Group of Five debate: Should there be a separate playoff for certain G5 teams?
New University of Memphis athletic director Ed Scott speaks at a June 28 press conference announcing his arrival. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)
The idea is intriguing: a separate postseason opportunity for Group of Five programs that don’t earn the right to tussle with the big boys in the newly expanded 12-team College Football Playoff.
Tim Pernetti, the American Athletic Conference’s first-year commissioner, thinks it’s worth discussing. His push is for an additional playoff for the other four Group of Five conference champions who aren’t selected for the CFP.
Tony Barnhart, a veteran college football sportswriter, loves the thought of it — Ed Scott, the new Memphis Tigers athletic director, not so much.
Topics
Memphis Tigers Football Ed Scott American Athletic Conference Group of Five Subscriber OnlyThank you for supporting local journalism.
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Tim Buckley
Tim is a veteran sportswriter who graduated from CBHS in Memphis and the University of Missouri. He previously covered LSU sports in Baton Rouge, and the University of Louisiana football and basketball for The Daily Advertiser/USA TODAY Network in Lafayette, the NBA’s Utah Jazz for the Deseret News in Salt Lake City, the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning for the St. Petersburg Times in Florida, and West Texas State basketball for the Amarillo Globe News in Texas.
Frank Bonner II
Frank Bonner is the Memphis Tigers football beat writer. He is originally from Indiana but arrived in Memphis after spending two years in Tulsa, covering Oklahoma State football and basketball. He covered high school sports in Columbus, Indiana for two years before getting his Master’s degree in Sports Journalism at IUPUI. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in journalism from Indiana University.
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