The College Football Playoff’s New Year’s Eve experiment could be coming to an end.
CFP spokesperson Bill Hancock told media at SEC Media Days on Wednesday the Playoff was “exploring” the idea of moving games off New Year’s Eve.
“We’re exploring if there’s a better [date] for the semifinals,” Hancock said via ESPN. “We’re thinking about if New Year’s Eve is the way to go.”
[Wetzel: Dumbest part of College Football Playoff may soon be history]
Per ESPN, any date change wouldn’t happen until after the 2018 season.
The most recent semifinals were played on New Year’s Eve and television ratings for the games were down nearly 40 percent from the inaugural College Football Playoff at the conclusion of the 2014 season. The first semifinals were played on New Year’s Day.
The semifinals for the playoff at the end of the upcoming season (The Peach Bowl and Fiesta Bowl) are again scheduled for December 31, a Saturday.
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The reason the semifinals are on New Year’s Eve two out of every three seasons is simple. And stupid. As part of the agreement for the Playoff, the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl, the hosts of the inaugural semifinals, are always played on January 1 (unless it’s a Sunday like after this season) while the other four CFP bowls rotate around the schedule of those two.
But more viewers equals more money the CFP can charge for advertising dollars. And as much as the CFP would like to tout the tradition of the Rose and Sugar Bowls, we all know the Playoff is about money. Given that it’ll likely be more lucrative for the Playoff to play the semifinals on January 1 whenever possible, don’t be surprised when the move off New Year’s Eve becomes official.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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