On Wednesday morning, many Americans awoke to a result that they simply couldn’t accept. Didn’t think was fair. Wasn’t representative of the efforts over the last several weeks. On the other hand, there’s a bunch of folks who think we’re finally on the right track. And these groups couldn’t see things more differently.
I’m talking, of course, of the release of the first college football playoff rankings, which were released late Tuesday night for anyone who noticed it. And while this may be hard for most this listening audience to grasp, there is a part of the American population that hardly acknowledged the election cycle last weekend but was fully engaged in the Florida/Georgia game. Having fairly strong interest in both competitive pursuits, I can only say that they are equally destructive to your emotional health. Especially if you’re a Gator fan.
For the unaware, the College Football Playoff has entered a brave new world this year, moving from four teams to 12. And while that seems like it might make things easier, as there’d be fewer truly worthy teams that believe they got unfairly left out – turns out the 13th and 14th teams could be as upset as the 5th and 6th. Right now, those just on the outside looking in are SMU, followed by three teams from the dominant SEC – Texas A&M, LSU, and Ole Miss. Currently the top 12 includes four teams from the SEC, four from the Big 10, and one team each from the ACC, Big 12, Mountain West representing the small schools, and independent Notre Dame. Remember, this is just a first list with several weeks of football left to go. But it gives you a flavor of what’s to come. Lots of SEC and Big 10 – otherwise, you better win your conference. As a fun sidenote, Army is ranked 25th despite being 8-0. One of those things is definitely going to change after their game against Notre Dame on the 23rd.
Moving to 12 teams is part of the widespread increased professionalization of college football. It follows the far quicker than expected proliferation of name, image, and likeness contracts and the unstoppable realignment of conferences. All of these done to best position programs and their universities to have the best shot at making money – with the exception of perhaps SMU, which has agreed to getting zero television dollars for the right to join the ACC. Thus is the benefit of having wealthy boosters willing and able to find a spare hundred million to make up the difference. But with a 12-team playoff, universities are beginning to find new ways to maximize the vast viewership potential of college sports, something that had been underleveraged throughout the bowl era. Just to show how trickle down policy works, even the Ivy League is considering a proposal to allow it’s teams to compete in the lower tier FCS playoffs for the first time in the 79-year history of the conference. I understand there’s a significant gap between Alabama/Ohio State and Dartmouth taking a road trip to South Dakota. But when it comes to college football, the only direction is up.
I won’t comment on whether I think the committee has the right 12 teams, which doesn’t even matter. And no matter who they choose in the end, there’s going to be a few teams who are furious at their perceived slight – just like there are every year after the college basketball selection show. But what is interesting and important about this year’s playoff and the process leading up to it is the impact it’s going to have on the future of the game and college sports in general. If we do inevitably end up with eight or more teams coming from two athletic conference, which we likely will, and it does end up being the economic tsunami it likely will be, then it’s not hard to get to the logical end game. Where college sports was once pseudo-professional, a robust playoff from two power conferences with athletes that earn enough to drive the same cars as their coaches is more than pseudo. It’s the real thing. And that’s not a value judgement – it’s just a fact.
Which means that getting from 13 to 12 in the rankings and perhaps finding your way into one of the two power leagues is more than just a game. It’s a decision with real consequence. That, I’m certain, is something we’re all familiar with right about now.
Keith Strudler is the Dean of the School of Communication and Media at Montclair State University. You can follow him at @KeithStrudler
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