NCAA Super League: More Money, More Fun

The idea of a European Super League (ESL) in soccer was poorly received and eventually bullied out of existence through the legal system. It seemed that fans didn't like the idea of owners getting absurdly rich through segregation and exclusion. It was a classic case of the rich trying to get richer.

With NCAA teams jumping from one conference to another in the search for a few extra bucks, the idea of a college super league is becoming more of a reality. Project Rudy has been pitched to athletic directors, and it's getting a warm reception. This is primarily due to the estimated $9 Billion in additional revenue it is projected to put in the coffers of its universities.

Project Rudy: The NCAA Super League

The idea for Project Rudy was conceived by and is currently being pushed by, Smash Capital. A venture capital and private equity firm out of New York and Los Angeles has given a 14-slide presentation to at least 25 athletic directors from power conferences. Former Notre Dame AD, Jack Swarbrick, has joined Smash to push their proposal.

The Super League would consist of 70 teams, keeping the power conferences intact. Playoffs would be expanded, there would be no games between the Super League teams and "Group of Five" or FCS schools. Universities in the Super League would only play each other, which would lead to more frequent matchups between bigger schools.

Instead of each conference (and Notre Dame) having its own media rights, there would be one media rights deal negotiated by the Super League. The expanded playoffs and the rise in quality games are expected to yield an additional $15 Billion over 12 years. Every school in the Super League would get paid, but not equally. Distribution would be allotted in three tiers.

The league would also allow for promotion and relegation, similar to the current structure of soccer leagues overseas. Teams like New Hampshire may not initially make the 70-team cut, but they could still find their way in, and theoretically (but unlikely) a school like Duke could find their way out.

The NCAA Super League Is Good For Fans

It's easy for fans to initially make a sour face at the idea of the Super League. Nobody likes the idea of Billionaires becoming multi-billionaires, especially college students. To turn their back on Project Rudy over a little classicism would be a horrible idea though.

No more Alabama vs Mariette University to start the season. Power teams would only play against power teams, and finishing a season undefeated would be near impossible. There would be no such thing as a boring game that didn't get any ratings.

One media deal and tiered payouts would level recruiting . Fair recruiting leads to a more even playing field and more parody. It's one step closer to an NFL minor league system (which it's been jokingly called for decades anyway). There are 365 Division I college teams across the country, but there's no reason to feel bad for the 295 that don't make it in.

Teams outside the Super League can form their own conferences like the "I Don't Want To Watch That Conference" and the "How Do You Pronounce Your College Conference". With a little luck, maybe they can get into the big leagues. It will definitely make choosing a small school in EA Sports College Football '35 more interesting.

Wayne Gregoire can be followed on Twitter and Facebook .