We Need A College Football Commissioner

I thought the playoffs were going to make this all right. The lack of marquee non conference games in college football is already appalling but I know this won’t be a problem now since you’ll need to earn your spot in the 4 team face off starting in two years. Oops, that’s wrong.

This week as both the Kansas State Wildcats and Oregon Ducks battle for BCS positioning we are rehashing “who cancelled what” since both teams were actually scheduled to play each other this year, as part of the second half of a home and home series. Instead of debating who is better, we would actually have a clear picture to go. That would make this system much more bearable but instead it’s another unanswered question and this isn’t just happening with the favorites for the crystal football.

The Vanderbilt Commodores announced a few weeks ago that they were dropping both the Northwestern Wildcats and Ohio State Buckeyes from their future schedules due to their tough SEC schedule. Boo freaking hoo. I understand that you want to make a bowl game but if you are 6 and 6 and barely sneak into some crappy bowl game, does it really move your program forward? Doubtful even for a perennial bottom feeder like Vandy.

There are some teams that get it thankfully. Ohio State has been very aggressive at getting juicy matchups over the next couple of years. They realize the perception of the Big Ten has changed recently and they’ll need to impress on a true national stage to get the respect they deserve.

The Wisconsin Badgers are another team that is adjusting to how they approach their non conference schedule. They’ve long had a reputation, going back to the Barry Alvarez days, that they won’t play virtually anyone early in the year. The consequences for inaction like that should be fatal once we get to the 4 team tournament. Regardless, it’s time we impose change on one of the biggest problems in college football.

I’m proposing a new position that reports to no one except the head of the NCAA, Mark Emmert. A “college football commissioner” that has a team of experts that would work with him to get college football those great early season matchups. It wouldn’t just be for the usual suspects either. ALL teams would be affected and fans nationwide would be able to debate something besides the way the BCS computers work. It wouldn’t be hard to do. Individual sports like golf have a commish that runs them like a business. Face it, that’s what college sports have become anyways. I’m just surprised you don’t hear more of an uprising for this as it is. Hopefully I’ll start a trend.