There really is just no good excuse for the College Football Playoff semifinals taking a back seat to other bowls, writes DanWolken.
But shortly before the conference commissioners hashed out the details, when there was still some uncertainty about how the system would work, the Big Ten and Pac 12 worked to extend their Rose Bowl deal with ESPN that locked them in to a 4 p.m. Eastern kickoff every year through 2026. In response, the SEC moved to a guarantee place for its top-ranked team that didn’t make the Playoff and created an SEC-Big 12 “Champions Bowl.
But rather than renegotiate the contracts to make sure the semifinals were always going to be on New Year’s Day, the CFP ceded to the interests of the Big Ten and SEC and let the Rose and Sugar stay in their time slots. That meant the semifinals would be on New Year’s Day once out of every three years and New Year’s Eve the other two years of the cycle.
But here's the reality of the situation: When the semifinals have been on New Year's Day, lots of people watch. When they’re not, the ratings dip. Last year, in fact, the Rose Bowl between Washington and Ohio State nearly had as many viewers as the two Playoff games.
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