🏈 Why are the playoff semifinals on New Year's Eve again?

[OldPlayer]

I love it. New Years Eve is completely over rated in my opinion. The game will be over with plenty of time for me to get out and do what I want to do that night. It isn't on CBS, so its not like it'll be a 4-hour commercial-fest.

Uh, yes it will. They will cram as many commercials as possible into the broadcast.

 

[BamaCore]

Uh, yes it will. They will cram as many commercials as possible into the broadcast.

Not to the degree CBS does it. I promise you that.

 

[BigCrimson]

One of the reasons is the venues involved. Future dates are likely to be on New Year's Day.

As for this year, why did you make plans that didn't include watching the game? They didn't select the date two weeks ago. It's been on the schedule for months.

I have a wife who is gracious enough to allow me for 12 (13 if needed) games out of a year to give me first dibs on watching ball games before anything else. She gives way to my love for football. So when she wants to go to a New Year's Eve party thrown by her best friend it is very hard for me to say "Uh no. I'm staying home watching the game even though I've forced you to schedule all our events around the entire regular season." I'm not going to do that. I sleep with my wife, not Alabama football.

 

[BamaCore]

I have a wife who is gracious enough to allow me for 12 (13 if needed) games out of a year to give me first dibs on watching ball games before anything else. She gives way to my love for football. So when she wants to go to a New Year's Eve party thrown by her best friend it is very hard for me to say "Uh no. I'm staying home watching the game even though I've forced you to schedule all our events around the entire regular season." I'm not going to do that. I sleep with my wife, not Alabama football.

You see, that's where you went wrong. Give her Charleston Southern, MTSU, or LA Monroe. Hell, even Arkansas would be fine. But you wait until the playoff game to give her your time? That's on nobody but you, man. lol

 

[BigCrimson]

You see, that's where you went wrong. Give her Charleston Southern, MTSU, or LA Monroe. Hell, even Arkansas would be fine. But you wait until the playoff game to give her your time? That's on nobody but you, man. lol

I guess I'll tell her best friend to schedule the New Year's Eve party a little earlier next time...

 

[BamaCore]

I guess I'll tell her best friend to schedule the New Year's Eve party a little earlier next time...

And I'll also be sure to call up the bowl sponsors and make sure their bowl times don't conflict with your wife's friend's plans.

 

[BigCrimson]

And I'll also be sure to call up the bowl sponsors and make sure their bowl times don't conflict with your wife's friend's plans.

Right, because you can't depend on the bowl people to make common sense decisions.

 

[BamaCore]

Right, because you can't depend on the bowl people to make common sense decisions.

:lol: Dude, calm down. I'm playing. I feel for you I really do. Trust me. I've been there.

Me and my now better half have a system in place. A max of about 5 hours...at a max 15 days out of the 365 days in a year I get my football. If Alabama is playing, that's my time. She understands that its something important to me and she lets me have it. I make it up to her in other ways. If she ever wants to do something, we do it as long as it doesn't fall into that small window within any given year that Alabama so happens to play.

 

[BigCrimson]

:lol: Dude, calm down. I'm playing. I feel for you I really do. Trust me. I've been there.

Me and my now better half have a system in place. A max of about 5 hours...at a max 15 days out of the 365 days in a year I get my football. If Alabama is playing, that's my time. She understands that its something important to me and she lets me have it. I make it up to her in other ways. If she ever wants to do something, we do it as long as it doesn't fall into that small window within any given year that Alabama so happens to play.

I'm not upset.

 

[BamaCore]

I'm not upset.

If you say so. Roll Tide, my friend.

 

[BigCrimson]

Roll Tide!

 

[bamafan4ever]

My wife wouldn't schedule anything that conflicted with Alabama football because she doesn't want to miss a thing. I took her to her first Alabama game over 25 years ago and she is fan of the Crimson Tide.

 

[TerryP]

I hate it. Why not put two of the bigger bowls that are planned for New Year's Day on New Year's Eve and put the two playoff games on New Years Day? It sure does eff up a lot of plans. Now I've got to go to a New Years Eve event that I can't get out of and some how still watch pieces of the game. My guess is this format will not be around for long. I got a feeling after a few years of it there will be some changes.

One of the reasons is the venues involved

...and the second is the conferences involved in those venues. Look no further than the Rose Bowl and the B1G (or Delaney, your choice) and you've got your answer.

Not to the degree CBS does it. I promise you that.

Based on what?

There is a difference found in how long games last but that's mostly found on which conferences/teams are playing; not what network. (With one exception of FOX who added several commercial breaks in 2014 and we can't discount that's a Big 12 network .)

We'll find that the Clemson vs OU game will last longer than Bama vs MSU. Big 12 and ACC games last longer largely due to the number of scores, which in turn lead to more commercial breaks after scores.

 

[planomateo]

My wife wouldn't schedule anything that conflicted with Alabama football because she doesn't want to miss a thing. I took her to her first Alabama game over 25 years ago and she is fan of the Crimson Tide.

Same here. There are things that conflict with football all the time that I deal with, I usually just watch the game via my phone or listen to Eli when I have to be away from the computer.

I have a wife who is gracious enough to allow me for 12 (13 if needed) games out of a year to give me first dibs on watching ball games before anything else. She gives way to my love for football. So when she wants to go to a New Year's Eve party thrown by her best friend it is very hard for me to say "Uh no. I'm staying home watching the game even though I've forced you to schedule all our events around the entire regular season." I'm not going to do that. I sleep with my wife, not Alabama football.

Have her best friend turn the game on, you know others will want to watch this anyways. The game starts at 7pm...you have plenty of time to celebrate after the game .

 

[Bamabww]

My wife wouldn't schedule anything that conflicted with Alabama football because she doesn't want to miss a thing. I took her to her first Alabama game over 25 years ago and she is fan of the Crimson Tide.

Same here. We've been going to / watching games together since 1970. What a blessing!

 

[OldPlayer]

...and the second is the conferences involved in those venues. Look no further than the Rose Bowl and the B1G (or Delaney, your choice) and you've got your answer.



Based on what?

There is a difference found in how long games last but that's mostly found on which conferences/teams are playing; not what network. (With one exception of FOX who added several commercial breaks in 2014 and we can't discount that's a Big 12 network .)

We'll find that the Clemson vs OU game will last longer than Bama vs MSU. Big 12 and ACC games last longer largely due to the number of scores, which in turn lead to more commercial breaks after scores.

The Orange Bowl also has the longest halftime. EVER.

 

[BamaFan334]

I have a wife who is gracious enough to allow me for 12 (13 if needed) games out of a year to give me first dibs on watching ball games before anything else. She gives way to my love for football. So when she wants to go to a New Year's Eve party thrown by her best friend it is very hard for me to say "Uh no. I'm staying home watching the game even though I've forced you to schedule all our events around the entire regular season." I'm not going to do that. I sleep with my wife, not Alabama football.

With all due respect here, what's wrong with your wife planning around 3 hours, one day a week, 12 weeks a year? I must have a super awesome wife because she knows it's what I want very few times a year and she makes no complaints about that. Sure, I missed kickoff and maybe the first series a couple times due to running errands with her, but I have no issue with that when I get to watch the rest uninterrupted. Well, during commercial breaks I may do something for her. I don't think anyone here is sleeping around on their wives with Alabama football.

 

[BamaCore]

...and the second is the conferences involved in those venues. Look no further than the Rose Bowl and the B1G (or Delaney, your choice) and you've got your answer.



Based on what?

There is a difference found in how long games last but that's mostly found on which conferences/teams are playing; not what network. (With one exception of FOX who added several commercial breaks in 2014 and we can't discount that's a Big 12 network .)

We'll find that the Clemson vs OU game will last longer than Bama vs MSU. Big 12 and ACC games last longer largely due to the number of scores, which in turn lead to more commercial breaks after scores.

Well, I don't think I can give you any statistics or anything so I guess just based on experience. lol Maybe I'm wrong but CBS seems as if it has a very rigid commercial schedule. I can't recall other networks going commercial, play commercial without a timeout or injury. CBS does it at least twice a game. Again, could be wrong, but it certainly seems longer.

 

[TerryP]

Well, I don't think I can give you any statistics or anything so I guess just based on experience.

The "advent" of the HUNH led to a few nation writers comparing games, conferences, time lengths, etc., a few years ago.

As I recall, longest to shortest ran something like:

Big 12
ACC
AAC
PAC 12
SEC
B1G

 

[planomateo]

Last years games were on New Years Day. The Michigan State vs Alabama game probably lost viewers due to the blowout, but with Oklahoma vs Clemson roughly the same rating, perhaps it was New Years Eve related...

Huge difference in ratings between this year and last year for the College Football Playoff ratings. Ratings were up over the previous year's NYE's games though.




Interesting stats in the below link.

College Football Playoff Semifinal Michigan State vs. Alabama: Tied for ESPN’s Fifth Best non-Championship College Football Game on Record; WatchESPN Records Set for Both Semifinals - ESPN MediaZone

WatchESPN up big...either due to cord cutters (like me) or people just watching the game while away from cable/satellite reception.

College Football Playoff Delivers on WatchESPN
Digitally, the Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl become the second and third most-streamed games for any sport, excluding the World Cup, in the history of WatchESPN based on average minute impressions, with the Cotton Bowl adding 318,000 average minute impressions to its TV audience and the Orange Bowl adding 300,000 average minute impressions to its TV audience. Last year’s College Football Playoff National Championship (Jan 12, 2015) is the only game to top the New Year’s Eve semifinals.

Additionally, the Sooners-Tigers matchup had 1,188,000 unique viewers, the second most-ever viewers for any sporting event, excluding the World Cup, on WatchESPN. The Spartans-Crimson Tide game had 1,047,000 unique viewers, ranking fourth on that same list.

Additional WatchESPN Highlights:

• The Cotton Bowl, based on average minute impressions, was up 271% from the 2014 Cotton Bowl, 281% from last year’s New Year’s Eve Prime Time game (Orange Bowl) and up 24% from last year’s second semifinal game, which was held in prime time on New Year’s Day (Sugar Bowl). Based on unique viewers, it was up 140%, 307% and 15%, respectively, in the same three categories.
• The Orange Bowl, based on average minute impressions, was up 259% from last year’s Orange Bowl, 299% from last year’s New Year’s Eve late afternoon game (Fiesta Bowl) and up 158% from last year’s first semifinal game, which was held late afternoon on New Year’s Day (Rose Bowl). Based on unique viewers, it was up 362%, 307% and 46%, respectively, in the same three categories.
• On average, this season’s College Football Playoff Semifinals, added 313,000 average minute impressions to the TV audience, had 1,117,000 unique viewers and 67,142,000 minutes watched, up 67%, 29% and 58%, respectively, from last year’s two-game semifinal average.
• The Peach Bowl added 137,000 average minute impressions to its TV audience, 589,000 unique viewers totaling 32,345,000 minutes viewed, up 57%, 86% and 81%, respectively, to the Peach Bowl last year, which was held in the same New Year’s Eve noon timeslot.