Radakovich on playoffs, scheduling, realignment
Greetings-
Hopefully you read the story that was posted after the Georgia Tech Caravan event Tuesday night at the Georgia Tech Hotel & Conference Center. Pretty good information that came out of it. I’ll post some more notes from what Dan Radakovich had to say, including some stuff he told Kelly Quinlan of Rivals and me afterwards, and then get to Paul Johnson, Brian Gregory and MaChelle Joseph Thursday.
1. He said it has been a “good, not great” year for Tech athletics. He said that after the superior 2009-10 year, it’s hard to repeat that level of success. He noted the growth of a number of programs, men’s basketball in particular.
“Certainly, women’s basketball, they were part of the solution, but when you look at the totality – two ACC championships, women’s basketball going to the Sweet 16, I think all in all, it was a good year,” he said.
2. Radakovich took part in the BCS meetings in April. He said that each answer to each question only presented more questions and discussion.
“It’s a very difficult circumstance to work through all of the different issues that come up as you deal with the BCS,” he said.
For instance, if bowls will be used as the semifinal sites for a four-team playoff (assuming the championship is a non-bowl event), how are those two bowls chosen? What happens with the other two BCS bowls (among Fiesta, Rose, Orange and Sugar) the years they’re not hosting a semifinal?
If it’s on campus, what happens if a school with a small stadium like Wake Forest hosts the game?
How will the teams be chosen? How will money be divided?
Radakovich’s preference is for the bowls to be a part of the playoff to keep them as a reward for players. Of the proposal to put semifinals on campus, “that one, I just haven’t been able to wrap my arms around,” he said.
Regarding the criticism of bowls that they’re a money-loser for schools, Radakovich said that, “first of all, it’ll be a lot more money (with a playoff), but I have to tell you that the school may have lost money on that individual event, but because of their conference revenue share, they never lost money.”
As for selecting teams, “I think it’s really hard to move away from the current circumstance of how the BCS is done. I think there needs to be some adjustment to the formula, but as I stand here today, I couldn’t exactly say what those adjustments might be.”
Radakovich has an issue with the influence of preseason rankings on end-of-season rankings, i.e., that a team that starts off at No. 5 or 10 has an easier path to getting to No. 1 than a team that starts off unranked. His suggestion was that if teams must be ranked preseason, then include 25 teams without ranking, just listed alphabetically. I have to say that’s the first time I’ve ever heard that.
3. Radakovich said “it’s going to be very difficult” for Tech to play in the Chick-fil-A kickoff game. The primary obstacle is that when Syracuse and Pitt join the ACC (expected in 2013), league teams will play a nine-game schedule. With Tech committed to playing Georgia annually, Radakovich and coach Paul Johnson don’t want to pick up another BCS conference opponent.
Johnson did bring up something interesting. He apparently had a discussion with an ESPN representative at the league meetings who was curious what fans would think of playing the Georgia-Georgia Tech game early in the season (presumably in the Chick-fil-A kickoff game). He asked those attending the caravan event, and didn’t get much of a reaction.
4. Regarding speculation and reports about ACC schools jumping or trying to jump to the Big 12, Radakovich said that “a lot of folks write things that are on the Internet that may or may not have great qualifications to do so. I found out two days ago that I was in Dallas, and I wasn’t.”
That said, Radakovich said that he and school president G.P. “Bud” Peterson “continue to monitor the situation. We look at it from Georgia Tech’s standpoint and the Atlantic Coast Conference’s standpoint. We do discuss it, look at the landscape.”
He doesn’t foresee change in membership, reiterating the unanimity expressed by league members in support of the league.
He said that expansion “could be” part of the ACC’s future, but noted that the league’s expansion committee is not meeting and wouldn’t unless commissioner John Swofford re-activated the committee. The league probably wouldn’t make any moves at least until the football playoff format is resolved.
“Until there’s a little more clarity as far as that’s concerned, I just think that we need to take a deep breath and say, ‘O.K., let’s see how this one major change is going to work before other things occur.’”
5. Regarding a possible bowl alliance for the ACC champion, Radakovich said that will be a topic of discussion for a conference call of league athletic directors this week. He said that league associate commissioner Michael Kelly has been working on “trying to set something up similar to what you had seen announced last Friday with the Southeastern Conference and the Big 12.”
6. The department will almost certainly schedule next year’s spring game for Friday, following the success of this year’s experiment. Radakovich said some things will need to be adjusted, but “I think it’s found a home.”
7. Following McCamish Pavilion, the renovation of the tennis facilities and possible work on the golf practice facilities, no more upgrades or builds are planned. The Bobby Dodd Dome will have to wait, apparently. (kidding)
Thanks for reading.
Ken Sugiura, Georgia Tech blog
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113 comments Add your comment
GT Lee
May 23rd, 2012
3:48 pm
gt4ever you are like the liitle guy from Gulliver’s Travels…..”We’re doooooomed, Gulliver….it’ll never work, Gulliver”…….change your name to uga4ever already, will ya?
gt4ever
May 23rd, 2012
4:00 pm
No GT Lee, I just have higher expectations…. You can sit back and accept mediocrity. I for one have never accepted this LOSER mentality that you seem to be ok with…. But hey, some body has to make the french fries!
BLT
May 23rd, 2012
4:19 pm
4ever, It would be great to have a stronger OOC schedule. That does not prevent me from pulling for my team.
BLT
May 23rd, 2012
4:20 pm
Ahhh french fries…
GT Lee
May 23rd, 2012
4:26 pm
“But hey, some body has to make the french fries!”
feel free to drop a basket, dude…say hello to WnE while you’re cooking that batch.
You really should support your team, not whine b*tch and moan like you have sand in your vag
GT Lee
May 23rd, 2012
4:28 pm
HighTech, we have another candidate for the All-Troll football coaching staff. gt4ever needs a job.
HighTech
May 23rd, 2012
4:32 pm
What do you have in mind for him GT Lee? I’m still trying to figure out if gt4ever is for real and thinks every year should be 1990 or if he is a bulldog in a killer bee costume.
GT Lee
May 23rd, 2012
4:34 pm
Can we make him Locker Room Janitor?
GT Lee
May 23rd, 2012
4:34 pm
or does it have to be an actual coaching position?
GT Lee
May 23rd, 2012
4:42 pm
preferably Visitors’ Locker Room
HighTech
May 23rd, 2012
4:44 pm
I’m reluctant to give gt4ever to Football Guru Gollum. The things he has written that I remember have been generally wishing for a better QB, better OL, and better defense. I think they are all valid wishes. He may just be a proud GT fan or alum that wants a MNC contender and football power in Atlanta. I don’t recall anything that would lump him in with the Fire CPJ Hate Everything About Tech dwagtroll crowd. I’m still willing to give him the benefit of the doubt until I read something different. Maybe by french fries he meant solid rocket boosters.
gt4ever
May 23rd, 2012
4:48 pm
HT,
I’m not delusional in thinking we should win every year… I just want to compete. At this point we are NOT competing…. IMHO, yours and GT lee’s will probably be different…
GT Lee
May 23rd, 2012
4:49 pm
so what do you think he meant by Loser Mentality?
GT Lee
May 23rd, 2012
4:50 pm
gt4ever I consider you to be WnE’s cousin
GTfan 2012
May 23rd, 2012
4:51 pm
gt4ever,
I want the best football team for GT, within reason. I don’t want to go to the SEC because we have higher academic standards and don’t oversign, so we would be at a competitive disadvantage. Why put yourself in a disadvantaged position, when you don’t have to. I am fine with staying in the ACC as long as the ACC maintains relevance… 5th best conference is ok with me, as long as we don’t slip any further. But we need to be ready to jump to the Big 10 if necessary. That’s my ideal scenario, jumping to the Big 10.
Supersize that order, mutt
May 23rd, 2012
4:52 pm
Trying to catch up here…..I will probably attribute some comments to the wrong poster, so I’ll just make general comments for the most part —-
@ old dog — although he stated some valid reasons for leaving the SEC (such as Bear dropping scholarship players setting a trend), Dodd was greedy and thought he could succeed without the SEC. Maybe HE could have, but then he retired leaving Tech holding the bag.
To whoever said Tech would not compete in basketball and would play to a half-empty coliseum, Cremins started with nothing too and look what he accomplished. And I guarantee you that the coliseum will not be half-empty next season. We have the makings of a good (not great, but good) team, and I like what I have seen of Gregory.
To whoever said CPJ would be a terrible interview, you have obviously never spoken with CPJ or heard him in an interview when asked intelligent questions. He is really a very engaging man, and he KNOWS college football. When he answers questions, he doesn’t beat around the bush, and sometimes comes across as brash. But so did O’Leary, and we all loved that. If CPJ produces a winner (and I believe he will), Tech fans will love CPJ’s interviews, and the mutts will hate him even more.
Supersize that order, mutt
May 23rd, 2012
4:55 pm
gt4ever, I’m with you on saying that Tech BELONGS in the SEC, and because, if nothing else, recruiting would improve considerably, I think within a couple of years, we would be in the upper half of the SEC east. I know you don’t agree, but I truly believe that CPJ can and will get it done, no matter what conference we are in.
HighTech
May 23rd, 2012
4:55 pm
Loser Mentality must be seeing 8-5 as an improvement over 7-6 with the expectation this year of being 9-4 or better. Winner Mentality apparently is competing for the MNC every year and being unhappy with anything less. Loser Mentality is competing for a conference championship every year with aspirations to build the program into a national contender. Loser Mentality is optimistic while Winner Mentality is pessimistic, although you would intuitively think the opposite is true.
Supersize that order, mutt
May 23rd, 2012
4:57 pm
@ GTfan 2012……to his credit, Richt does not oversign either, and the mutts remain competitive in the SEC. I’m glad he has such lousy assistants, or they might actually be at the top. That’s the only reason I can see for their not being there, considering all the talent they get every year. And that’s the last good thing I will say about UGA this year. LOL
GT Lee
May 23rd, 2012
4:59 pm
gt4ever you can always sell your soul to Nick Satan
WnE
May 23rd, 2012
6:04 pm
3. Radakovich said “it’s going to be very difficult” for Tech to play in the Chick-fil-A kickoff game. The primary obstacle is that when Syracuse and Pitt join the ACC (expected in 2013), league teams will play a nine-game schedule. With Tech committed to playing Georgia annually, Radakovich and coach Paul Johnson don’t want to pick up another BCS conference opponent.
Johnson did bring up something interesting. He apparently had a discussion with an ESPN representative at the league meetings who was curious what fans would think of playing the Georgia-Georgia Tech game early in the season (presumably in the Chick-fil-A kickoff game). He asked those attending the caravan event, and didn’t get much of a reaction.
______________
Validation & PROOF that what I wrote a few weeks ago about CPJ being the driving force behind GT playing “cupcake city” for their OOC schedule is clearly put forth in this article by Ken S.
Anyone that thinks that the ADs control OOC scheduling instead of the HCs is downright delusional.
CPJ doesn’t want to play a tougher OOC schedule at GT, he could care less about empty seats at home games, he has his contract and he’ll water down the schedule to keep his 8 wins vs. patsies in place as long as the GT fanbase will let him get away with it.
When you play the likes of Dook & Wake in conference and with the up & down nature of Md., BC, NCSU, UVa. you have to play tougher OOC opponents to get regional respect and to recruit better players.
CPJ is watering down GT FB as each year on his contract goes by.
The gap between us a UGA is getting bigger during a “bad era” for UGA FB, that right there should tell you something.
What DRAd forget to say is that some Conferences like the Pac-12 play 9 conference games anyway and have been doing so for YEARS, AND some of the their members have a “unwritten policy” of never playing D1-AA teams (UCLA & USCw).
Yet he acts like playing 9 ACC games makes GT’s schedule so unbearable.
With DRad & CPJ ,GT FB will soon become small potatoes in this region of the country where CFB is King.
GT fans need to ban together to try and save GT FB from what is happening right in front of our eyes.
GT fan
May 23rd, 2012
6:12 pm
WnE ……..
When GT wins 9+ games in 2012, just what are we TRUE GT fans going to be saving the FB program from?
FL Jacket
May 23rd, 2012
6:14 pm
Darius Commissiong – Commit #4
6′3″ 305 3-star DT with offers from Iowa, VT, and WVU amongst others. He’s from that DC private school league we’ve had luck in getting Louis Young and Jeremiah Attaochu from…
GT Lee
May 23rd, 2012
6:52 pm
WnE, STFU……you are a LIAR, a COWARD, a HYPOCRITE. and YOU STALK TEENAGE RECRUITS. No one cares what you have to say you POS.
www wrote...
May 23rd, 2012
6:56 pm
…”not to worry, ptcdwag, uga doesn’t have to worry about the logistics of a playoff for the next few decades. 1981 was how many years ago?”
Actually, it was 31 years ago, but that still is not long enough, since UGA won the 1980 MNC…DOH…
S'paw_99
May 23rd, 2012
7:05 pm
I completely agree w/ Old Dog & Supersize. I’ve been saying all along if we’re gonna play a I-AA, play Southern b/c they will actually bring fans, at least 5K, while the crappy one’s we’ve been playing don’t even bring 1,000.
Supersize that order, mutt
May 23rd, 2012
7:15 pm
@ S’paw_99……hell, even some of the ACC teams we play don’t bring that many fans
GT GRAD
May 23rd, 2012
7:15 pm
The BCS strength of schedule issue is easily resolved………..simply change the computer rankings to exclude the results from any games against teams ranked outside of the Top 100 AND instruct the poll voters to ignore any wins against teams ranked outside of the Top 100!
Problem resolved.
Most teams would still play one “out-of-conference” game each season against a team ranked outside of the Top 100……….Florida, Alabama, Boise State and several other schools would be forced to make SERIOUS changes. Teams willing to be bold might schedule 12 teams ranked in the Top 100; risk reward baby!!
Bonus: Teams ranked by Sagarin between 90-110………the late season games will draw more interest because the final ranking for these teams will actually matter! Yes, we are talking about Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Mississippi, Duke, etc.
George Stein
May 23rd, 2012
9:09 pm
Validation & PROOF that what I wrote a few weeks ago about CPJ being the driving force behind GT playing “cupcake city” for their OOC schedule is clearly put forth in this article by Ken S.
Anyone that thinks that the ADs control OOC scheduling instead of the HCs is downright delusional.
Work on your reading comprehension and then get back to us. If you want the face of delusional, look in the mirror, WnE.
George Stein
May 23rd, 2012
9:11 pm
The gap between us a UGA is getting bigger during a “bad era” for UGA FB, that right there should tell you something.
UGA is going through their longest period of sustained success in their history. But, by all means, don’t let facts get in your way.
Jacket Time
May 23rd, 2012
10:16 pm
Yes! Chik-fil-a kickoff vs Doggie doo doo would be great! They get better as the year goes on as we get worse. There are so many seasons where if we would have played them 1st game we totally would have won. Our players have real classes to study for and get overwhelmed as the season progresses plus we don’t have any depth where doggie doo has depth and players have basket weaving exams. A first game of the season matchup at full strength would sure make this rivalry less lopsided. Please do it!!!!!!!!!!
Paul in NH
May 23rd, 2012
11:00 pm
“When you play the likes of Dook & Wake in conference and with the up & down nature of Md., BC, NCSU, UVa. you have to play tougher OOC opponents to get regional respect and to recruit better players”
Let me see – GT plays WF, MD, BC and NCSU 2x a piece every 5 years. Those 8 games in the last 5 years are exactly the same number as the games against SEC schools. Perhaps GT needs to replace these schools with Vandy, UK, Ole Miss, MSU and Missouri, but that would give them UGA’s schedule.
Supersize that order, mutt
May 23rd, 2012
11:22 pm
@ GT66…….yes, I am here, although you have probably gone by now. I emailed you 3 weeks ago. Did you get it?
old dog
May 24th, 2012
8:21 am
@Supersize,
You missed one little item….yes we recruit talent EXCEPT for superior o-linemen, which is what has kept us out of the upper level! Our line is terrible at run-blocking, average to below average at pass-protection, and just not the o-line you gotta have to win in the SEC. Yeah, we get some studs in most places and the line will (hopefully) improve. But the game is, was, and always will start at the line of scrimmage, and until our folks realize that little nugget and recruit (and keep) the top linemen, we will beat the bad teams and lose to the good ones. LSU, Michigan State, and Boise State whipped us so badly up front it was terrible. Not outsmarted or or anything else…just good old-fashioned butt-whippin’s up front! And yes, we get one drafted sometimes, but as an overall unit we just cannot out-recruit Alabama, LSU, etc. to get to that next level………..
Birmingham Jacket
May 24th, 2012
8:26 am
D-Rad lucky to have a job after his costing us our ACC Championship banner.
Beat UGA
May 24th, 2012
8:30 am
If the State builds the deadbeat (IMHO) Falcons a new football stadium at taxpayers expense, the least the State can do is give the existing Georgia Dome to Georgia Tech for use as their home football stadium!
Mark
May 24th, 2012
8:39 am
big 10 will want gt
WnE
May 24th, 2012
8:39 am
re:
Paul in NH
May 23rd, 2012
11:00 pm
“When you play the likes of Dook & Wake in conference and with the up & down nature of Md., BC, NCSU, UVa. you have to play tougher OOC opponents to get regional respect and to recruit better players”
Let me see – GT plays WF, MD, BC and NCSU 2x a piece every 5 years. Those 8 games in the last 5 years are exactly the same number as the games against SEC schools. Perhaps GT needs to replace these schools with Vandy, UK, Ole Miss, MSU and Missouri, but that would give them UGA’s schedule.
_____________
Paul you’re making this too easy for me.
Even with Vandy & Kentucky & Mizzou and the rotation of the Miss. Schools, UGA still plays Tenn, USCe, Florida, Auburn EACH year along with GT and the new rotation will include Texas A&M, LSU, Arky, or Bama.
Tenn, USCe, Auburn & Florida are made for TV rivalry-level games, as long as the teams in those games come into those games with 4-2 or 5-2 Records or better, those games will always get 3:30pm or 7-7:45pm Prime Time TV slots that RECRUITS pay attention to, can you say that about GT-UNC or GT-Clemson.
For you to try to make our GT schedule seem like it is on par with what UGA plays is a huge stretch on your part.
Most seasons UGA plays 4 big time rivalry games minimum WITHOUT GT considered, some seasons they will play up to 6 big time rivalry games if LSU or Arky cycles in, most seasons GT will play ONE big-time rivalry game if you leave out UGA.
Sorry Paul, there is no comparison in our schedule to UGA’s schedule even in years like the last 2 where UGA’s schedule has been “down”.
Tom
May 24th, 2012
9:00 am
Ken, I see where GT just signed the #1-ranked junior golfer.
You should mention it somewhere, seeing as how if it even shows up in Carvell’s column, it would undoubtedly get bumped within minutes by moving an older ugag-related article above it.
Birmingham Jacket
May 24th, 2012
9:08 am
@Mark
GT to Big 10 is the way to go.
The ACC sucks.
5150 UOAD
May 24th, 2012
9:13 am
WHY would TECH want the Ga Dome?
The Ga Dome is the home field for GSU and the State doesn’t OWN the Ga Dome.
Beat UGA do some more “thinking” on that
Joel
May 24th, 2012
10:04 am
AD Radokovich said in the AJC that “GA Tech has absolutely not talked to the B12 about joining”.
I believe him.
Why would the B12 want Ga Tech other than our large TV market?
That’s the only reason. Ga Tech is not a desired commodity in college football.
GTfan 2012
May 24th, 2012
10:52 am
Joel,
Why would we want the Big 12? They haven’t even proven that they can keep their conference together. And they are essentially run by Texas, with good reason… if you take Texas out of the Big 12, they are not any better than the Big (L)East. Tell me what is the appeal of the Big 12?
Game changer | Get The Picture
May 24th, 2012
1:32 pm
[...] still my heart. The ACC is apparently pursuing something I mocked the other day, according to Tech AD Dan Radakovich. Regarding a possible bowl alliance for the ACC champion, Radakovich said that will be a topic of [...]
S'paw_99
May 24th, 2012
1:35 pm
Supersize, excellent point, several of our ACC opponents don’t travel worth a crap either. And I know Southern is one of the best traveling I-AA’s in the country. I remember a couple of years ago in the playoffs, they played at Wofford and had way more fans their than Wofford, it may have almost been 2-1 GSU. I heard that Bama fans last year commented on and were impressed by how well GSU traveled.
Mike
May 24th, 2012
2:01 pm
Well that certainly isnt a denial of expansion or leaving, similar to FSU. ACC needs to decide what it wants to be…a football or basketball conference. Its leaning basketball again with additions of Syracuse and Pittsburgh. All the football pressure is being placed at the feet of a few schools, and they are getting tired of it. A move to the Big 12 takes the pressure off, brings in more revenue, and places them in a like-minded conference. Tech, Clemson, Va Tech, and FSU would be crazy to not want to be there.
5150 UOAD
May 24th, 2012
2:07 pm
Mike VPI and GIT are continually at the top of their division so why exactly WHY would they want to leave again?
FSU can’t win the ACC so what the hell are they going to do against Texas? Clemson is getting it legs again and should be fighting for division crowns regularly now too.
1 4 GT
May 24th, 2012
2:34 pm
gollum spits out his total lack of respect and his abject hatred of CPJ every time he posts on this blog. gollum accuses CPJ of destroying GT’s football program. gollum says CPJ doesn’t care about winning. gollum implies that CPJ is not a competitive man. But, you can watch GT play a game and see CPJ’s competitive nature through his reactions to on field happenings. They show a lot of the competitive nature needed to be a successful football coach. CPJ sees the other coaches making these huge paydays that double his, or more. Does gollum not think CPJ would rather get a new contract with a nice raise or be fired? gollum claims CPJ schedules “cupcake” OOC games to boost his image. Every team has “cupcakes”, even the very few that don’t schedule them intentionally. Is gollum that blind or what? I too want more success for GT, way more that gollum’s puny brain. I too have been disappointed at times in the results of GT’s & CPJ’s results. Hell, I was disappointed in CBD”s results too, at times. But unlike gollum, I see strides towards improvement. I guess gollum calls the recent commits “unELITE RECRUITS”. I just hope like the dickens gollum goes away. gollum is nothing but an obnoxious little dweeb. And I’m being kind. I could go on, but what’s the point. I just gotta say something back to gollum from time to time.
GTfan 2012
May 24th, 2012
2:49 pm
Mike, I’ll just make one point. The Big 12 has lost teams while the ACC has added teams in the past two years. That tells me everything I need to know about the Big 12.
testing ™
May 24th, 2012
3:11 pm
Go tech.