Could There Be a College Football Bubble?
The news of no Big Ten Football this year is making everyone sad but everyone is thinking of ideas of possible spring college football. After the Big Ten voted for no football on Tuesday, people lost it. I don't blame you as I love college football, but in this environment we are currently in it doesn't seem feasible to put hundreds of athletes at risk. But what about the bubble idea for college football that is working for NBA and NHL?
Coach Harbaugh of Michigan and Coach Frost of Nebraska are still holding out some hope of college football in the spring. According to MLive, they have suggested an 8 game spring league with Big Ten teams that would end before the NFL Draft and find a Big Ten champion. This wouldn't be so bad except for it makes teams travel to campuses for games, which is one of the reasons for the cancelled fall season.
What about a college football bubble though? Could it work, lets go over some of the things you need for it. First you would have to find a large campus with not just one football field but several so that other teams could practice. Next, you need dorms and lots of them. College football teams have about 75 athletes dressed every week with dozen or so standing on the sidelines. There are 14 teams in the Big Ten, so that is about 1,400 athletes. Along with all of the athletes there are dozens of coaches, trainers, and other officials. To make it an even number lets go with 2,000. Most colleges, especially in the Big Ten, are able to house this many people. Oh and you'd have to feed them all, which would be a hassle.
Once you get everyone on campus then you can figure out a bubble season or a bubble tournament. I suggest the teams play everyone in their division and then you can do a seeded tournament with the top 8. This will allow all teams to play at least 6 games and can find a champion of the conference. The team that wins the conference tournament would play a maximum of 8 games and bing-bang-boom this can all be done in 2 months and end before the NFL Draft.
Not sure which school would want to do this but the bubble campus idea is out there now. I also still have NCAA Football 14 on Xbox (the best college football game ever!) so I can make my own Big Ten tournament now with out a bubble.