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Report: College Football Playoff semifinals likely to move off New Year’s Eve in 2018
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Will the College Football Playoff semifinals move off New Year’s Eve? It sounds possible.
In news that many will welcome if it happens, a source told ESPN’s Brett McMurphy that the College Football Playoff semifinals could have a different date than New Year’s Eve in 2018.
.@CFBPlayoff semifinals moving off New Year’s Eve in 2018 “likely to happen” source told @ESPN https://t.co/2K4hT4ZTUb
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) July 13, 2016
In speaking with McMurphy, Bill Hancock, the College Football Playoff’s executive director, said officials are considering alternatives to the New Year’s Eve slot for the semifinals.
“We’re exploring if there’s a better [date] for the semifinals,” Hancock told McMurphy. “We’re thinking about if New Year’s Eve is the way to go.”
A source told McMurphy that Hancock floating the idea publicly likely means Hancock is confident that he can convince commissioners to support a change. Of course, television ratings for the College Football Playoff semifinals were down last year on New Year’s Eve compared to the New Year’s Day slot in the College Football Playoff’s first season.
The Clemson-Oklahoma matchup in the Orange Bowl drew a 9.1 rating, a 38.5 percent decline from the Rose Bowl semifinal on New Year’s Day. The Alabama-Michigan State matchup in the Cotton Bowl earned a 9.6 rating, a 36.8 percent drop compared to the Sugar Bowl semifinal on New Year’s Day.
Common sense suggests moving the semifinals off New Year’s Eve would be a wise decision.
