Didn't see this coming...

https://awfulannouncing.com/nfl/cfp-satu...-puck.html

“Sources tell me the NFL knows that it’s unlikely the CFP will move all three games off of that Saturday,” writes Ourand. “Its new tactic is to convince CFP to move at least one of those games from Saturday to Friday. (There is already a game on Friday, and this would allow for two games on each day.) This appears to be the most likely scenario, but it will be fascinating to watch this game of Vulcan chess play out.”

My assumption was the NFL was going to play that Saturday as scheduled anyway and college football would have to deal with it. It's interesting to me that they are thinking of some sort of compromise, especially from the NFL"s end. The NFL decided years ago to directly compete with the World Series and for the most part won. I don't see why the NFL should bow down to college football playoffs, especially not the first round which at this point is unproven. I feel if the NFL really wanted to make a point and win they could schedule three games on CFP Saturday and schedule them on OTA networks as opposed to NFL Network or Peacock, especially after FOX, CBS, and NBC were all frozen out of the CFP expansion. If I had to bet on NFL vs. 1st round college playoffs, I'd bet on the NFL.

It will be interesting to me to see how this develops. If I were college football, I wouldn't want to be picking a fight with the NFL. We know they almost always win.

(03-08-2024 11:00 AM)schmolik Wrote:  Didn't see this coming...

https://awfulannouncing.com/nfl/cfp-satu...-puck.html

“Sources tell me the NFL knows that it’s unlikely the CFP will move all three games off of that Saturday,” writes Ourand. “Its new tactic is to convince CFP to move at least one of those games from Saturday to Friday. (There is already a game on Friday, and this would allow for two games on each day.) This appears to be the most likely scenario, but it will be fascinating to watch this game of Vulcan chess play out.”

My assumption was the NFL was going to play that Saturday as scheduled anyway and college football would have to deal with it. It's interesting to me that they are thinking of some sort of compromise, especially from the NFL"s end. The NFL decided years ago to directly compete with the World Series and for the most part won. I don't see why the NFL should bow down to college football playoffs, especially not the first round which at this point is unproven. I feel if the NFL really wanted to make a point and win they could schedule three games on CFP Saturday and schedule them on OTA networks as opposed to NFL Network or Peacock, especially after FOX, CBS, and NBC were all frozen out of the CFP expansion. If I had to bet on NFL vs. 1st round college playoffs, I'd bet on the NFL.

It will be interesting to me to see how this develops. If I were college football, I wouldn't want to be picking a fight with the NFL. We know they almost always win.

Sure, but there is some synergy between the NFL and CFB as opposed to direct competition between the NFL and MLB. Why would the NFL want to harm their free minor league?

I wonder if what we see is College Football allowing the NFL to have games the prior Saturday as a solution. Only Army/Navy that day so.... Would make sense for sure.

(03-08-2024 11:32 AM)stever20 Wrote:  I wonder if what we see is College Football allowing the NFL to have games the prior Saturday as a solution. Only Army/Navy that day so.... Would make sense for sure.

That day is off-limits by Congressional anti-trust exemption, right? So, probably not a simply fix there.

(03-08-2024 11:21 AM)djsuperfly Wrote:  

(03-08-2024 11:00 AM)schmolik Wrote:  Didn't see this coming...

https://awfulannouncing.com/nfl/cfp-satu...-puck.html

“Sources tell me the NFL knows that it’s unlikely the CFP will move all three games off of that Saturday,” writes Ourand. “Its new tactic is to convince CFP to move at least one of those games from Saturday to Friday. (There is already a game on Friday, and this would allow for two games on each day.) This appears to be the most likely scenario, but it will be fascinating to watch this game of Vulcan chess play out.”

My assumption was the NFL was going to play that Saturday as scheduled anyway and college football would have to deal with it. It's interesting to me that they are thinking of some sort of compromise, especially from the NFL"s end. The NFL decided years ago to directly compete with the World Series and for the most part won. I don't see why the NFL should bow down to college football playoffs, especially not the first round which at this point is unproven. I feel if the NFL really wanted to make a point and win they could schedule three games on CFP Saturday and schedule them on OTA networks as opposed to NFL Network or Peacock, especially after FOX, CBS, and NBC were all frozen out of the CFP expansion. If I had to bet on NFL vs. 1st round college playoffs, I'd bet on the NFL.

It will be interesting to me to see how this develops. If I were college football, I wouldn't want to be picking a fight with the NFL. We know they almost always win.

Sure, but there is some synergy between the NFL and CFB as opposed to direct competition between the NFL and MLB. Why would the NFL want to harm their free minor league?

Agreed. Also, I know that a lot of people here think that there’s some type of line between NFL and college football fans, but the reality is that they have the single greatest overlap of fan bases of any two sports in this country. It behooves them to at least try to coordinate where possible (but know that the NFL is ultimately always going to have the upper hand).

I've stated many times this was the biggest impediment to long term CFP structures. We will see how it develops.

Well with 14 teams in the CFP, it may not be as much of an issue if they choose to over lap the CFP over 2 weekends, but it wouldn't be ideal and probably won't happen.

2nd weekend of December, Army-Navy + 3 CFP games (1 Fri. + 2 Sat.)

3rd weekend of December, Celebration Bowl (FCS) + 3 CFP games (1 Fri. + 2 Sat.)

The idea of moving another game to Friday is not the worst idea in world TV Wise.

Have Game 1 start at 4PM ET Friday People will watch on tv right after work or just take day off. Traffic at the game could be bad on Friday. Hopefully school will be out on break by that point. Except those students that stay in town for the game. Maybe teams will move the game to an NFL stadium.

(03-08-2024 12:15 PM)GoBuckeyes1047 Wrote:  Well with 14 teams in the CFP, it may not be as much of an issue if they choose to over lap the CFP over 2 weekends, but it wouldn't be ideal and probably won't happen.

2nd weekend of December, Army-Navy + 3 CFP games (1 Fri. + 2 Sat.)

3rd weekend of December, Celebration Bowl (FCS) + 3 CFP games (1 Fri. + 2 Sat.)

logistically it's hard. Some don't want to admit it, but they can't seed the tourney until after the CCG the 1st Saturday to be able to take into account the CCG results.

(03-08-2024 11:00 AM)schmolik Wrote:  Didn't see this coming...

https://awfulannouncing.com/nfl/cfp-satu...-puck.html

“Sources tell me the NFL knows that it’s unlikely the CFP will move all three games off of that Saturday,” writes Ourand. “Its new tactic is to convince CFP to move at least one of those games from Saturday to Friday. (There is already a game on Friday, and this would allow for two games on each day.) This appears to be the most likely scenario, but it will be fascinating to watch this game of Vulcan chess play out.”

My assumption was the NFL was going to play that Saturday as scheduled anyway and college football would have to deal with it. It's interesting to me that they are thinking of some sort of compromise, especially from the NFL"s end. The NFL decided years ago to directly compete with the World Series and for the most part won. I don't see why the NFL should bow down to college football playoffs, especially not the first round which at this point is unproven. I feel if the NFL really wanted to make a point and win they could schedule three games on CFP Saturday and schedule them on OTA networks as opposed to NFL Network or Peacock, especially after FOX, CBS, and NBC were all frozen out of the CFP expansion. If I had to bet on NFL vs. 1st round college playoffs, I'd bet on the NFL.

It will be interesting to me to see how this develops. If I were college football, I wouldn't want to be picking a fight with the NFL. We know they almost always win.

The crazy thing is that a random NFL game will likely dominate a CFB playoff game. Don't bother with NFL in 2024 as the KC Swift has already been chosen to win the first 3-peat ever. Storylines!

(03-08-2024 11:57 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(03-08-2024 11:21 AM)djsuperfly Wrote:  

(03-08-2024 11:00 AM)schmolik Wrote:  Didn't see this coming...

https://awfulannouncing.com/nfl/cfp-satu...-puck.html

“Sources tell me the NFL knows that it’s unlikely the CFP will move all three games off of that Saturday,” writes Ourand. “Its new tactic is to convince CFP to move at least one of those games from Saturday to Friday. (There is already a game on Friday, and this would allow for two games on each day.) This appears to be the most likely scenario, but it will be fascinating to watch this game of Vulcan chess play out.”

My assumption was the NFL was going to play that Saturday as scheduled anyway and college football would have to deal with it. It's interesting to me that they are thinking of some sort of compromise, especially from the NFL"s end. The NFL decided years ago to directly compete with the World Series and for the most part won. I don't see why the NFL should bow down to college football playoffs, especially not the first round which at this point is unproven. I feel if the NFL really wanted to make a point and win they could schedule three games on CFP Saturday and schedule them on OTA networks as opposed to NFL Network or Peacock, especially after FOX, CBS, and NBC were all frozen out of the CFP expansion. If I had to bet on NFL vs. 1st round college playoffs, I'd bet on the NFL.

It will be interesting to me to see how this develops. If I were college football, I wouldn't want to be picking a fight with the NFL. We know they almost always win.

Sure, but there is some synergy between the NFL and CFB as opposed to direct competition between the NFL and MLB. Why would the NFL want to harm their free minor league?

Agreed. Also, I know that a lot of people here think that there’s some type of line between NFL and college football fans, but the reality is that they have the single greatest overlap of fan bases of any two sports in this country. It behooves them to at least try to coordinate where possible (but know that the NFL is ultimately always going to have the upper hand).

You might be right now, but on the East Coast even 20 years ago, there wasn't a lot of CFB fandom here.

(03-08-2024 11:00 AM)schmolik Wrote:  Didn't see this coming...

https://awfulannouncing.com/nfl/cfp-satu...-puck.html

“Sources tell me the NFL knows that it’s unlikely the CFP will move all three games off of that Saturday,” writes Ourand. “Its new tactic is to convince CFP to move at least one of those games from Saturday to Friday. (There is already a game on Friday, and this would allow for two games on each day.) This appears to be the most likely scenario, but it will be fascinating to watch this game of Vulcan chess play out.”

My assumption was the NFL was going to play that Saturday as scheduled anyway and college football would have to deal with it. It's interesting to me that they are thinking of some sort of compromise, especially from the NFL"s end. The NFL decided years ago to directly compete with the World Series and for the most part won. I don't see why the NFL should bow down to college football playoffs, especially not the first round which at this point is unproven. I feel if the NFL really wanted to make a point and win they could schedule three games on CFP Saturday and schedule them on OTA networks as opposed to NFL Network or Peacock, especially after FOX, CBS, and NBC were all frozen out of the CFP expansion. If I had to bet on NFL vs. 1st round college playoffs, I'd bet on the NFL.

It will be interesting to me to see how this develops. If I were college football, I wouldn't want to be picking a fight with the NFL. We know they almost always win.

World Series games can't compete with the NFL, it's 10m vs 25m++. But CFP games are more like 20m, with 25m + in the really good ones, and their fan overlap will be far worse than World Series fan overlap, which would be admittedly substantial in its own right.

Nobody in the NFL, CFB, at ESPN, etc etc etc wants to kill their ratings if there's a possible compromise. They'll work something out, I'm sure. For once, it's not a sure thing that the NFL will win, hence the encouragement to move the game rather than just a "we're playing a game on this day at this time and the CFP can deal with it".

If the NFL wants it, the NFL will get it.

(03-08-2024 08:48 PM)bryanw1995 Wrote:  

(03-08-2024 11:00 AM)schmolik Wrote:  Didn't see this coming...

https://awfulannouncing.com/nfl/cfp-satu...-puck.html

“Sources tell me the NFL knows that it’s unlikely the CFP will move all three games off of that Saturday,” writes Ourand. “Its new tactic is to convince CFP to move at least one of those games from Saturday to Friday. (There is already a game on Friday, and this would allow for two games on each day.) This appears to be the most likely scenario, but it will be fascinating to watch this game of Vulcan chess play out.”

My assumption was the NFL was going to play that Saturday as scheduled anyway and college football would have to deal with it. It's interesting to me that they are thinking of some sort of compromise, especially from the NFL"s end. The NFL decided years ago to directly compete with the World Series and for the most part won. I don't see why the NFL should bow down to college football playoffs, especially not the first round which at this point is unproven. I feel if the NFL really wanted to make a point and win they could schedule three games on CFP Saturday and schedule them on OTA networks as opposed to NFL Network or Peacock, especially after FOX, CBS, and NBC were all frozen out of the CFP expansion. If I had to bet on NFL vs. 1st round college playoffs, I'd bet on the NFL.

It will be interesting to me to see how this develops. If I were college football, I wouldn't want to be picking a fight with the NFL. We know they almost always win.

World Series games can't compete with the NFL, it's 10m vs 25m++. But CFP games are more like 20m, with 25m + in the really good ones, and their fan overlap will be far worse than World Series fan overlap, which would be admittedly substantial in its own right.

Nobody in the NFL, CFB, at ESPN, etc etc etc wants to kill their ratings if there's a possible compromise. They'll work something out, I'm sure. For once, it's not a sure thing that the NFL will win, hence the encouragement to move the game rather than just a "we're playing a game on this day at this time and the CFP can deal with it".

CFP SF and C games get 20m. There's no way 1st round games will get 20m even if there's no competing NFL games. You can't expect the same audience for 5-12, 6-11, 7-10, and 8-9 as you do for 1-4 and 2-3, especially with 12 likely to be a G5 team. They will get a high viewership for the NYD QF because of the holidays but will likely lose viewers on the SF's because they're going to be Thursday/Friday midweek in January.

“This 4pm Friday slot would be a much better place to put that game of yours. Don’t you think? I also think you’d be interested in this bridge…”

I wonder how expensive it will be for the CFP to be encouraged.

(03-08-2024 08:59 PM)Crayton Wrote:  “This 4pm Friday slot would be a much better place to put that game of yours. Don’t you think? I also think you’d be interested in this bridge…”

I wonder how expensive it will be for the CFP to be encouraged.

I think it will be an ESPN-NFL discussion, and the CFP will be told "these are your time slots". When you pay $1.3b ++ per year for something, you generally get a whole lot of input on the timing of it, especially in a case like this where the CFP Committee just wants big ratings, big $$, and they are understandably anxious to stay out of the NFL's crosshairs.

(03-08-2024 09:16 PM)bryanw1995 Wrote:  

(03-08-2024 08:59 PM)Crayton Wrote:  “This 4pm Friday slot would be a much better place to put that game of yours. Don’t you think? I also think you’d be interested in this bridge…”

I wonder how expensive it will be for the CFP to be encouraged.

I think it will be an ESPN-NFL discussion, and the CFP will be told "these are your time slots". When you pay $1.3b ++ per year for something, you generally get a whole lot of input on the timing of it, especially in a case like this where the CFP Committee just wants big ratings, big $$, and they are understandably anxious to stay out of the NFL's crosshairs.

That makes sense. I also think it was ESPN who floated the 14-team proposal when they offered $1.3B. They ID’d 6 time slots in mid-December and probably gave the CFP a $ value at 12 and another at 14.

$1.3B was probably with 12 and could see $1.5 or $1.6 at 14. $20M a year for the worst first-round game? Not exactly; the $1.3B for 12 is likely depressed to induce expansion to 14.

Still think a ladder 16 is best, competitively. But ESPN must not have found enough time slots to warrant that much expansion. Law of diminishing returns.

Looks like the NFL caved. They are decreasing their inventory for that Saturday and adding 2 games to Christmas.

https://fbschedules.com/2024-nfl-schedul...mas-games/

NFL VP of Media: “So what we’re going to do is we’re going to play a couple of games, like we’ve typically played for well over a decade, probably more than that, on Saturday of Week 16, and then come back and play a couple of games on Christmas Day on Wednesday.”

I may be reading too much into only “a couple” of Saturday games. But he does seem sour about altering the pattern they’ve establish “for well over a decade.” Christmas was probably the best day available (“Friday at 4pm”, hahaha), but one the NFL had more flexibility to reach. Still pretty awkward because it is the Saturday teams that will play again the following Wednesday.

(03-08-2024 08:59 PM)Crayton Wrote:  “This 4pm Friday slot would be a much better place to put that game of yours. Don’t you think? I also think you’d be interested in this bridge…”

I wonder how expensive it will be for the CFP to be encouraged.

Yeah. A 2nd game on Friday is worthless. They've found bad times create bad ratings.

Unless ESPN wants to pay college football to move.

(03-26-2024 09:02 PM)Crayton Wrote:  Looks like the NFL caved. They are decreasing their inventory for that Saturday and adding 2 games to Christmas.

https://fbschedules.com/2024-nfl-schedul...mas-games/

NFL VP of Media: “So what we’re going to do is we’re going to play a couple of games, like we’ve typically played for well over a decade, probably more than that, on Saturday of Week 16, and then come back and play a couple of games on Christmas Day on Wednesday.”

I may be reading too much into only “a couple” of Saturday games. But he does seem sour about altering the pattern they’ve establish “for well over a decade.” Christmas was probably the best day available (“Friday at 4pm”, hahaha), but one the NFL had more flexibility to reach. Still pretty awkward because it is the Saturday teams that will play again the following Wednesday.

I was perusing an NFL board and was just about to suggest it, and lo and behold it was already connected to this story.

I don't think this should be a surprise. The NFL can't kill its own farm league.

Another scenario, instead of playing Saturday or Sunday, you move two games to Xmas, and then the teams can still come back and play on a short week (same rest as Thursday Night Football) and play the following Sunday in between the Holiday week.

However, if they keep two games on Saturday, I wonder if they will go to 1pm and 4:30 ET, or just have one game played on Saturday. College Football only has to go H2H in a single window.

If the NFL decides to move out entirely over the coming years, then the third Saturday will no longer have a conflict and they can keep Army Navy in place as is.