Put us In the Power Five, but don't take our Power
As I sit down on a Saturday morning to reflect on the weekend of NCAA FBS football that was Week 1 and Week 2 that is ongoing, I am reminded of just how quirky this world of college football can be.
All schools want to "move up" the food chain, right? My law alma mater of Memphis longed after a Big XII invite in past years. Our former Conference USA rival Louisville made it to the Power Five and seems to be doing well in the ACC. TCU is now in the Big XII. Out west, Utah went to the Pac-12. The Memphis Tigers, Cincinnati Bearcats, and others are singing the Group of Five blues.
Except that someone forgot to send the memo to (besides Memphis and Cincinnati) Hawai'i, Nevada, Georgia State, Boise State, and Wyoming in Week 1. Boise State earned a place in the Top 25 with its win over Florida State in Tallahassee and will likely be holding its place after beating Marshall on the blue turf in a second half dominated by defense on Friday night 9/6. I have had Alabama and Georgia fans tell me in the past week that they learned a lot about Memphis. Why? Because Memphis beat Ole Miss in Liberty Bowl Stadium on the 11:00 ABC game. Since many other teams had a later start time, guess who they chose to watch.
Strategy, marketing, and television can take any brand to new levels. Full disclosure: My University of Memphis Tigers are members of the American Athletic Conference. But whether my team is involved or not, one must give credit where due. Instead of going mindlessly through the motions of a conference where members are seen primarily as looking for the next opportunity to jump to the Power Five, the American dubbed itself a "Power 6 conference". #AmericanPow6r - The most clever hashtag I have seen in sports.
Conference USA has a game on NFL Network this weekend. Is a tie in ongoing here?
Strategy, marketing, and television can take any brand to new levels. Full disclosure: My University of Memphis Tigers are members of the American Athletic Conference. But whether my team is involved or not, one must give credit where due. Instead of going mindlessly through the motions of a conference where members are seen primarily as looking for the next opportunity to jump to the Power Five, the American dubbed itself a "Power 6 conference". #AmericanPow6r - The most clever hashtag I have seen in sports.
Conference USA has a game on NFL Network this weekend. Is a tie in ongoing here?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it. The Power Five teams actually have a realistic chance of making the College Football Playoff. More money. More media coverage. So on and so forth.
But here's the kicker: Most of the Power Five schools actually DON'T have a realistic chance of being in the playoff. Why? Because they are not named Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Notre Dame, or a handful of other frequent flyers we see in the top bowls year after year.
The moral of this story: The real power on the field lies in a strong program and brand. Not just being a part of any certain conference. I still cringe when I think about Rutgers, Maryland, and Nebraska being in the Big Ten and a fall with no Texas-Texas A&M match-up. One must feel some compassion for the Arkansas Razorbacks. One of the most legendary college football programs now lives in the shadow of other SEC West teams Alabama, LSU, and Texas A&M. The changes in conference affiliation make all the sense in the world when television markets and money are considered. But they may not be the best for the game as a whole.
And in analyzing Week 1 results, parity remains. For a team like Memphis, that is a good thing when the television lineup falls into place like it did last Saturday. In the State of Tennessee, the Tigers live in the shadow of the Tennessee Vols and the flagship University of Tennessee.
The Vols are a polarizing force in this state. Some (although not most) UT fans are seen as arrogant and immature. I have heard that some sports fans in the area may buy Georgia State apparel simply to rub in the loss. The SEC is still the SEC, however. And my home state would be better off with a Tennessee team that competes for an SEC title on the field.
But that is a subject for another blog post.
James A. Rose
Publisher
The moral of this story: The real power on the field lies in a strong program and brand. Not just being a part of any certain conference. I still cringe when I think about Rutgers, Maryland, and Nebraska being in the Big Ten and a fall with no Texas-Texas A&M match-up. One must feel some compassion for the Arkansas Razorbacks. One of the most legendary college football programs now lives in the shadow of other SEC West teams Alabama, LSU, and Texas A&M. The changes in conference affiliation make all the sense in the world when television markets and money are considered. But they may not be the best for the game as a whole.
And in analyzing Week 1 results, parity remains. For a team like Memphis, that is a good thing when the television lineup falls into place like it did last Saturday. In the State of Tennessee, the Tigers live in the shadow of the Tennessee Vols and the flagship University of Tennessee.
The Vols are a polarizing force in this state. Some (although not most) UT fans are seen as arrogant and immature. I have heard that some sports fans in the area may buy Georgia State apparel simply to rub in the loss. The SEC is still the SEC, however. And my home state would be better off with a Tennessee team that competes for an SEC title on the field.
But that is a subject for another blog post.
James A. Rose
Publisher
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