Following in the footsteps of college football, the NCAA and CBS will preview the March Madness rankings a month ahead of time. In other news, ESPN has received its first-ever Academy Award nomination, and the Poinsettia Bowl is ending.
CBS to Air NCAA Tournament Rankings Preview
- CBS will televise an NCAA Tournament rankings show on February 11, it was announced Tuesday, marking the first time the NCAA has offered a preview of the tournament bracket during the season. During the show, which will be hosted by Greg Gumbel with analysts Clark Kellogg and Seth Davis, the top four teams in each region at that point of the season will revealed. (CBS and Turner Sports)
ESPN Gets Oscar Nod For O.J. Doc
- The five-part 30 For 30 documentary O.J.: Made in America has been nominated for the best documentary Academy Award, the first ever Oscar nomination for ESPN. At 467 minutes total, it is the longest-ever documentary to ever be nominated in the category. Though 30 For 30 is a television series, the documentary qualified for the Oscars because it had a brief theatrical run. (Variety 1.24)
Poinsettia Bowl Ending After 12 Years
- The San Diego-based Poinsettia Bowl has been discontinued after 12 years, the first college football bowl game to go under since the Little Caesar’s Bowl in Detroit (since replaced by the Quick Lane Bowl in the same location). The game’s organizers made the decision so as to focus on the other bowl they operate, the Holiday Bowl — which itself has been thrown into flux by the in the NFL Chargers’ relocation to Los Angeles and the possible close of Qualcomm Stadium. (NBC San Diego 1.25)
