Jumbo Package: SEC mulls field storming penalty, CFP looks at revenue distribution

Happy Tuesday, everyone. Yesterday we got word that the first of Alabama’s three transfer guards has disqualified himself.

Of course this prompted a bunch of idiots to surmise that Walton would still be at Alabama if he was a surefire lottery pick, because they still can’t tell the difference between witnesses and suspects. In any case, a roster spot is now open.

The College Football Playoff management team is in their annual spring meetings currently, and this interesting nugget about revenue sharing may well further the disparity between haves and have nots.

Since the CFP started in 2014, revenue has mostly been distributed equally between conferences. Last season’s formula can be seen here. Power Five leagues received $74 million each in 2022. The Group of Five conferences split $95 million. Conferences received $6 million for each of their teams that played in a CFP semifinal and $4 million for each that played in a New Year’s Six (non-playoff) game.

However, that’s about to change. CFP sources confirmed that — for the 2024 and 2025 seasons — distribution will be weighted more toward individual teams based on their CFP success. For example, because CFP conference revenue will be divided 16 ways in the SEC once the league expands, a national champion from that conference might have made less from the playoff than, say, a program from the (currently 10-team) Pac-12 under the current distribution. Weighting payments toward individual teams would ensure that would not happen.

That’s a great point about some schools getting a bigger revenue share simply because their conferences have fewer teams. Tilting the revenue split toward the individual teams who make the playoffs makes sense, but it’s also going to create more competitive advantage.

The SEC is considering an interesting proposal to curb field storming.

Picture this potential scenario in the Southeastern Conference this fall: On Sept. 30 in Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn takes down undefeated, No. 1–ranked, two-time reigning national champion Georgia. Tigers fans celebrate their first victory over the rival Bulldogs since 2017 by storming the field.

And in response, the SEC moves Auburn’s next home game against Georgia, in 2025, to Athens. The Tigers would play the Bulldogs between the hedges three straight seasons, 2024 to ’26. That would be the price for storming the field.

Alabama’s going to be getting a lot of home games if this thing passes.

Paul Myerberg isn’t quite as down on Alabama coming out of the spring as some are.

2. Alabama

How do the new coordinators mesh?

For all the hubbub around this offseason’s coaching moves — Bill O’Brien and Pete Golding are out, Tommy Rees and Kevin Steele are in — don’t ignore just how often this has happened to Alabama and coach Nick Saban. Including his debut season in 2007, this is the fifth time overall under Saban and the third time in five years that Alabama has entered a year with two new coordinators. The quarterback competition between Ty Simpson and Jalen Milroe will continue in training camp.

Last, some of the Colorado players have been, um, re-Buffed.

“We got to make some decisions. That’s going to be on me. [Leaving before the spring game] was on them,” Sanders said. “Any time somebody quits a few days before the spring game, that should tell you a lot. God bless ‘em, though. I have no disdain. If they call me to speak on their behalf for another coach, I would do so. I’m not going to lie, but I would do so. We don’t look behind us. We’re looking ahead.”

It’s safe to assume that many of the players who put their name into the portal in the past 48 hours were part of that decision-making process. In turn, these moves will open the door for other transfers to join the program.

The spring portal window closes on April 30. Players who transfer after that window closes are not eligible to play next season.

Demouy Kennedy already committed to Colorado and is helping to recruit Jahquez Robinson, who quit a few days before the Alabama spring game. Will be interesting to see how Deion reconciles that one, eh?

That’s about it for now. Have a great day.

Roll Tide.