The idea of relegation in college football has been a hot topic of discussion lately, especially in the Pac-12. Relegation is a system used in many professional sports leagues where teams are moved up or down to different divisions based on their performance. This system has been used in Europe for decades, but could it ever come to college football?
The Pac-12 Mailbag recently addressed this question, and the consensus seems to be that it is unlikely that relegation will be implemented in college football. The main reason for this is that college football is a much different game than professional sports. College football teams are made up of student-athletes, and the goal of the sport is to give them an opportunity to get an education and compete at the highest level. Relegation would likely take away from that goal, as teams could be relegated to lower divisions and lose out on the chance to compete for a national championship.
Another issue with relegation is that it could create an uneven playing field. If teams are relegated based on their performance, then it could lead to some teams having an advantage over others. This could lead to teams with more resources having a better chance of staying in the top division, while teams with fewer resources would be relegated and have a harder time competing.
Finally, there is the issue of fairness. If teams are relegated based on their performance, then it could lead to some teams being unfairly punished. For example, if a team has a bad season due to injuries or other factors, then they could be unfairly relegated even though they may have had a good season the previous year.
Overall, it seems unlikely that relegation will come to college football anytime soon. While it may be a popular idea among some fans, it could lead to some unintended consequences that could hurt the sport in the long run. For now, it looks like college football will remain as it is, with teams competing for a national championship each year.
