r/CFB • u/CrashB111 Alabama Crimson Tide • Iron Bowl • 20h ago

News [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.

https://x.com/MattHayesCFB/status/2111056779366785054
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656

u/i_run_from_problems Boise State • Christian Brothe… 19h ago edited 19h ago

We're not just doing this for money

We're doing it for a shitload of money!

156

u/Pinewood74 Air Force Falcons • Purdue Boilermakers 19h ago

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.

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u/CodyRCantrell Oklahoma • Red River Shootout 14h ago

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?

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u/I_Shall_Be_Known Western Michigan • Michigan 10h ago

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.

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u/gatman19 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 6h ago

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

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u/CodyRCantrell Oklahoma • Red River Shootout 4h ago

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.

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u/CodyRCantrell Oklahoma • Red River Shootout 4h ago

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.