That Time of the Year Again
Thanksgiving is behind us, and the holidays and New Years are fast approaching. The stock market is near its all-time high. Gold and silver bugs are pleased with precious metals flirting with record prices. Bitcoin and its brethren cryptocurrencies have receded but are still doing well compared to the last five years. As they say, “Tis the season to be jolly,” regardless of your investment preference.
In the realm of college football, things are more of a mixed bag depending on your perspective. This past Sunday, the College Football Playoff Committee announced its 12-team bracket for the playoffs. Following the release, Alabama, Tulane, and James Madison were pleased, but not so others, like Notre Dame, who thought they were treated unfairly. In fact, the social media posts lit up when the bracket was announced. You would not have known that from the calm and cool ESPN broadcasters who announced the top twelve in a tempered, rehearsed manner. In the bowels of social media, things weren’t so mild. The outcry was fierce and quick. Perhaps more refining is needed in our playoff selection process.
Those in the unhappy camp accused the committee of being a racket due to its opaque selection process. Some felt a strong bias toward power conferences like the SEC and Big Ten, which have massive financial incentives that could prioritize revenue over merit. Critics labeled the committee corrupt for decisions like ranking three-loss Alabama ahead of two-loss independents such as Notre Dame, allegedly to protect TV ratings and conference payouts. Notre Dame’s athletic director called it a “stolen” berth, pointing to inconsistent rankings that ignored prior weeks’ data. The reaction in South Bend came swiftly, with the players and coaching agreeing to opt out of any further postseason bowl play.
CFP payouts could be at the heart of selections: each qualifying team nets $4 million for its conference, with buyers adding $8 million upfront and $6 million per semifinal/championship advance. In total there are over $116 million in performance bonuses. Power conferences (SEC, Big Ten) dominate via media deals and athlete revenue shares. This commercialization boosts schools’ NIL budgets, but critics say it rigs selections for lucrative matchups.
Reddit and media echo scandal claims, with fans decrying bias against conferences and teams that lack automatic bids despite strong records. Tulane is slated to play Ole Miss in Oxford and earlier this year lost 45-10. If this same imbalanced outcome occurs, I’m sure there will be more outcry from the Notre Dame folks.
In our sports-driven culture, it’s hard to recall a year-end when there were no complaints from one fanbase or another. Yet, this year’s outcry seemed to be a bit more accentuated than in years past. Certainly, exciting times are ahead of us in college football, but let’s be grateful for another positive investment year.
Gary B. Martin