HOOVER, Ala. — In a second-floor ballroom at the Hyatt Regency, Greg Sankey opened SEC media days by addressing the many elephants in the room.
There we were talking about vaccination and the new variant of COVID-19. There has been talk of a change in the NCAA and name, image and likeness. We talked about the Supreme Court, Congress and enforcement.
The SEC Commissioner today addressed every major topic in college athletics except impending expansion of the College Football Playoff.
But outside of here, in every college town in America, in athletic departments, presidents’ offices and boardrooms, CFP expansion is a hot topic of discussion.
A month after the start of the three-month national survey to gather feedback on model proposed to 12 teamsa multitude of problems arise.
Does the proposal add too many games? Should the quarterfinals be played on campus instead of at bowling sites? And, in this world of NIL, what reduction in CFP income will athletes receive?
However, among some of the sport’s top decision-makers, another question exists.
What if the Rose Bowl refuses to move its date and time?
Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports
Two months before the potential approval of College Football’s new playoff model, one entity could pose a significant obstacle on the path to a deal.
Many college sports leaders do not expect the Rose Bowl, steeped in tradition and historically protected by its long-standing relationships with the Pac-12 and Big Ten, to move its kickoff time and date dispatch dedicated in the middle of the afternoon on January 1st. Like an ominous cloud, possibility looms over the expansion discussion.
The move would pose problems for the scheduling model outlined last month by CFP decision-makers, in which six bowls — presumably the current New Year’s Six — would be rotated to host the quarterfinals and semifinals. In fact, if the Rose Bowl’s league partners support it, some believe the game’s position could kill the expansion proposal altogether.
“This is the big problem,” says a senior decision-maker.
Several college football officials spoke with Sports Illustrated for this story on condition of anonymity. Many high-ranking PSC leaders declined to comment when contacted.
Called stubborn by some and traditionalist by others, the Rose Bowl’s stance was long overdue, previously described by some as “the biggest problem” in expanding the playoffs before the current CFP contract expired after the 2025 season.
The Rose, nicknamed the “Granddaddy of All” as the sport’s oldest bowl game, has been played annually since 1916, a 105-year-old race that over the years has allowed it to host the elite of college football. event.
The game is somewhat related to the Rose Bowl Parade, and each year’s kickoff is deliberately timed – 2 p.m. Pasadena local time – so that the sun sets, in the fourth quarter, over the San Jose Mountains. Gabriel in a scene that many believe to be the most picturesque in sport.
But times are changing.
In the 12-team playoff model proposed by CFP leaders, the six participating bowls would take turns hosting the quarterfinals, scheduled for New Year’s Day, and the semifinals, scheduled for later in January .
If there is no flexibility from the Rose Bowl, the CFP is left with a fascinating dilemma: 1) make concessions to keep the Rose Bowl on its date and time; or 2) move on without the Rose Bowl.
Option No. 1 will likely only be realized by making the Rose a permanent host of the quarterfinals – a real option, according to industry sources. And what about option 2, advancing the expansion model without one of football’s most impactful and historic deals?
Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports
This is apparently also a real possibility. There is a growing feeling among CFP leaders that the Rose Bowl needs to play ball like everyone else.
“The general feeling is that enough is enough,” says a senior source. “There will be a lot of drama, but at the end of the day, will these two conferences bow out of the playoffs to protect the Rose Bowl?
The answer is not clear. Pac-12 officials declined to comment. A Big Ten spokesperson said the conference wanted to “wait until the time is right” to comment on the situation. The leagues could somehow protect the Rose Bowl during the voting process. The CFP Board of Directors, comprised of 11 university presidents and chancellors from each FBS conference, must unanimously agree to approve the model.
The Pac-12 and its new commissioner, George Kliavkoff, have publicly supported expansion as much as any other league. In seven years, the conference has qualified two teams for the playoffs. The SEC and ACC each qualified eight and the Big Ten qualified five.
Date and time aren’t the only tricky part of the Rose. The game has a lucrative contract with the Pac-12 and Big Ten that, while integrated into the playoffs, is separate. This is another potential obstacle to overcome during negotiations, once they begin.
CFP Executive Director Bill Hancock said Sports Illustrated On Sunday, his organization did not begin formal discussions with the boules, including the Rose.
“When the time comes to talk, we will talk. That time has not come,” he said.
This is the start of the process. Although the Rose has discussed the topic internally, bowling officials have not gathered around the proverbial table, said a bowling official who represents the game’s interests.
“We always found a way to do it,” the source told SI. “The Rose Bowl has made sacrifices in the past. I would compare their track record on flexibility to anyone’s. The day and time are important. How important is it? I don’t know. I guess there is a 12-team model that represents all interests.
There is a long way to go. One official describes the impending negotiation process as a six-month ordeal rather than a six-week one.
In a statement to SI, the Rose Bowl said the CFP task force’s proposal was the first step in a long series of steps toward possible expansion.
“The Rose Bowl Game is an important part of college football history, and we will continue to work closely with the College Football Playoff to determine how the tradition of the Rose Bowl Game will be part of the evolving playoff system “, the statement said. » said the statement.
The Rose Bowl isn’t the only thing in the wheel of change in the postseason. If all entities agree to terminate the CFP contract early, it means not trading one of the most lucrative deals in college football history.
Other bowls are also involved in the discussions. And there’s the case of quarterfinals at bowl sites rather than on campus like the four first-round games.
There are also more debatable questions. In fact, at Big 12 media days last week, Commissioner Bob Bowlsby told SI that one of the biggest questions under debate is whether the 12-team model should incorporate more bowl games into its structure. Instead of having first-round matches on campus, perhaps they should be played at bocce ball venues.
“We talked about it a lot. I don’t know to what extent we’ll discuss it further, but it’s certainly an option that could be implemented,” says Bowlsby. “Instead of bowling the week of December 25, we can bowl on December 16 and bowl at the bowling sites.
“I like the idea of playing on campuses, but the fact is if you’re playing on Dec. 16 in Iowa City, Iowa… that stadium is not winterized for that kind of event at that time . the year. This is how it is in most of the northern half of the country. There are purely logistical aspects.
At SEC media days on Monday, Sankey said he didn’t know the Rose Bowl situation, but told SI, “We can stay at four.” » In an interview with a reporter last week, Bowlsby was asked what would happen if the Rose didn’t want to move their date and time.
“I’m not prepared to comment on that at this stage,” he replied.
So, two months before the board meets in Dallas to possibly approve the proposal, life in college football continues and questions about the Rose Bowl remain somewhat unanswered.
“I’ve heard all this before,” says a bowling alley official, “but I’ve always seen it work.”
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• Big 12 delivers a clear message to athletes: “Get vaccinated”
