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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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.