game, they can. There is no more mystery

 

[Cobb4uk]

This wouldn't fix, but I'd
- prohibit players from transferring to a school with a better record if that record was over 500 the previous UNLESS said player sat out a year & lost that year as eligibility.
- prohibit JC players from attending top 10 school unless they sat out a year.

These should reduce stockpiling to a degree.

Another thing would be to reduce scholarships for the very top teams. Win the national championship as AL did & reduce total scholarships by 2 for following season and 1 the second year. If you made playoffs, reduce total scholarship by one for following season.

So I'm punishing success? YES, for a few schools to the benefit of the whole.

That might work in Russia or other communist countries.

 

[Bereacat420]

Agree. It's not quite college basketball yet (most of the ratings come from Indiana, Kentucky, and North Carolina), but doesn't mean they can't do some things to appeal to a broader audience. No team west of the Miss. River has won a championship since USC over 15 years ago.

Personally, I'd like a 10 team playoff. #1 and #2 seeds get byes and top seed gets home game until the final four. The same blue bloods will win, but more representation will keep broader swaths of the country interested.

10 teams doesn't work because it doesn't add up to an even number.

 

[dvillecatfan]

- prohibit players from transferring to a school with a better record if that record was over 500 the previous UNLESS said player sat out a year & lost that year as eligibility.
- prohibit JC players from attending top 10 school unless they sat out a year.

It's 5:00 somewhere.

 

[Freetaxreturn]

I love it the way it is, SEC basically guaranteed a National championship every year because the best players are in the south and not the Midwest or left coast 🍺

 

[The-Hack]

TV is the answer.

I must have lost track of the question, then.

Are you saying TV has allowed/foisted the regionalization, or that TV in the future is a solution to the regionalization?

I love it the way it is, SEC basically guaranteed a National championship every year because the best players are in the south and not the Midwest or left coast 🍺

Hard for a Kentucky fan to dispute. The lifting of all boats, financially and in stature, has allowed Kentucky—-with the right staff —-to go head-to-head with the Big Ten, to land 4 and 5 Star players from the mid-west.

Marquan McCall was the consensus best player from Michigan in 2018, as was his good friend, Justin Rogers in 2020.

I’m not sure these recruits (and several dozen others) could have been brought to Lexington without our pushing both the Kentucky and SEC brand.

When the Big Dog crosses the Ohio River, being “the Northern-Most” SEC school suddenly becomes an advantage.

 

[wildcatsboston1984]

- prohibit players from transferring to a school with a better record if that record was over 500 the previous UNLESS said player sat out a year & lost that year as eligibility.
- prohibit JC players from attending top 10 school unless they sat out a year.

This is called socialism.

 

[bigblueinsanity]

I must have lost track of the question, then.

Are you saying TV has allowed/foisted the regionalization, or that TV in the future is a solution to the regionalization?

No. I'm saying tv is what opened the nation's eyes to sports in general. Prior to that, everything was regional broadcast at best. Radio only at worst. The lack of tv caused the regional confirmation bias you mentioned in your example

 

[Freetaxreturn]

I must have lost track of the question, then.

Are you saying TV has allowed/foisted the regionalization, or that TV in the future is a solution to the regionalization?



Hard for a Kentucky fan to dispute. The lifting of all boats, financially and in stature, has allowed Kentucky—-with the right staff —-to go head-to-head with the Big Ten, to land 4 and 5 Star players from the mid-west.

Marquan McCall was the consensus best player from Michigan in 2018, as was his good friend, Justin Rogers in 2020.

I’m not sure these recruits (and several dozen others) could have been brought to Lexington without our pushing both the Kentucky and SEC brand.

When the Big Dog crosses the Ohio River, being “the Northern-Most” SEC school suddenly becomes an advantage.

I’m not a geographic expert but isn’t Missoura the northern most SEC school ?
To your point tho, those Midwest players like at O Hi state get their asses handed to them every year like Notra Dames🍺

 

[The-Hack]

I’m not a geographic expert but isn’t Missoura the northern most SEC school

Only when it snows, such is common to the Alaska like climes of the Big Ten and Mizzou.

 

[Bereacat420]

Agree. It's not quite college basketball yet (most of the ratings come from Indiana, Kentucky, and North Carolina), but doesn't mean they can't do some things to appeal to a broader audience. No team west of the Miss. River has won a championship since USC over 15 years ago.

Personally, I'd like a 10 team playoff. #1 and #2 seeds get byes and top seed gets home game until the final four. The same blue bloods will win, but more representation will keep broader swaths of the country interested.

Since you are laughing I take it you didn't get what I said. 2 byes 8 others play 4 games now you have 6 remaining, 4 winners and the 2 byes. 6/2 = 3. Not an even number so it doesn't work

 

[The-Hack]

those Midwest players like at O Hi state get their asses handed to them every year like Notra Dames

Those mid-west players minus dozens of highly ranked players who have headed South.

 

[Freetaxreturn]

Those mid-west players minus dozens of highly ranked players who have headed South.

How did that NT 5 star do this year from Michigan do this past year ?🍺

 

[The-Hack]

How did that NT 5 star do this year from Michigan do this past year ?🍺

Quite well. He actually played more snaps at DT, and a few at Nose.

Guessing, I think the staff hope to have Justin at DT and Marquan at Nose, backed up by former 4 Star Kentuckian Octavious Oxendine (aka, The Big Ox) next season.

Stoops and staff like to strut new, young talent when and where they can. Having Marquan and Justin shoulder-to-shoulder next year is a tempting 14 week televised ad for mid-westerners to come South to get in the real game.

 

[Freetaxreturn]

I asked because I never heard his name all year 🍺 how many games did he start

 

[The-Hack]

I asked because I never heard his name all year 🍺 how many games did he start

I think he started games late. He was in the rotation all year.

Im sure there’s a source that could spout the numbers, but I do not know it.

Remember.that the three “hand-in-the-dirt” positions at UK is likely our deepest position group, with 14 players in ‘20, IIRC.

 

[Freetaxreturn]

I think he started games late. He was in the rotation all year.

Im sure there’s a source that could spout the numbers, but I do not know it.

Remember.that the three “hand-in-the-dirt” positions at UK is likely our deepest position group, with 14 players in ‘20, IIRC.

I couldn’t remember but it was a consensus idea among all that he was hands down the starter coming in as the highest rated player ever to sign at Kentucky🍺

 

[The-Hack]

I couldn’t remember but it was a consensus idea among all that he was hands down the starter coming in as the highest rated player ever to sign at Kentucky🍺

Well, he was the highest rated out-of-State player since Antonio Hall in 2000, who was Rivals’ No. 1 OT for that season, and Top 10 overall.

No one has quite sqouze out Tim Couch’s No. 1 ranking in the 1996 Class (as ranked by both God and Man).

But to your point, some thought he’d redshirt; but not many 5 Stars RS at Bama, LSU or Georgia, so he played a lot, and got starts (as I recall) against USCe and the bowl at DT, and in mid-season, I think Q and McCall were hurt and he got one at Nose, IIRC.

He had a sack in the bowl.

 

[Freetaxreturn]

Yes I remember when the QB ran into him and fell down 🍺

 

[The-Hack]

Yes I remember when the QB ran into him and fell down 🍺

I think that happened to some tailbacks, too.

 

[vhcat70]

You cant prohibit someone from attending a school Sure you can make the rule, but the first time someone challenged it would be reversed.

OK. Ban giving them scholarships.

 

[The-Hack]

The lack of tv caused the regional confirmation bias you mentioned in your example

Yes. Folks in the Big Eight were deluded into the eighties, not getting to see SEC ball very much!

 

[Caveman Catfan]

I couldn’t remember but it was a consensus idea among all that he was hands down the starter coming in as the highest rated player ever to sign at Kentucky🍺

It’s a hard place to start on any team but a bad team or a team with a rash of injuries. Those that do are truly elite. I did not expect him to start, especially since people saw him as a NT and we had Bohanna and McCall coming back. Next to them, we had Phil.

Was Rogers ever #1 on the depth chart?

 

[The-Hack]

Was Rogers ever #1 on the depth chart?

I wish I knew where the participation charts were, and how to access them.

Going by recollection, Rogers got one start when Q and McCall were out (maybe with a combo of Covid/injury) and then started the USCe and bowl game when Hoskins was gimpy?

In any event, he had an impact, but joined a unit deep and pretty talented, so he did not stand out like a sore thumb (aka. DeWayne Robertson’s true frosh year.).

 

[Freetaxreturn]

It’s a hard place to start on any team but a bad team or a team with a rash of injuries. Those that do are truly elite. I did not expect him to start, especially since people saw him as a NT and we had Bohanna and McCall coming back. Next to them, we had Phil.

Was Rogers ever #1 on the depth chart?

He was supposed to be🤷‍♂️

 

[YaketySax]

Since you are laughing I take it you didn't get what I said. 2 byes 8 others play 4 games now you have 6 remaining, 4 winners and the 2 byes. 6/2 = 3. Not an even number so it doesn't work

I got it. I was laughing at myself.

 

[bthaunert]

It will be interesting to see what happens to Bama when Saban moves on. They won 1 National title over a 30 year period prior to him, so it won’t just be a plug and play.

As for scholarships, they reduced them from 105 to 95 in 1978 and then to 85 in 1992 and that has been when the SEC dominance really started. I thought scholarship restrictions would have been the answer, but it has not.

 

[Caveman Catfan]

He was supposed to be🤷‍♂️

Really? I did not ever get that drift from those who matter.

 

[The-Hack]

Really? I did not ever get that drift from those who matter.

I argued with any folks who said he would redshirt. 5 Star players seldom redshirt, anywhere.

I think FTR is hedging around saying Rogers did not have a standout season.

And frankly, physically, he looked a lot like 8 or 10 other players on the roster.

Whether that is a compliment to Kentucky’s recruiting the last few years, or a condemnation of Rogers’ talent is subjective.

As for me, he satisfied my expectations that he would be an effective SEC player even as a true frosh. I think the sky is the limit for him.

But I did not expect him to look head-and-shoulders better than our older folks on the defensive front, as many of them were the foundation of top 15 defenses in ‘18 and ‘19.

 

[Caveman Catfan]

I argued with any folks who said he would redshirt. 5 Star players seldom redshirt, anywhere.

I think FTR is hedging around saying Rogers did not have a standout season.

And frankly, physically, he looked a lot like 8 or 10 other players on the roster.

Whether that is a compliment to Kentucky’s recruiting the last few years, or a condemnation of Rogers’ talent is subjective.

As for me, he satisfied my expectations that he would be an effective SEC player even as a true frosh. I think the sky is the limit for him.

But I did not expect him to look head-and-shoulders better than our older folks on the defensive front, as many of them were the foundation of top 15 defenses in ‘18 and ‘19.

I think Beer Tax is messing around. Even so, I don’t hold stars against players. I agree that it would have been weird for him to RS (even though he technically is a frosh next season), but I knew for him to start, he would have to be exceptional, given who he had to beat. I am in no way disappointed.

 

[Freetaxreturn]

I think Beer Tax is messing around. Even so, I don’t hold stars against players. I agree that it would have been weird for him to RS (even though he technically is a frosh next season), but I knew for him to start, he would have to be exceptional, given who he had to beat. I am in no way disappointed.

You got me CC🍺

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

OK. Ban giving them scholarships.

For what? Being successful? Think about that before you suggest it.

 

[MountainParkway]

No. I'm saying tv is what opened the nation's eyes to sports in general. Prior to that, everything was regional broadcast at best. Radio only at worst. The lack of tv caused the regional confirmation bias you mentioned in your example

I started watching college football in the early 70s and they were always national televised games.

 

[bigblueinsanity]

I started watching college football in the early 70s and they were always national televised games.

I started in the 80s and don't remember any certain team getting consistent national tv, other than ND. Maybe I just don't remember correctly