Weekly Column: Lets Improve the College Football Playoff (CFP)

California Sports Lawyer® Founder and Managing Attorney Jeremy M. Evans column about the need for change in the College Football Playoff (CFP) process, selection, and placement.

You can read the full column below. (Past columns can be found, here).

The College Football Playoff (CFP) needs an update. The CFP needs to be more like the NCAA’s March Madness for basketball. The audacity of such a statement!

The CFP met last week outside Dallas, Texas, with changes to the format and playoff in mind. This column will address some of the major changes that are needed to allow the CFP to survive and thrive for years to come. Many have raised concerns with the CFP over the years and in light of an anticipated House settlement related to NIL, there is no better time than the present.

First, the CFP should consider expanding the field from 12 to 16 teams. The move to 16 teams will allow for Power Four of Five automatic bids for conference winners, plus two additional non-Power Four or Five schools, and of course some second and third place teams in the top conferences. The additional teams will add more parity and competition to the field. The automatic bids could also include two or more bye teams that can skip the first round for playing so well during the regular season and conference playoffs and championship. As the CFP expands in teams, there will also be a call to expand the payout to college athletes.

Second, there needs to be more transparency in the process. The CFP committee decisions need to be transparent as to how the selection was made and what qualifications were considered. Disclosing the name and exact vote is not proper because of the issues of safety and neutrality. However, how the decision was made and what rules or points it was based upon is important for neutrality, transparency, and fairness. The above is similar to how the NCAA committee chooses the March Madness participants. There is also the need of using analytics, data, and artificial intelligence to compliment and serve as a check on bias (assuming the AI system is not trained in bias) when making decisions on school selection.

Third, as much as travel length has become an issue with conference realignment, there needs to be more home games at the higher ranked team stadium. This would increase attendance (especially among the most local fans who may not be able to travel), reward higher seeds with home-field advantage, and allow for more revenue for the schools playing. It utilizes the existing stadiums in college football that are full of tradition and familiar to teams and the players. Playing home games would also be easier to schedule than in NFL stadiums. Geography can also help by scheduling teams that are close to each to reduce travel time especially in the early rounds with the later rounds and National Championship being played at Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Peach Bowl, and Fiesta Bowl, etc.

Fourth, there can also be a second-tier tournament for the teams outside the top 16 teams, but within the top 25 that allows for a champion in that category. This will generate more excitement and dollars. The additional attention and goal of a trophy will lead to more viewers for advertisers as well. To compliment all of the above, there could also be a selection show that highlighted the transparency, commentated on the possible and actual selections, and increase viewership and interest. It could become a major fan experience at home stadiums around the country.

About Jeremy M. Evans:

Jeremy M. Evans is the Chief Entrepreneur Officer, Founder & Managing Attorney at California Sports Lawyer®, representing entertainment, media, and sports clients in contractual, intellectual property, and dealmaking matters. Evans is an award-winning attorney and industry leader based in Los Angeles and Newport Beach, California. He can be reached at Jeremy@CSLlegal.com. www.CSLlegal.com.