• Loading stock data...
Friday, November 22, 2024

Michigan’s Championship Caps Four-Team College Football Playoff Era

  • It’s unclear whether a 12-team model will fix the controversy over who’s in and who’s out.
  • The CFP’s deal with ESPN rakes in between $400 million and $500 million per year.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

On Monday night in Houston, Michigan’s 34-13 triumph over Washington brought the four-team College Football Playoff era to a close.

When the four-team structure began, the CFP didn’t have a staff or an office, let alone a selection committee, according to executive director Bill Hancock, who has presided over the Playoff since its inception in 2014. “We didn’t own a copy machine,” he tells Front Office Sports with a laugh.

The four-team model was an expansion of the postseason that gave classic bowl games new meaning. Hancock knew it would be successful—but perhaps not this successful. “It’s been everything we hoped it would be,” he says.

  • The CFP’s media contract with ESPN rakes in between $400 million and $500 million per year.
  • As a result, schools receive a total of up to $500 million a year.
  • The games draw monstrous ratings—even last year’s blowout Georgia win ranked as the 78th most-watched program in all of television.

The four-team system wasn’t without controversy. In many instances, fans decried the lack of parity in allowing just four programs out of more than 100 into any postseason that mattered. That criticism reached a crescendo this year when the CFP’s Selection Committee, made up of independent members, chose to give Alabama the fourth slot instead of undefeated ACC champions Florida State. 

The backlash was swift and harsh. Fans sent profanity-laced, threatening emails to committee members, Hancock told reporters on Monday. Both local and national Florida lawmakers attacked the result. FSU, for its part, mentioned the decision as a key reason the school intended to sue to get out of the ACC.

It’s unclear whether a 12-team model will fix the controversy over who’s in and who’s out. It will surely allow for more parity, provide campuses with the opportunity to host games for the first time, and perhaps even give multiple networks a chance to broadcast college football’s crown jewel.

Just one year away, the CFP still has several major details to iron out, but Hancock isn’t concerned. The advent of the BCS championship and the creation of the four-team playoff were “bigger steps,” he says. “Getting people to come together that hadn’t come together before … that was the biggest leap of all.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Rays $1.3B Ballpark Plans Stalled by Bond Delays, Hurricane Fallout

St. Petersburg officials vote to delay bonds for a new ballpark.
Nov 16, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; McLaren F1 Team driver Oscar Piastri of Australia (81) during free practice at Las Vegas Strip Circuit.

F1 Welcomes Second Chapter of Polarizing Las Vegas Grand Prix

Both championship battles have yet to be clinched entering the Las Vegas race, which was not the case last year.

Old Rivals, New Stakes: Notre Dame and Army to Clash in Yankee..

The two schools are playing for the first time since 2016.
A photo of Around the Horn's set

‘Around the Horn’ to End 23-Year ESPN Run in 2025

ESPN had reportedly been thinking of canceling the show since the summer.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

What’s Next for Hapless Jets?

0:00

Featured Today

Nov 18, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Williams Racing driver Logan Sargeant of the United States (2) during the Las Vegas Grand Prix at Las Vegas Strip Circuit.

F1 Grand Prix Upended Vegas Last Year. Stakes Are High for Its..

Stakes are high as F1 gears up for a successful second act.
Classic Football Shirts New York Pop-Up
November 18, 2024

Vintage Soccer Jerseys Have Found a Sweet Spot in the Lucrative U.S...

The money-making shirts are at the prime intersection of memorabilia and fashion.
Nov 13, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) reacts after fouling Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (not pictured) during the second half at Madison Square Garden.
opinion
November 16, 2024

NBA Ratings Rorschach Test: Buy the Dip

Was it the election? Too many threes? Lack of storylines?
November 15, 2024

Executive Decision: When Richard Nixon Named a College Football Champion

In 1969, the 37th president unilaterally named the winner of the season.
Nov 16, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders looks on before the game against the Utah Utes at Folsom Field.
November 20, 2024

Prime Time: Colorado Now Favored to Win Big 12, Eyes CFP Berth

Colorado is No. 16 in the latest CFP rankings.
Geno Auriemma
November 20, 2024

Geno Auriemma Becomes All-Time Winningest NCAA Basketball Coach

He took the record from Tara VanDerveer, who set it in January.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
November 20, 2024

Sparks Turn to College Ranks: Utah’s Lynne Roberts Named Head Coach

The Atlanta Dream hired Karl Smesko last week.
November 18, 2024

Louisiana Governor’s PAC Paid for Controversial LSU Tiger

Jeff Landry’s backers funded the tiger that appeared at Alabama-LSU.
November 18, 2024

The WBD-NBA Settlement’s Ripple Effect on College Sports

WBD’s networks will air Big 12 football and men’s basketball games.
Sen. Ted Cruz is introduced by former President Donald Trump at a rally at Million Air, a private airplane terminal at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Friday October 25, 2024.
November 15, 2024

Sen. Ted Cruz Promises College Sports Bill As Commerce Chair

The NCAA could be one step closer to its goals in Congress.