NCAA Conference Commissioners are considering the possibility of adding another game to be part of the semifinal rotation for the new college football playoff. The postseason plan approved by university presidents in June called for the national semifinals to rotate among six bowl sites. In the years those sites do not host semifinal games, there would be marquee bowl games, involving other highly ranked teams. There are numerous details still be worked before the format is implemented in 2014, including the composition of the selection committee that will pick the playoff participants, site of the first championship game and the all important revenue distribution.That is correct; a committee will make the selection, not a computer.
BCS Executive Director Bill Hancock said “The first championship game is still 28 months away. So, the highest priorities are going to have to go to the television contract and site selection,” he added that ESPN has a one-month exclusive negotiating window. Although requests for proposals won’t go out until November, Hancock said numerous cities have informally expressed interest. He said the process will likely be similar to the one used to pick the site of the NCAA’s Final Four.
Two of the sites are set. The Rose Bowl, long the destination for the Big Ten and Pac-12 champions, is in. The Orange Bowl, which recently agreed to a long-term deal with the Atlantic Coast Conference, is in. The Orange Bowl matchup in the new playoff era has been finalized. The ACC Champion will play the highest-ranked team among Notre Dame and available teams from the SEC and Big Ten beginning after the 2014 season.
The site of the brand new bowl between the Big 12 and Southeastern Conference will also be in the semifinal rotation. Those leagues are expected to make a choice between Atlanta, Houston, Arlington, Texas, and New Orleans next month. The Superdome in New Orleans, the site of the Sugar Bowl, and Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, the home of the Cotton Bowl, are the leading candidates.
The playoff now looks a lot like the BCS with most of the money going to the PAC-12, Big Ten, SEC, ACC and Big 12. Revenues from the national semis, championship game and three open or “access” bowls- will be shared by the 10 FBS Conferences and Notre Dame. Unlike the current BCS, there will be no limit on the number of teams from a single conference to fill the 12 available slots. Those 12 schools will be selected by a human committee.
The end result of all these changes will make the finale of the college football season more interesting for the players and fans and also make more money for the universities involved.
