College football playoff: News, views and Barta comments
Future Iowa football schedules have been published in various places in the past months, however. . .
Considering the new college football playoff formula that starts in 2014 is likely to include a “strength of schedule” component, that may make some schools re-think their non-conference scheduling strategy.
Probably not Iowa, according to AD Gary Barta.
“If everything keeps playing itself out, our philosophy is going to be sound,” Barta said Thursday. “We already play two BCS (nonconference) schools each year, and then with our conference schedule – that’s pretty solid.”
Barta also mentioned the Big Ten and Pac-12 annual non-conference football hookup that starts in 2017.
“We continue to be very supportive of that,” he said.
The Presidential Oversight Committee will discuss (finalize?) a college playoff on Tuesday in Washington, D.C.
“I’m not going to spend too much energy or time modifying my philosophy until I know what the landscape is going forward,” Barta said.
Here’s another look at who the Hawkeyes play between 2014 and 2016:
2014
Aug. 30: Northern Iowa
Sept. 6: Ball State
Sept. 13: Iowa State
Sept. 20: At Pittsburgh
Oct. 4: At Wisconsin
Oct. 18: Ohio State
Oct. 25 Purdue
Nov. 1: At Michigan
Nov. 8: At Northwestern
Nov. 15: Minnesota
Nov. 22: At Michigan State
Nov. 28/29: Nebraska
2015
Sept. 5: Illinois State
Sept. 12: At Iowa State
Sept. 19: Pittsburgh
Sept. 26: North Texas
Oct. 3: Northwestern
Oct. 10: Michigan State
Oct. 17: At Purdue
Oct. 24: At Minnesota
Oct. 31: Illinois
Nov. 7: At Penn State
Nov. 21: Michigan
Nov. 27/28: At Nebraska
2016
Sept. 3: North Dakota State
Sept. 10: Iowa State
Sept. 17: Central Michigan
TBA
Oct. 1: Minnesota
Oct. 8: At Michigan State
Oct. 15: Purdue
Oct. 22: At Northwestern
Oct. 29: At Illinois
Nov. 5: Penn State
Nov. 19: At Michigan
Nov. 25/26: Nebraska
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Contract lingo:
“It is understood by the parties hereto that, that should either party be unable to perform the terms and conditions of this contract due to Acts of God and nature strikes, war, or other unusual occurrence beyond the control of that party, which makes it desirable or necessary to cancel all or any portion of this contract, that said party shall immediately indicate in writing the necessity to cancel the contract or a portion thereof and the contract to that extent shall be canceled. Any of the expenses or obligations incurred by either party in connection with its performance hereunder prior to said cancellation shall be borne by the party incurring said expense.”
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$$ A school must pay the other school $200,000 to break the Iowa-Pittsburgh contract.
$$$$ It costs $400,000 to break the Iowa-Northern Iowa contract.
$$$$$ It’s more expensive to break the Iowa-Iowa State contract. That costs $500,000.
$$$$$ It also costs $500,000 if someone breaks the Iowa-Central Michigan contract.
$$+ It’s not so expensive, in comparison, if someone breaks the Iowa-Illinois State or Iowa-North Dakota State contracts. That’s just $250,000.
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Here are some newsy links:
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COLUMN PERSPECTIVE
Snipet from Pat Forde, Yahoo! Sports
“After 143 years, Tuesday could be the day the bowl establishment is overthrown as the method for selecting a national champion. Set your calendars accordingly.”
Snipet from Mike Kern, Philly Daily News:
“SO HOW DIFFICULT can it be, really, to figure out a way to expand college football’s controversial method of determining a national champion at the highest level from two teams to four? Well, given the fact that your powers that be have taken this long just to get to this point, what’s another week or more on the old timetable?I’m all for getting it right. But hasn’t this thing been prolonged enough already?”
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Snipet from Mike Hlas, Cedar Rapids Gazette
“I really have to wonder what the relationship is between the Big Ten and the Rose Bowl.”
“We do know what comes next: A meeting of the BCS’ Presidential Oversight Committee in Washington, D.C., on June 26, where university presidents will discuss various options for a four-team format – and a “plus one” format, just to say they discussed it – and take a vote to begin bringing the plan into some kind of practical focus. They’ll compromise on a few issues and stubbornly cling to their own biases and interests on others. And whatever they eventually come up with, as long as it still resembles a playoff, will be an exponential improvement on the status quo. Just as long as they don’t put Craig James on a selection committee.”
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Snipet from Stewart Mandel, Sports Illustrated
“Looking up at the ring-around-the-podium Wednesday, there was a collective sense of relief and completion on the faces of a group that’s held at least six rounds of meetings since January comprising more than 100 hours of discussion. Their playoff will come to fruition, though maybe not as immediate as next week.”
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Now what?
The Presidential Oversight Committee has the final say on a college football playoff:
Scott Cowen, President Tulane
Rev. John Jenkins, President Notre Dame
Bernie Machen, President Florida
Max Nikias, President Southern Cal
Duane Nellis, President Idaho
Harvey Perlman, Chancellor Nebraska
John G. Peters, President Northern Illinois
Bill Powers, President Texas
James Ramsey, President Louisville
Gary Ransdell, President Western Kentucky
Charles W. Steger, President Virginia Tech
John Welty, President Fresno State
Category: Iowa Hawkeyes Football



