re: The reason the Playoffs will NEVER expand

quote:

---

Friendly fire - but it must be done. National 30-second ads during the Birmingham Bowl were going for as little as $5200 as late as the day of the game

---

You're reaching here. Most of the ads were sold in advance to national advertisers at their contract rate, well above that amount. A handful still being available at essentially a pickup rate is not that uncommon, especially for a daytime show.

ESPN's average is only $31k per slot, and that includes primetime spots, playoffs, and MNF.

Look, I know you don't want to believe me, but I spent many years in the media industry. There is a reason that cable networks, streaming sites, and ESPN produce their own content now, and there's a reason that the ESPN Events arm of the company is still adding to it's ownership of bowl games. There is still profit in it, Unlike the NBA, and Monday Night Football, even if an individual game or two falls below the profitability threshhold.

Which is why they will do home field advantage for the first round of playoffs. Fans can’t afgord to travel to Miami and then Santa Clara for these games. Home field for 1-4 ensures the stadiums will be full at least for those four games.

Also the regular season will have to be shrunk by a game or two. These guys are still students and the weeks off after regular season they have finals and what not. 16 games is too much for 17-22 yr olds who have student obligations as well.

quote:

---

I vote for 6. 5-6 play first game at 5s home field.

---

You’re confusing me Herman.

What’s worse is that I agree with Jacknola.

quote:

---

They are loss leaders for the entire College Football package

---

Except that they aren't part of the package.

The shitty bowls are self created content. Even the Birmingham bowl has roughly $1 million in sponsorships, $500k from the city, maybe $750k for advertising, and well in excess of $1 million in ticket sales. That is easily more than enough to cover the $1.95m payout, plus the minimal (relatively) cost of production. The costs for talent, equipment, etc., are already sunk. They don't even have to lease the venue.

If any games are losing money, it's the mid tier between the shitty ones and the playoffs that ESPN doesn't own.

quote:

---

Expanding the Playoffs will damage College Football.

---

I agree with this completely.

quote:

---

That price for half of a Suite for a game of this magnitude proves College Football is in trouble.

---

Or, it proves that, like all other content in the media, whether news or entertainment, that people are no longer willing to pay for it and alternate revenue streams will continue to be introduced.

quote:

---

Most seasons there are not eight teams with the record and power credentials to deserve to be in the CFPO conversation.

---

I agree with this 1,000%.

quote:

---

...and do away with conference championship games

---

This will never happen. They make too much money.

quote:

---

Will lead to ever more NFL prospects opting out of ever larger portions of their last season because their team cannot make the final eight.

---

Actually, the reverse might happen. Twice as many teams will be in the playoffs, so instead of 4 teams being immune to people dropping out, there will be at least eight.

Personally, I don't care if players opt out of the bowls. Even if you have 100 players sit out...equivalent to more than the entire first three rounds of the draft...which you probably never have...that's an average of less than two players per bowl team. And really, who gives a shite whether or not Will Grier played? 84 other kids played. They got 20 more days of practice. Fans still got to watch their teams play teams they normally don't play. Diehard fans still got to travel to a different destination. Will Grier not playing didn't affect whether or not I was going to watch that game.

Not saying you are wrong but other reasons probably are more correct

#1 B1G and PAC have lots of eyeballs but the Rose Bowl has been marginalized as neither conference has created multiple MNC winners.

#2 Money is getting stupid and fewer folks with that kind of dough

#3 Average kids no longer play football as kids, this catches up as they age

#4 Schools get fewer tickets and more go to scalpers who have no rooting interest

oh they are expanding. just a matter of when. i'd think if they expand, it will possibly include some on campus games

If playoff were to expand, they should give top 4 seeds homeland during first round. Doing this might help keep regular season just has important as it is now, and prevent coaches from sitting players during season ending season rivalry games and such. Regardless, I think 4 teams is right number of teams rewarded and no matter the number, someone will always feel left out.

NFL