(01-08-2016 04:00 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 03:59 PM)stever20 Wrote:  just love how the SEC/Big 12 are supposed to look out for the sport, but Big Ten/Pac 12 don't have to at all. Sorry but that's a load of BS.

Why don't we just call it even and say that the CFP semi's will no longer be connected to bowl games?

Make them standalone and bid out the venues. Done.

well that won't happen for 10 years at least. If ever.

(01-08-2016 04:00 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 03:59 PM)stever20 Wrote:  just love how the SEC/Big 12 are supposed to look out for the sport, but Big Ten/Pac 12 don't have to at all. Sorry but that's a load of BS.

Why don't we just call it even and say that the CFP semi's will no longer be connected to bowl games?

Make them standalone and bid out the venues. Done.

And if it was up to me, I'd also try to work with the NFL or whatever has to be done so that these standalone CFP semi games can always be played on the Saturday, except when the Saturday is NYD.

And the NFL would laugh their asses off at you. They are not going to move PLAYOFF games. You see, the NFL is the #1 property in all of sports. Period, end of story. If the NFL was asked like that, the NFL would go out of their way to **** with college football- as in having a playoff game on the College football title game night.

(01-08-2016 04:02 PM)stever20 Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 04:00 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 03:59 PM)stever20 Wrote:  just love how the SEC/Big 12 are supposed to look out for the sport, but Big Ten/Pac 12 don't have to at all. Sorry but that's a load of BS.

Why don't we just call it even and say that the CFP semi's will no longer be connected to bowl games?

Make them standalone and bid out the venues. Done.

well that won't happen for 10 years at least. If ever.

I guess not. But if after two cycles, it's patently obvious that only semi's on NYD work?

(01-08-2016 03:43 PM)Wedge Wrote:  Doesn't ESPN control the Dec. 31 kickoff times? The first two games that day should be the semifinal games. Cotton or Orange should get the 8 pm ET start.

I'm guessing they do to an extent. They're really stuck between a rock and a hard place for 2016-17 with 37 bowl games to fit in between December 17 and Jan 2 while having Christmas Eve and NYE both falling on Saturdays and New Year's Day on a Sunday.

If I'm ESPN, I'm looking to maximize Dec 31, 2016 and Jan 2, 2017 with a schedule like this (all times EST):

Saturday Dec 31, 2016

11am - ESPN - Orange Bowl - ACC vs. Big Ten/SEC
11am - ESPN2 - TaxSlayer Bowl - Big Ten vs. SEC
11am - ESPNU - St. Petersburg Bowl - AAC vs. CUSA

3pm - ESPN - Peach Bowl - Playoff Semi-final

7pm - ESPN - Fiesta Bowl - Playoff Semi-final

10:30pm - ESPN2 - Foster Farms Bowl - Big Ten vs. Pac 12


Monday Jan 2, 2016

11am - ESPNU - Birmingham Bowl - AAC vs. SEC
11am - ESPN2 - Outback Bowl - Big Ten vs. SEC
12pm - ABC - Citrus Bowl - Big Ten vs. SEC
1pm - ESPN - Cotton Bowl - NY6 at-large vs. NY6 at-large

5pm - ESPN - Rose Bowl - Big Ten vs. Pac 12

8:30pm - ESPN - Sugar Bowl - Big 12 vs. SEC


That leaves them with 25 bowls to spread over 12 days for the rest.

(01-08-2016 04:04 PM)stever20 Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 04:00 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 03:59 PM)stever20 Wrote:  just love how the SEC/Big 12 are supposed to look out for the sport, but Big Ten/Pac 12 don't have to at all. Sorry but that's a load of BS.

Why don't we just call it even and say that the CFP semi's will no longer be connected to bowl games?

Make them standalone and bid out the venues. Done.

And if it was up to me, I'd also try to work with the NFL or whatever has to be done so that these standalone CFP semi games can always be played on the Saturday, except when the Saturday is NYD.

And the NFL would laugh their asses off at you. They are not going to move PLAYOFF games. You see, the NFL is the #1 property in all of sports. Period, end of story. If the NFL was asked like that, the NFL would go out of their way to **** with college football- as in having a playoff game on the College football title game night.

So what was the problem, again? I know you laid it out in another thread, but I don't remember.

Because the Sunday after NYD (usually) is Week 17, when all the teams just play on Sunday (to even things up). So it would (almost) always work to have the standalone CFP semi's on that Saturday.

(01-08-2016 04:06 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 04:04 PM)stever20 Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 04:00 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 03:59 PM)stever20 Wrote:  just love how the SEC/Big 12 are supposed to look out for the sport, but Big Ten/Pac 12 don't have to at all. Sorry but that's a load of BS.

Why don't we just call it even and say that the CFP semi's will no longer be connected to bowl games?

Make them standalone and bid out the venues. Done.

And if it was up to me, I'd also try to work with the NFL or whatever has to be done so that these standalone CFP semi games can always be played on the Saturday, except when the Saturday is NYD.

And the NFL would laugh their asses off at you. They are not going to move PLAYOFF games. You see, the NFL is the #1 property in all of sports. Period, end of story. If the NFL was asked like that, the NFL would go out of their way to **** with college football- as in having a playoff game on the College football title game night.

So what was the problem, again? I know you laid it out in another thread, but I don't remember.

Because the Sunday after NYD (usually) is Week 17, when all the teams just play on Sunday (to even things up). So it would (almost) always work to have the standalone CFP semi's on that Saturday.

It's about 50/50 it being Week 17.

(01-08-2016 03:59 PM)stever20 Wrote:  just love how the SEC/Big 12 are supposed to look out for the sport, but Big Ten/Pac 12 don't have to at all. Sorry but that's a load of BS.

I know you're trying to draw conference battle lines, but it's not about that! The Rose Bowl in and of itself is a top-of-the-line marquee property. On top of that, the Rose Parade, which Disney/ABC gets the primary rights to in conjunction with its Rose Bowl contract, draws more viewers than the College Football Playoff itself. As a result, the Rose Bowl has an extremely large amount of leverage here even without the Big Ten and Pac-12. In contrast, the Sugar Bowl's leverage ONLY comes vis-a-vis the SEC and Big 12 (and really the SEC for the majority of it). ESPN didn't even sign a contract with the Sugar Bowl - it was with the "Champions Bowl" partnership.

It's not about who is supposed to look out for the sport. The Rose Bowl is a marquee event in and of itself in the way that the Sugar Bowl is not. As a result, the Rose Bowl combined with the Rose Parade rights have a lot more ability to be push back and entrench itself on New Year's Day. The Sugar Bowl time slot, on the other hand, is entirely dictated by the desires of the SEC and Big 12.

(01-08-2016 04:09 PM)stever20 Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 04:06 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 04:04 PM)stever20 Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 04:00 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 03:59 PM)stever20 Wrote:  just love how the SEC/Big 12 are supposed to look out for the sport, but Big Ten/Pac 12 don't have to at all. Sorry but that's a load of BS.

Why don't we just call it even and say that the CFP semi's will no longer be connected to bowl games?

Make them standalone and bid out the venues. Done.

And if it was up to me, I'd also try to work with the NFL or whatever has to be done so that these standalone CFP semi games can always be played on the Saturday, except when the Saturday is NYD.

And the NFL would laugh their asses off at you. They are not going to move PLAYOFF games. You see, the NFL is the #1 property in all of sports. Period, end of story. If the NFL was asked like that, the NFL would go out of their way to **** with college football- as in having a playoff game on the College football title game night.

So what was the problem, again? I know you laid it out in another thread, but I don't remember.

Because the Sunday after NYD (usually) is Week 17, when all the teams just play on Sunday (to even things up). So it would (almost) always work to have the standalone CFP semi's on that Saturday.

It's about 50/50 it being Week 17.

What is?

Week 17 is always a Sunday. I'm proposing the standalone CFP semi games are always the Saturday. Where's the conflict?

(01-08-2016 04:10 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 03:59 PM)stever20 Wrote:  just love how the SEC/Big 12 are supposed to look out for the sport, but Big Ten/Pac 12 don't have to at all. Sorry but that's a load of BS.

I know you're trying to draw conference battle lines, but it's not about that! The Rose Bowl in and of itself is a top-of-the-line marquee property. On top of that, the Rose Parade, which Disney/ABC gets the primary rights to in conjunction with its Rose Bowl contract, draws more viewers than the College Football Playoff itself. As a result, the Rose Bowl has an extremely large amount of leverage here even without the Big Ten and Pac-12. In contrast, the Sugar Bowl's leverage ONLY comes vis-a-vis the SEC and Big 12 (and really the SEC for the majority of it). ESPN didn't even sign a contract with the Sugar Bowl - it was with the "Champions Bowl" partnership.

It's not about who is supposed to look out for the sport. The Rose Bowl is a marquee event in and of itself in the way that the Sugar Bowl is not. As a result, the Rose Bowl combined with the Rose Parade rights have a lot more ability to be push back and entrench itself on New Year's Day. The Sugar Bowl time slot, on the other hand, is entirely dictated by the desires of the SEC and Big 12.

The thing is, I think the SEC is tired of being a 2nd class citizen to the Big Ten/Pac 12.

And really don't see ESPN pushing hard with the SEC quite frankly, as the SEC football rights are a huge thing with ESPN right now.

(01-08-2016 04:13 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 04:09 PM)stever20 Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 04:06 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 04:04 PM)stever20 Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 04:00 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  Why don't we just call it even and say that the CFP semi's will no longer be connected to bowl games?

Make them standalone and bid out the venues. Done.

And if it was up to me, I'd also try to work with the NFL or whatever has to be done so that these standalone CFP semi games can always be played on the Saturday, except when the Saturday is NYD.

And the NFL would laugh their asses off at you. They are not going to move PLAYOFF games. You see, the NFL is the #1 property in all of sports. Period, end of story. If the NFL was asked like that, the NFL would go out of their way to **** with college football- as in having a playoff game on the College football title game night.

So what was the problem, again? I know you laid it out in another thread, but I don't remember.

Because the Sunday after NYD (usually) is Week 17, when all the teams just play on Sunday (to even things up). So it would (almost) always work to have the standalone CFP semi's on that Saturday.

It's about 50/50 it being Week 17.

What is?

Week 17 is always a Sunday. I'm proposing the standalone CFP semi games are always the Saturday. Where's the conflict?

Week 17 is always a Sunday, but often times, it's before Jan 1...
2012 for instance week 17 was Dec 30. Labor Day Sep 3
2013 it was Dec 29. Labor Day Sep 2
2014 it was Dec 28. Labor Day Sep 1
2006 it was Dec 31. Labor Day Sep 4

So 4 of the 7 days on the calendar, week 17 is before the new year.

2016 season- Labor Day is Sep 5
2017 season- Labor Day is Sep 4- NYD hosting SF
2018 season- Labor Day is Sep 3
2019 season- Labor Day is Sep 2
2020 season- Labor Day is Sep 7- NYD hosting SF
2021 season- Labor Day is Sep 6
2022 season- Labor Day is Sep 5
2023 season- Labor Day is Sep 4- NYD hosting SF
2024 season- Labor Day is Sep 2
2025 season- Labor Day is Sep 1

so of the 10 years left... 3 times Rose/Sugar hosting SF. 4 times NYE bowls hosting where if you moved to the Sat after New Years, would be going opposite NFL Playoffs. Really only 2016,2021,2022 could what you say work.

(01-08-2016 03:47 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 03:38 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 03:21 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  Well, thanks to the 15 posters who replied simultaneously to explain the contractual inner workings of the ad business. I didn't know it was part of the contract. I thought the ad companies were trying to get something for nothing.

That said, it seems completely stupid to me for ESPN to "guarantee" ratings to their ad customers. That's their fault, entirely.

The only thing the CFP and conferences could've done would've been to provide teams that pull better ratings. Michigan St and Clemson are not mega-ratings teams. Sorry, they aren't.

They guarantee a ratings range. Obviously a higher rating means higher ad revenue. It is a way to maximize ad revenue. It sometimes fails, but works more often that not.

If you were an advertiser, why would you advertise with a broadcaster that couldn't guarantee a minimum audience? You might, but you aren't going to pay a premium price for it.

Guy selling you a used car tells you "I guarantee you'll get at least 100,000 mi out of this baby! *giant, fake tooth smile* "

Who's the fool?


I mean ... am I really about to quote Tommy Boy?? "Look, if you want a guaranteed piece of ****, I can take a dump in a box and mark it guaranteed."

The problem is your response doesn't exist in the real world. Without an audience guarantee, ESPN sells the adspace for FAR LESS than they could with the guarantee. The guarantee sets the rate the advertiser pay, and if they don't deliver they "make-good." Without the guarantee, they make less. per commercial. That is why EVERY network does this.

(01-08-2016 04:06 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  So what was the problem, again? I know you laid it out in another thread, but I don't remember.

Because the Sunday after NYD (usually) is Week 17, when all the teams just play on Sunday (to even things up). So it would (almost) always work to have the standalone CFP semi's on that Saturday.

This works good for TV, but the bowls themselves absolutely do not want the games past NYD, to protect their own interests. This year is probably the only time the Saturday date would have worked, with it being on the second and NFL week 17, but just about every other year, they want the game the day of the NYD holiday or before. Having the games after New Year was one direct cause for the bowls to agree to a playoff, because the BCS having games on Jan 2, 3, and 4 was killing them.

(01-08-2016 04:13 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 04:09 PM)stever20 Wrote:  It's about 50/50 it being Week 17.

What is?

Week 17 is always a Sunday. I'm proposing the standalone CFP semi games are always the Saturday. Where's the conflict?

He is saying it is 50/50 that the Sunday after NYD is week 17. If it is not week 17, you run into the issue of competing with the NFL playoffs. And no they will not change that for the CFP. Not only will they not change it, they actually mentioned possibly having a Monday Night playoff game, if they expanded the playoffs, which would fall on the day the CFP has scheduled the national championship game. That is how little the NFL cares.

(01-08-2016 02:55 PM)stever20 Wrote:  what motivation would the Big 12 and SEC have to move their game to the worst slot? That's just ******* stupid and a complete non starter. Yeah, screw the SEC/Big 12, but let the Rose Bowl/Big Ten/Pac 12 get their flaunted slot. And yes, I do think the SEC is thinking this more and more.

Well there's money. There could be other compensation related to exposure. There are lots of things ESPN could do.

The Sugar has bounced between NYE and NYD before. It doesn't have the NYD parade to tie it down. And NYE in the French Quarter can be fun.

(01-08-2016 05:09 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 02:55 PM)stever20 Wrote:  what motivation would the Big 12 and SEC have to move their game to the worst slot? That's just ******* stupid and a complete non starter. Yeah, screw the SEC/Big 12, but let the Rose Bowl/Big Ten/Pac 12 get their flaunted slot. And yes, I do think the SEC is thinking this more and more.

Well there's money. There could be other compensation related to exposure. There are lots of things ESPN could do.

The Sugar has bounced between NYE and NYD before. It doesn't have the NYD parade to tie it down. And NYE in the French Quarter can be fun.

The thing is, I think the Sugar along with Big 12/SEC is tired of getting bounced around. They want to be on the same level as the Big Ten/Pac 12.

(01-08-2016 04:22 PM)stever20 Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 04:13 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 04:09 PM)stever20 Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 04:06 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 04:04 PM)stever20 Wrote:  And the NFL would laugh their asses off at you. They are not going to move PLAYOFF games. You see, the NFL is the #1 property in all of sports. Period, end of story. If the NFL was asked like that, the NFL would go out of their way to **** with college football- as in having a playoff game on the College football title game night.

So what was the problem, again? I know you laid it out in another thread, but I don't remember.

Because the Sunday after NYD (usually) is Week 17, when all the teams just play on Sunday (to even things up). So it would (almost) always work to have the standalone CFP semi's on that Saturday.

It's about 50/50 it being Week 17.

What is?

Week 17 is always a Sunday. I'm proposing the standalone CFP semi games are always the Saturday. Where's the conflict?

Week 17 is always a Sunday, but often times, it's before Jan 1...
2012 for instance week 17 was Dec 30. Labor Day Sep 3
2013 it was Dec 29. Labor Day Sep 2
2014 it was Dec 28. Labor Day Sep 1
2006 it was Dec 31. Labor Day Sep 4

So 4 of the 7 days on the calendar, week 17 is before the new year.

(01-08-2016 04:29 PM)stever20 Wrote:  2016 season- Labor Day is Sep 5
2017 season- Labor Day is Sep 4- NYD hosting SF
2018 season- Labor Day is Sep 3
2019 season- Labor Day is Sep 2
2020 season- Labor Day is Sep 7- NYD hosting SF
2021 season- Labor Day is Sep 6
2022 season- Labor Day is Sep 5
2023 season- Labor Day is Sep 4- NYD hosting SF
2024 season- Labor Day is Sep 2
2025 season- Labor Day is Sep 1

so of the 10 years left... 3 times Rose/Sugar hosting SF. 4 times NYE bowls hosting where if you moved to the Sat after New Years, would be going opposite NFL Playoffs. Really only 2016,2021,2022 could what you say work.

Firstly, in this hypothetical we have disconnected bowls from the CFP semi. I know you're saying that can't happen in this current CFP contract. I understand.

But for the sake of the hypothetical, that's what I'm talking about. Stand alone games, moved to the Sat before Week 17 Sunday.


So, truth be told, there's no reason we couldn't have those CFP semi games before the bowls, when Week 17 Sunday comes earlier.

The only thing to be avoided, potentially, is when that Sat falls on NYD.

(01-08-2016 04:30 PM)adcorbett Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 03:47 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 03:38 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 03:21 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  Well, thanks to the 15 posters who replied simultaneously to explain the contractual inner workings of the ad business. I didn't know it was part of the contract. I thought the ad companies were trying to get something for nothing.

That said, it seems completely stupid to me for ESPN to "guarantee" ratings to their ad customers. That's their fault, entirely.

The only thing the CFP and conferences could've done would've been to provide teams that pull better ratings. Michigan St and Clemson are not mega-ratings teams. Sorry, they aren't.

They guarantee a ratings range. Obviously a higher rating means higher ad revenue. It is a way to maximize ad revenue. It sometimes fails, but works more often that not.

If you were an advertiser, why would you advertise with a broadcaster that couldn't guarantee a minimum audience? You might, but you aren't going to pay a premium price for it.

Guy selling you a used car tells you "I guarantee you'll get at least 100,000 mi out of this baby! *giant, fake tooth smile* "

Who's the fool?


I mean ... am I really about to quote Tommy Boy?? "Look, if you want a guaranteed piece of ****, I can take a dump in a box and mark it guaranteed."

The problem is your response doesn't exist in the real world. Without an audience guarantee, ESPN sells the adspace for FAR LESS than they could with the guarantee. The guarantee sets the rate the advertiser pay, and if they don't deliver they "make-good." Without the guarantee, they make less. per commercial. That is why EVERY network does this.

(01-08-2016 04:06 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  So what was the problem, again? I know you laid it out in another thread, but I don't remember.

Because the Sunday after NYD (usually) is Week 17, when all the teams just play on Sunday (to even things up). So it would (almost) always work to have the standalone CFP semi's on that Saturday.

This works good for TV, but the bowls themselves absolutely do not want the games past NYD, to protect their own interests. This year is probably the only time the Saturday date would have worked, with it being on the second and NFL week 17, but just about every other year, they want the game the day of the NYD holiday or before. Having the games after New Year was one direct cause for the bowls to agree to a playoff, because the BCS having games on Jan 2, 3, and 4 was killing them.

(01-08-2016 04:13 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 04:09 PM)stever20 Wrote:  It's about 50/50 it being Week 17.

What is?

Week 17 is always a Sunday. I'm proposing the standalone CFP semi games are always the Saturday. Where's the conflict?

He is saying it is 50/50 that the Sunday after NYD is week 17. If it is not week 17, you run into the issue of competing with the NFL playoffs. And no they will not change that for the CFP. Not only will they not change it, they actually mentioned possibly having a Monday Night playoff game, if they expanded the playoffs, which would fall on the day the CFP has scheduled the national championship game. That is how little the NFL cares.

But ESPN (and FOX, etc.) should be the ones setting terms.

So don't sign any new contracts with guaranteed ratings as a component of the deal. Then demand the same money from the ad sellers. If they say "no! That's not how it's been done!" then you reply "tough s___t, this is the new deal. If you want your ad for this big game, then you pay this much money and the actual ratings don't matter ... we can't force people to watch!". They can walk, but we'll see who breaks first.

ESPN has another, more important revenue stream in carriage fees. Advertisers are second fiddle.


I'm talking standalone games, separate from bowls. Let the bowls have the dates and time slots they think are so critical to their success (superstition).

I don't think they have any interest in having them before the bowls. I mean, they could have the playoffs semifinals in your thing as early as December 27. I don't think they want it that early at all.

And I do think like the Big Ten/Pac 12 will always push to have the bowls included in the playoff.....

(01-08-2016 05:30 PM)stever20 Wrote:  I don't think they have any interest in having them before the bowls. I mean, they could have the playoffs semifinals in your thing as early as December 27. I don't think they want it that early at all.

And I do think like the Big Ten/Pac 12 will always push to have the bowls included in the playoff.....

Perhaps. But college football's known day is Saturday. People always have those Sat off, whether it's the one after Xmas or the one after Xmas or the one after NY.

Bowls are tied to their traditional dates, but standalone CFP semi games can move.

(01-08-2016 05:35 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 05:30 PM)stever20 Wrote:  I don't think they have any interest in having them before the bowls. I mean, they could have the playoffs semifinals in your thing as early as December 27. I don't think they want it that early at all.

And I do think like the Big Ten/Pac 12 will always push to have the bowls included in the playoff.....

Perhaps. But college football's known day is Saturday. People always have those Sat off, whether it's the one after Xmas or the one after Xmas or the one after NY.

Bowls are tied to their traditional dates, but standalone CFP semi games can move.

Sorry no chance in hell there would be any playoff game on Dec 27. That's just complete lunacy.

(01-08-2016 05:30 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 04:30 PM)adcorbett Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 03:47 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 03:38 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 03:21 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  Well, thanks to the 15 posters who replied simultaneously to explain the contractual inner workings of the ad business. I didn't know it was part of the contract. I thought the ad companies were trying to get something for nothing.

That said, it seems completely stupid to me for ESPN to "guarantee" ratings to their ad customers. That's their fault, entirely.

The only thing the CFP and conferences could've done would've been to provide teams that pull better ratings. Michigan St and Clemson are not mega-ratings teams. Sorry, they aren't.

They guarantee a ratings range. Obviously a higher rating means higher ad revenue. It is a way to maximize ad revenue. It sometimes fails, but works more often that not.

If you were an advertiser, why would you advertise with a broadcaster that couldn't guarantee a minimum audience? You might, but you aren't going to pay a premium price for it.

Guy selling you a used car tells you "I guarantee you'll get at least 100,000 mi out of this baby! *giant, fake tooth smile* "

Who's the fool?


I mean ... am I really about to quote Tommy Boy?? "Look, if you want a guaranteed piece of ****, I can take a dump in a box and mark it guaranteed."

The problem is your response doesn't exist in the real world. Without an audience guarantee, ESPN sells the adspace for FAR LESS than they could with the guarantee. The guarantee sets the rate the advertiser pay, and if they don't deliver they "make-good." Without the guarantee, they make less. per commercial. That is why EVERY network does this.

(01-08-2016 04:06 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  So what was the problem, again? I know you laid it out in another thread, but I don't remember.

Because the Sunday after NYD (usually) is Week 17, when all the teams just play on Sunday (to even things up). So it would (almost) always work to have the standalone CFP semi's on that Saturday.

This works good for TV, but the bowls themselves absolutely do not want the games past NYD, to protect their own interests. This year is probably the only time the Saturday date would have worked, with it being on the second and NFL week 17, but just about every other year, they want the game the day of the NYD holiday or before. Having the games after New Year was one direct cause for the bowls to agree to a playoff, because the BCS having games on Jan 2, 3, and 4 was killing them.

(01-08-2016 04:13 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 04:09 PM)stever20 Wrote:  It's about 50/50 it being Week 17.

What is?

Week 17 is always a Sunday. I'm proposing the standalone CFP semi games are always the Saturday. Where's the conflict?

He is saying it is 50/50 that the Sunday after NYD is week 17. If it is not week 17, you run into the issue of competing with the NFL playoffs. And no they will not change that for the CFP. Not only will they not change it, they actually mentioned possibly having a Monday Night playoff game, if they expanded the playoffs, which would fall on the day the CFP has scheduled the national championship game. That is how little the NFL cares.

But ESPN (and FOX, etc.) should be the ones setting terms.

So don't sign any new contracts with guaranteed ratings as a component of the deal. Then demand the same money from the ad sellers. If they say "no! That's not how it's been done!" then you reply "tough s___t, this is the new deal. If you want your ad for this big game, then you pay this much money and the actual ratings don't matter ... we can't force people to watch!". They can walk, but we'll see who breaks first.

ESPN has another, more important revenue stream in carriage fees. Advertisers are second fiddle.


I'm talking standalone games, separate from bowls. Let the bowls have the dates and time slots they think are so critical to their success (superstition).

You don't understand how TV works.