🏈 Responding to Nick Saban bowl concerns, playoff chair says some coaches out of touch

[BAMANEWSBOT]

The question was simple, but its answer generated significant discussion. Now, another party is commenting.

On Wednesday, Nick Saban was asked what he'd learned in the first year of the College Football Playoff. He said it confirmed his fear: Bowl games were losing importance with semifinals and a championship game generating so much attention. Saban went so far as to suggest they might think about playing one or the other.

College Football Playoff chairman Jeff Long heard those thoughts. Appearing on Sports Talk with Bo Mattingly on Arkansas radio, the Razorbacks athletics director responded to Saban.

"Well, I think sometimes coaches, particularly those at the highest level, I'm not sure how aware they are of what's really going on out there in the real world," Long said. "You know, bowl games, they keep adding bowl games. And I think the television interest for the games is higher than ever before, so I think that's not only the College Football Playoff, but as we've gone through some of those bowl games. So I'm not sure it's having that effect."

LISTEN: Full audio of Long's radio interview

Attendance at bowl games dipped four percent last year, but television ratings were up. Before the New Year's Day games including playoff semifinals, bowl games had an average rating of 3.4, according to ESPN. That figure was 3.2 the year before. In the meantime, four new bowl games have reportedly been approved for next season.

Saban didn't see it in such a positive light.

"I learned what I feared the most would happen," Sabansaid before teeing off Wednesday at the Regions Tradition pro-am in Birmingham. "All the attention, all the interest would be about the four teams in the playoffs, which is exactly what happened, which was great to be a part of.

"But what I was most fearful of is college football is unique. A lot of young men get a lot of positive self gratification from being able to go to a bowl game and that's always been a special thing. That by having a playoff we would minimize the interest in other bowl games, which I think is sort of what happened and I hate to see that for college football."

And the future of the postseason?

"Maybe we need to go one way or the other," he said. "Either have bowl games or have playoffs but not try to have both."

Long didn't think it was that serious of a situation, but there's always room to improve things.

"I think as ADs across the country, we are concerned about fans coming to games,"Long said. "We have to continue to make it a fan-friendly environment in our stadiums too because that's very important. The truth is, if fans aren't in the stands, it's not nearly as attractive of a game on television. So it's on all of us to make sure we're making those games interesting to be in the stands or be part of that environment and that while environment for college football."

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[TerryP]

"Well, I think sometimes coaches, particularly those at the highest level, I'm not sure how aware they are of what's really going on out there in the real world," Long said. "You know, bowl games, they keep adding bowl games. And I think the television interest for the games is higher than ever before, so I think that's not only the College Football Playoff, but as we've gone through some of those bowl games. So I'm not sure it's having that effect."

Attendance at bowl games dipped four percent last year, but television ratings were up. Before the New Year's Day games including playoff semifinals, bowl games had an average rating of 3.4, according to ESPN. That figure was 3.2 the year before. In the meantime, four new bowl games have reportedly been approved for next season.

There's context left out here. As example, no mention of the TV ratings for the bowl game season dropping three out of the last four years leading up to last years new playoff broadcasts.

"And I think the television interest for the games is higher than ever before..."

AKA "Revenue?"

Just using one bowl game here to consider, the Sugar.

Bama vs OU had over 10 million viewers than Bama vs OSU. So, is "TV interest" defined by the games Long's committee controls?

It stands to reason the six bowl games, the playoff games, and NC game would be getting bigger draws. But, we're talking about the other bowl games here...

 

[sean]

Attendance at bowl games dipped four percent last year, but television ratings were up. Before the New Year's Day games including playoff semifinals, bowl games had an average rating of 3.4, according to ESPN. That figure was 3.2 the year before. In the meantime, four new bowl games have reportedly been approved for next season.

so attendance drops and they keep adding more bowl games? yeah, 'cause that makes sense.

"I think as ADs across the country, we are concerned about fans coming to games,"Long said. "We have to continue to make it a fan-friendly environment in our stadiums too because that's very important. The truth is, if fans aren't in the stands, it's not nearly as attractive of a game on television. So it's on all of us to make sure we're making those games interesting to be in the stands or be part of that environment and that while environment for college football."

another point about game attendance being down, which they obviously know about and talk about. then they say it's not attractive on tv to have a game with low attendance.....yet they want to add more bowl games.

all of this makes me think this is about one thing and one thing ONLY.....money!

seems like too many people have watched wall street and believed the whole part about "greed is good".