Syracuse chancellor Kent Syverud among group of executives developing new ‘College Student Football League’ (CSFL)
If this college football ‘Super League’, or ‘College Student Football League’ (CSFL), proposal carries any real weight – it’s only right to discuss how this decision might affect the Syracuse Orange.
The proposed football-only reorganization, or realignment, of the 136 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) released more details yesterday to The Athletic. The proposal separates schools into two tiers, with different divisions based on geographic proximity. Similar to the hypothetical schedule our site put together in late July.
The top 72 programs, comprised mostly of the teams that make up the Power Four, would compete in 12 upper-tier divisions. The remaining 64 programs would compete in eight lower-tier divisions (majority group of five teams) with eligibility for a “promotion” the following season, similar to the structure of European football leagues but with no relegation.
Photo: College Sports Tomorrow
In this system, according to the Athletic, Syracuse would compete in the ‘Mid-East’ division and annually play Cincinnati, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, and West Virginia, in addition to eight ‘non-division’ games — 13 games over 15 weeks.
Important note: Historic rivalries, in-state rivalries, and geographic proximity would be preferred for those ‘non-division’ games. For example: Ohio State could annually schedule Michigan, even though they would not compete in the same ‘division’ (via Wall Street Journal).
Theoretically SU’s schedule could look like this, based on the preferences listed above:
Division Games:
Cincinnati, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, and West Virginia
Non-Division Games would likely include the following:
Boston College, Colgate, Army, Buffalo, Maryland, Temple, UConn, and Navy
From an administrative perspective, all logical reasoning leads to believe that SU would endorse the idea of a college football super league. ‘College Sports Tomorrow’ (CST), the think tank/advisory board backing the CSFL, is made up of several well-known leaders in business and sports, including Syracuse University chancellor Kent Syverud. Other members include former NBA player Grant Hill, athletic directors Danny White (Tennessee), Bubba Cunningham (North Carolina), Kirby Hocutt (Texas Tech), and West Virginia University president Gordon Gee, among others.
Photo by Rich Barnes/Getty Images
Syverud was quoted in an interview with the Athletic in the spring, and his opinions were pretty clear.
“The current model for governing and managing college athletics is dead,” Syverud said.
Syverud mentioned that his reasoning for backing this proposal is rooted in what he believes is best for the future of college football and its players, including working to get collegiate athletes paid.
“I really think conferences in the NCAA are at a very significant likelihood of going bankrupt in the near future because of the lawsuits, both the ones that are going to trial and those that will follow,” Syverud said.
While this proposal has a long way to go, it’s clear it is working to provide an alternative to a Big 10/SEC takeover of the sport. We’ll keep an eye out for more news, but what do Orange fans think of this idea?