(08-22-2019 10:57 AM)e-parade Wrote:  

(08-22-2019 09:58 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(08-22-2019 08:45 AM)e-parade Wrote:  I think some of us (namely quo in this instance) are a little stuck in the "this is the way it's always been and the way I like it" and just don't want to risk a change that might affect their views on the sport. That's fair.

But it doesn't help get people who are fans of other sports interested in it, because it makes it seem at least somewhat rigged that a committee chooses as opposed to letting actual conference champs play in.

I would say that there IS evidence that college football is a very popular sport, namely the attendance and TV figures and money that is thrown at college football by media and advertisers.

So to me that means there isn't much evidence that it is in dire need of "getting fans of other sports interested in it", and even if there is, I seriously doubt that changing to a more formal expanded playoff system would do so. Someone who likes soccer, e.g., and not college football, is unlikely to be swayed by that.

As you say, opinions differ.

Sure, there's interest from lots of people. Lots of older people who have been watching the sport forever. And sure, in some regions, younger people are still getting interested because their teams are constantly in the hunt for a national championship.

Outside of that, attendance figures have been declining and are at their lowest point since 1996 overall, and lowest point for many conferences in quite some time:



Only the ACC, AAC, and MAC have increased attendance year over year.

Is it a dire difference? No, but it is declining and 7 of the 8 past years have shown a decline in attendance over the previous year.


Sounds like it could use a boost of new blood in fans to get back to where it was before.


Be smug all you want with that coffee emoji, but it really adds nothing to the conversation other than showing the fact that you for some reason think you're better than everyone and have a more valuable statement to add. Considering you were citing attendance figures in your own reasoning as a good sign when in reality they are declining and have been steadily for years now, you may want to step down off you high horse and at least consider that not everything is perfect as is.

I will keep using the coffee emoji when i feel like it. Relax, it's just an emoji.

As for your argument, yes, attendance has slipped the past few years, but first, it's still very high, and the money has never been better, and second, it's one thing to say attendance has slipped, and then make a claim that a change in playoff formats will attract new fans and bolster it. A whole lot of things could be causing these attendance slips, none of which have anything to do with playoff format and thus wouldn't likely be altered by the adoption of a new system. I mean, let's face it, it's always been the case that the vast majority of college teams go in to a given season with no realistic chance to win the national title, and not because of the system, but just because they aren't nearly good enough. Yet people follow and root for and go to games for their schools anyway. It's always been that way.

So basically, your assertion that a "rigged committee system" is turning off potential fans is just that, an assertion.