How big should the College Football Playoff be? Will Cincinnati earn New Year's Six bid? Group of 5 fan survey results
What fans of Group of 5 conference college football teams think about Playoff expansion, the best jobs and conference outlooks for 2021.
theathletic.com
I've said this before but I'll say it again: Chris Vannini is the best in the business when it comes to G5 coverage. The price of a sub to The Athletic is worth it alone based on the stuff he produces. He surveyed a bunch of college football (G5 specifically) fans about various topics. Below are some of the more interesting results:
The College Football Playoff
On a scale of 1-5, what do you think of the 12-team Playoff model?1. 3.8 percent (Not happy)
2 4.3 percent
3. 12.0 percent
4. 35.5 percent
5. 44.4 percent (Very happy)
Overall, G5 fans are very happy with the new proposed Playoff model, as nearly half of the respondents gave it the highest mark, and nearly 80 percent were positive about it. It’s not hard to see why. For the first time, at least one G5 team would make the Playoff every year, and everyone has a shot.
What is your ideal number of teams in the Playoff?
2: 0.6 percent
4: 4.3 percent
8: 24.8 percent
12: 30.8 percent
16: 37.1 percent
More than 16: 2.4 percent
Will the G5 ever get two teams into the 12-team Playoff?
Yes: 59.7 percent
No: 40.3 percent
Will a G5 team win a national championship?
Yes: 27.9 percent
No: 72.1 percent
When I asked fans their ideal Playoff size a year ago, 12 wasn’t even an option because it’s something none of us had really considered. I was always on the side of eight teams with six auto-bids, but the more I’ve thought about 12, the more I’ve felt it’s the right call. It’s the second most-popular option here. Perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised that G5 fans want 16 teams. Several respondents want auto-bids for all 10 conferences, but that’s not going to happen.
Should the G5 make its own Playoff?
Yes: 20.8 percent
No: 79.2 percent
Surprisingly, the results here are nearly identical to last year, when about one-fifth of respondents preferred a separate postseason. My take: It’s a bad idea that would only create more problems and result in even less money for G5 schools (TV deals and buy games). With the 12-team model, it’s a moot point now.
Best of the G5
What is the best G5 job?UCF: 27.4 percent
Cincinnati: 19.8 percent
Boise State: 12.4 percent
Houston: 10.8 percent
Marshall: 6.9 percent
SMU: 6.3 percent
Appalachian State: 3 percent
Among others receiving votes: Louisiana, Memphis, San Diego State, Toledo, UAB, UNLV, Western Michigan
When factoring in write-in choices, more than 30 schools got a vote. I appreciate the school pride and those who admitted their biases. Some other write-ins included “Ohio, but it’s never open,” “UNT men’s basketball” and “Navy can win big but fan base has realistic expectations.”
Overall, those top four teams stand out. They’ve received five of the seven New Year’s Six berths since the CFP was formed, they have large fan bases, three are located in major recruiting areas and all pay among the best in the G5.
Who will win the G5’s New Year’s Six spot this year?
Cincinnati: 52.7 percent
UCF: 8.3 percent
Coastal Carolina: 6 percent
Marshall: 5.9 percent
Boise State: 5.5 percent
Louisiana: 5.1 percent
SMU: 4.3 percent
App State: 2.7 percent
Ball State: 1.8 percent
Memphis: 1.3 percent
Nevada: 0.3 percent
San Jose State: 0.3 percent
Rule changes
Will the one-time transfer rule help or hurt the P5/G5 divide?Depends on the school: 38.9 percent
Hurts G5: 27.1 percent
Helps G5: 21.3 percent
Doesn’t make a difference: 12.7 percent
Will name, image and likeness help or hurt the P5/G5 divide?
Depends on the school: 37.2 percent
Hurts G5: 31.1 percent
Helps G5: 20.7 percent
Doesn’t make a difference: 11 percent
Future of the G5
Do you believe a P5 league will add a G5 team at some point in the future?Yes: 72.8 percent
No: 27.2 percent
What should we call teams and conferences outside the Power 5?
Keep the Group of 5 name: 40.6 percent
They shouldn’t have a label: 36.1 percent
Mid-majors: 18.3 percent
Non-Autonomous 5: 1.6 percent
Also receiving votes: The Outsiders, ESPN’s non-moneymakers, Party of 5, The Available 5, Non-cartel teams, The Other Guys, Plaintiffs, Group of Fun!
Conference USA
On a scale of 1-5, how happy are you with C-USA’s membership schools?1. 32 percent (Not happy)
2. 27.5 percent
3. 27.3 percent
4. 9.6 percent
5. 3.6 percent (Very happy)
How would you rate commissioner Judy MacLeod’s performance?
1. 53.6 percent (Poor job)
2. 18.2 percent
3. 21.5 percent
4. 5 percent
5. 1.7 percent (Great job)
How happy are you with the league’s TV situation?
1. 66.9 percent (Not happy)
2. 18 percent
3. 12.2 percent
4. 1.9 percent
5. 1.1 percent (Very happy)
Where would you rank C-USA among the G5 leagues?
1. 13.4 percent (Worst)
2. 30.1 percent
3. 38.6 percent
4. 15.3 percent
5. 2.5 percent (Best)
Who will win C-USA this year?
Marshall: 50.5 percent
UAB: 21.9 percent
Louisiana Tech: 11.6 percent
UTSA: 4.1 percent
Old Dominion: 1.9 percent
Charlotte: 1.6 percent
Western Kentucky: 1.6 percent
It’s not surprising C-USA fans are the least happy. The conference spans three time zones, it lacks many real rivalries, its TV broadcasts are all over the place and it’s one of two leagues yet to earn the NY6 berth. MacLeod’s disapproval saw a 20-point increase in ones. C-USA fans think relatively highly of their play on the field, and it appears Marshall fans weighted this poll as it relates to the best team, but the dream of a realignment with the Sun Belt is still very much alive, based on some reader comments.
“C-USA fans (of which I am one) need to give up the arrogance of thinking our league is above the Sun Belt and support a merger/regional re-distribution of the two leagues’ member schools.”
“C-USA needs new visible leadership with innovative ideas and a proactive plan to compete with other G5 schools.”
“Conference USA television deal is not very accessible, and I would have to subscribe to many different streaming services (CUSA.TV, ESPN +, ESPN3, Cable). The budget of the schools in the conference are higher overall than those in the Sun Belt and the MAC, so there is no reason for us to be the worst conference in FBS. My school has no other conference schools within a four-hour drive.”
