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Jan. 24—***
Naysayers — you knw who you are — will point to the relatively-low College Football Playoff title game ratings and say the sky is falling on the sport/event. They are wrong.
While it would have been better to have “MASH” finale ratings (ask your parents), the numbers don’t indicate any reason to panic. Or change the format. Or abandon the entire concept.
ESPN unveiled the ratings for the Ohio State-Notre Dame matchup, saying it was a dip from the numbers for the 2024 title game. Well, duh. If memory serves, the finale in 2024 between Michigan and Washington was played almost two weeks earlier (Jan. 8 vs. Jan. 20). That has to be part of the reasoning for the decline.
Three of the five lowest-rated CFP title games have come in the past five years. My take: that is easily explained by changing viewing habits.
A better idea is to wait and see what happens with the ratings next year. And in 2026 and ’27.
The CFP used to include three games: two semifinals and a title game. Now, there are 11 games to whittle the field from 12 to one.
The CFP title game has not reached must-see TV status like the Super Bowl. And likely never will. But is a vastly improved product that will find a bigger audience in the future. I am sure of that.
Perhaps, this year’s pairing was too Midwesty. Maybe, the game needs a big name from the SEC to increase the audience. We don’t know and can’t know after one year.
But I am optimistic about the CFP’s future. While some of the games were duds, there was enough good ones that I plan to come back for more.
The audience will find the games in later years and everyone will be happy.
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/cant-wait-saturday-dont-worry-154900692.html
Author : The News-Gazette, Champaign-Urbana, Ill.
Publish date : 2025-01-24 15:49:00
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