Autonomy will continue to separate the haves and the have-nots, and SMU head coach June Jones has a plan for the have-nots: play in the spring.

The NCAA announced plans last Friday for a new governance that could further the chasm between the Power Five conference teams and the smaller conferences. And when asked about autonomy and how it will impact smaller conferences – like that of SMU’s American Athletic Conference, Jones thinks the smaller conferences should play in the spring.

“I think the have-nots should go ahead and move to the spring just like the USFL did. I think that there’s an opportunity to do a complete other side of that division, and I think that if we don’t think that way as a group of have-nots, we’re going to get left behind,” Jones told Tampa, Fla., radio station WDAE. “I can see in five-to-seven years, possibly, the public would demand to have the two leagues play, just like I think the USFL had in mind, originally, of the winner of the USFL playing the winner of the National Football League.”

That would largely mean three more months of college football.

Jones was an assistant coach in the USFL for two seasons, and that wasn’t close to being a ‘successful’ business model.

Jones’ suggestion would essentially fall into line with Nick Saban’s idea that all power conference teams should only play each other, and it would end the smaller schools receiving massive paychecks to play the bigger schools. Is there enough demand for college football like June says?

The smaller conference commissioners have absolutely zero interest in moving in that direction, via ESPN.

MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher: “I have not reviewed this concept with our membership but I cannot imagine we would support such a concept.”

Mountain West Conference commissioner Craig Thompson: “There is no chance.”

American Athletic Conference commissioner Mike Aresco: “We have no interest in doing that and have no plans to discuss or look into it. Our position is clear. We are an integral part of the fabric of FBS college football. Our conference is and will be extremely competitive and our goal is to play at the highest level, compete for playoff and host bowl spots and challenge the Power Five. We want to be in the power conference conversation and, sooner than later, be regarded as the sixth power conference.”

The response wasn’t just no, but a resounding ‘no chance’. It sounds like this idea really won’t even be considered.