ESPN and the NFL want the College Football Playoff to adjust its future schedule.
Sports Business Journal reported Monday that ESPN is pressuring the College Football Playoff to shift next year’s semifinals from December 31 to January 2, hoping to avoid the depressed ratings associated with the New Year’s Eve holiday. The three New Year’s Eve games last season — the Peach, Fiesta and Orange — each hit multi-year lows in ratings and/or viewership.
According to the report, playoff officials are resisting the change. CFP executive director Bill Hancock said the organization was unwilling to move away from what he called “a new tradition” (SBJ, 1/26).
The future College Football Playoff schedules have been set for more than a year, with the semifinals scheduled for New Year’s Eve in eight of the twelve seasons. Only in years when the Rose and Sugar bowls host the semifinals are the games scheduled for New Year’s Day. ESPN, it should be noted, is only seeking to move next year’s games to January 2.
The NFL is also seeking to get the schedule changed. If the league expands its playoffs, as has been rumored for some time, it would likely schedule one of the games for a Monday night — potentially competing with the College Football National Championship Game. Hancock told Sports Business Journal that the CFP title game has been set for Monday night since the playoff was first announced in 2012 and indicated there was no interest in changing.
Given the likelihood that the NFL will expand its playoffs at some point over the next 12 years, it may be the case that NFL playoff games and the CFB championship air head-to-head.
(Mon. news from Sports Business Journal)
