[Matt Hayes] The SEC willingly flushed its conference championship game that last year had better ratings than all eight first round CFP games of the brief, 12-team era.

[u/CrashB111]

https://x.com/MattHayesCFB/status/2111056779366785054

[u/Pinewood74]

No, we're not. Net $155M is fucking peanuts when you really think about it. Not even $3M on average per P4 school.

And that's only accounting for the CCGs.

Still need to deduct the bowl game losses. And I wouldn't be the least bit shocked if late season matchups lose some juice.

And I also think that ESPN is vastly overestimating the interest level in these first round matchups. I don't think Georgia Tech vs BYU is really pulling much national audience when everyone is expecting the winner to get clobbered on the road by Georgia.

[u/ttufizzo → u/Pinewood74]

I think ESPN is vastly underestimating the power of the Schwartz.

[u/binzoma → u/ttufizzo]

they're too busy combing the desert looking for more money

[u/garfinkel3 → u/binzoma]

Can we jam ESPN?

[u/crewserbattle → u/binzoma]

SEC 2: The Search For More Money!

[u/Calithrand → u/Pinewood74]

Weirdly, I have found that the quarter/semifinals in the CFP era to be significantly more entertaining than the championship game. Like, to the extent that I've fallen asleep watching the championship game in at least two different years.

[u/garfinkel3 → u/Calithrand]

By the time the championship game rolls around, I’ve almost forgotten football is still on

[u/Educational-Apple603 → u/garfinkel3]

Plus it's a late Monday night game that takes forever due to the commercials

[u/garfinkel3 → u/Educational-Apple603]

Amen brother. And it’s usually two teams I hate.

[u/Pan_TheCake_Man → u/garfinkel3]

After January 1st, football is done. They usually have wierd gaps between games, and it’s on horrible times because they are terrified of competing with the NFL

[u/MistaC5050 → u/Pan_TheCake_Man]

This is me. My interest in college football drops off significantly after January 1st. By the time the championship game rolls around, it doesn't even feel like the same season anymore.

[u/Gorbax50 → u/garfinkel3]

Congrats? I know bullshit anecdotes that push a narrative are gospel on Reddit but the ratings confirm you are an outlier

[u/Individual_Rest_4542 → u/Gorbax50]

Calm down

[u/Gorbax50 → u/Individual_Rest_4542]

I’m not actually angry so I’m not sure why I’d do that, just using the public forum like everyone else. but I appreciate you indicating you don’t have a response to my actual point!

[u/garfinkel3 → u/Gorbax50]

Relax, I’m just saying that the playoffs drag on unnecessarily long, especially if your team isn’t in (which youll never have to worry about, Mr. grumpy gills)

Note: for shit talking purposes, I am a Vols fan with flair issues

[u/thesymbiont → u/garfinkel3]

Shit my team is usually in the mix and I almost forget it's on

[u/fattdoggo123 → u/Calithrand]

I fell asleep at the championship game because of all the ads. It felt like they were interrupting my ad viewing with a football game.

[u/Individual-Motor-167 → u/Calithrand]

There's a crossing point where you get 1 actually good game. Most teams are awful by comparison or far better by comparison. So somewhere in the bracket you get a few steps of a just right match. The rest will be trash.

[u/DarthHegatron → u/Calithrand]

It certainly didn't help that the past two years the winner of the championship game felt like a forgone conclusion

[u/CodyRCantrell → u/Pinewood74]

Absolutely. As a neutral, I have no reason to watch the Iron Bowl anymore.

If Alabama loses, they are still in with a 24 team CFP and there is no SECCG berth on the line so why bother?

[u/ClaudeLemieux → u/CodyRCantrell]

Alabama has made a 2 team playoff without even winning their division before and a 4 team playoff without even winning their state so yeah I can’t even imagine what it would take for them to miss a 24 team playoff lol

[u/Accomplished-Pin6564 → u/ClaudeLemieux]

They even got voted in over an undefeated power conference champion.

[u/CodyRCantrell → u/Accomplished-Pin6564]

To leapfrog Georgia because of the results of the SECCG when <checks notes> the committee has said repeatedly every year they don't punish conference championship game participants and used that as their reasoning to keep Alabama in the CFP last season.

[u/onrocketfalls → u/Accomplished-Pin6564]

Talking about FSU? Ignore my flair for a second: the committee was right. They’ve told us from the beginning that they’re trying to put the best teams in, not the teams with the best record. I’m not sure FSU had an argument for being one of those teams after they lost their best and most important player. It sucks, it’s unfair, and it’s totally in line with what they said they’re trying to do.

[u/Wafflehouseofpain → u/onrocketfalls]

Except they made decisions not in line with that philosophy previously, so it really just looked like “Make up whatever bullshit we need to in order to get Alabama in the playoffs”.

[u/GoatsinthemachinE → u/Wafflehouseofpain]

well havent realy watched football since they did it. atleast i realiz e they dont care about me /my thoughts so i just moved on to other things, my saturday is a bit more relaxing finding other things to do with my time now. been kind of nice

[u/CodyRCantrell → u/Wafflehouseofpain]

2025 reinforces this.

Georgia was #1 and lost the SECCG in a very close game and dropped to #6.

Alabama got absolutely dog walked in the 2025 SECCG by Georgia, pick up their third loss, and they not only stay in the CFP but don't move a single position in ranking.

Likewise, in 2025, BYU also got dog walked but at #11 they would've been left out of the CFP regardless since the conference championship auto bids would've filled out with two G6 teams kicking #11 and #12 out of the CFP.

BYU still got dropped to #12 in a symbolic punishment showing everything that that performance would never be acceptable for them as a fringe team unlike Alabama getting the red carpet rolled out for them.

[u/blotsfan → u/onrocketfalls]

I’ll never forget how upset the Michigan players looked when they saw they got Bama instead of FSU.

[u/CodyRCantrell → u/onrocketfalls]

The committee has also said they will NOT punish teams for participating in conference championship games.

Well Georgia sure as hell got punished when they went from #1 and in to #6 and out because of the SECCG. But oh my we can't drop a three loss Bama out in 2025 when they get dog walked by Georgia in the same game. We can't even move them a single spot down in the rankings.

[u/I_Shall_Be_Known → u/CodyRCantrell]

Just pointing out this mindset is exactly part of the problem. You only care to watch the iron bowl if playoff stakes are on the line. Doesn’t matter if it’s a great rivalry or if both teams are good. So, they’re giving you more playoff games to watch instead.

[u/gatman19 → u/I_Shall_Be_Known]

Every regular season CFB game is competing with a dozen other games. I’ll watch what I’m most interested in. Implications add intrigue to games featuring teams I don’t give a shit about. My team doesn’t play Bama nor Auburn anymore so I don’t give much of a shit about them. The outcome of their rivalry game having actual implications makes me more likely to choose to spend my time watching that instead of something else

[u/CodyRCantrell → u/gatman19]

Exactly! It wouldn't surprise me if a ton of viewers are the same way and this also existed prior to the CFP because the BCS incentivized every game when one single upset could prevent a team from being selected for the national championship game.

The 4 team CFP let more regular season games have interest because one loss teams weren't almost guaranteed to be excluded from contention.

The 12 team CFP does this for two loss team.

A 24 team CFP disincentivizes the bulk of the regular season because you'll have teams with four losses getting in regularly and likely the occasional five loss team.

[u/CodyRCantrell → u/I_Shall_Be_Known]

I care to watch the Iron Bowl when any stakes are on the line which is why I explicitly mentioned the SECCG as well. If there are no implications or things to be lost there is no meaning to the games to make me prioritize them over other television.

This also existed before the CFP in the BCS era. Every game mattered because any loss could prevent you from being in the national championship game.

[u/23Hotsoup23 → u/CodyRCantrell]

If Alabama loses some could shoot their sister ( Both bama fans).  Or poison some trees and bbrag about it on the radio

[u/yesacabbagez → u/Pinewood74]

Because it is about the money, but its money you don't see. It might be a wash cash wise on TV/bowl games, but making the playoff is going to be a drive for boosters. Schools can point to the playoff as a tangible thing they accomplished. Making a bowl is cool, but boosters always want more, especially at high levels. Conference championship games can only have 1 winner. Look at the Big ten since they went to a CCG vs their nonsense champion ties. 1990 had 4 Big Ten conference champs. Winning a conference is cool, but not winning is bad.

Playoff expansion gets a couple more big ten/sec schools into the playoff. I means those schools will be able to drive booster donations easier. Anything they lose on bowl/CCG money they will get back by being able to point to making the playoff as proof they just need more money from boosters.

[u/CheaterSaysWhat → u/Pinewood74]

I love how people bash 1st round games like GT vs BYU then in the same breath defend that same matchup when it’s the poptart bowl, which is just a glorified ad. 

It’s the same game, but it’s played on campus and the winner gets a playoff spot instead of their coach getting covered in sponsored goop. I see this as an absolute win. 

[u/joshlymansbagel → u/CheaterSaysWhat]

You nailed it. I agree with you completely. I said a couple of days ago that I didn’t really care for bowls and got flak for it. I think what this all is further revealing is the conservative nature of college football fans. By conservative I mean aversion to change, liking the status quo.

[u/marionsunshine → u/CheaterSaysWhat]

I don't hate your perspective here. It does add more games that mean something other than an advertisement.

[u/Pinewood74 → u/CheaterSaysWhat]

Yes, people are less interested in underwhelming teams playing to decide who gets executed then playing for their final game ever.

Also need to consider the "when." Ain't nobody got shit better to do on Dec 29th. But in conflict with the NFL? Good luck.

[u/CheaterSaysWhat → u/Pinewood74]

So why are people whining about the bowl games, then? 

[u/Pinewood74 → u/CheaterSaysWhat]

Don't understand your question.

If youre asking why people are "whining" about the loss of them, I just explained it.

If you're asking about the people who say "the bowls are dead," they're just objectively wrong. When some bowls are pulling more viewers than playoff games, they aren't dead.

[u/CheaterSaysWhat → u/Pinewood74]

Maybe this is just goomba fallacy but I see people complaining about G5 teams not being included yet they don’t even believe the winner of GT vs BYU has a chance to get past the 2nd round 

They lambast 9-3 Iowa being the 5th B1G team to get in but push for 8-5 Toledo just because they won the MAC 

It doesn’t make any sense 

[u/Pinewood74 → u/CheaterSaysWhat]

Yes, that's largely a goomba fallacy. I couldn't care less about securing sports for every G6 school. Autobid for the top team is sufficient, if other teams are good they'll prove it and get into the T12. (Or T24)

[u/CheaterSaysWhat → u/Pinewood74]

Ok hell yeah I 100% agree

[u/Hokie_Jayhawk → u/Pinewood74]

It's weird.

This is the one time where so many fans are attacking this on purely financial terms when the administrators are doing it for non-monetary reasons.

It's basically always the opposite.

[u/Pinewood74 → u/Hokie_Jayhawk]

Huh? They've tricked you into thinking it's for non-monetary reasons? That's wild.

[u/soonerman32 → u/Pinewood74]

gives ESPN more inventory to sell so its more money for them