College Football Playoff Expansion Drives Media Rights and Event Scheduling Shifts

Key Quotes

"You know, look there's a lot that's wrong with college football right now and I think that army navy gets a lot of it right and I think that that's something that is really special and really spectacular it's something that's just I think a little bit bigger than just a football game and and you see that in the way that the cadets carry themselves in the stadium and the way that people operate around this game."

Ben Portnoy highlights that the Army-Navy game embodies positive aspects of college football, suggesting it transcends a typical game due to the unique atmosphere and the conduct of participants. Portnoy implies that the traditions and the seriousness with which the event is approached by cadets and attendees contribute to its special nature.

"I think the general consensus has been that the CFP will expand at some point whether that's this year next year so on and so forth like I think that's a fair assumption that that will happen at some point and ultimately that means that there will probably be games played on the day or in the windows that that army navy has been held in the last basically 10 15 years."

Ben Portnoy explains that the expansion of the College Football Playoff (CFP) is widely expected to occur in the near future. Portnoy suggests this expansion will likely lead to CFP games occupying the traditional scheduling window for the Army-Navy game. This creates a potential conflict for the Army-Navy game's placement.

"I thought you know Pavía I've really had a hard time picking between him and Mendoza I thought the numbers were pretty comparable I think you know the big game moments were pretty comparable like it was a really hard decision like it was one of the harder ones I've had to make in the I guess four or five years that I've voted for this so was a really cool night though I want to really cool speech and I think that you know to what we were talking about with army navy like I think when you hear Fernando Mendoza give his Heisman speech like there was a lot a lot to really love about that."

Ben Portnoy discusses the difficulty in choosing between Heisman Trophy candidates, specifically mentioning Fernando Mendoza and Diego Pavia. Portnoy indicates that both players had comparable statistics and performed well in significant games, making the voting process challenging. Portnoy also found Mendoza's Heisman speech to be a particularly positive and impactful moment.

"I think the Heisman Trophy and like the pantheon of sports trophies and individual awards like it's up there right like it's sort of like Heisman Trophy the green jacket it's one of the most recognizable awards in this country the Wimbledon trophy right like you you have these things like there's one of those right it's in that realm and so I think like there's a level of like class or dignity or whatever you want to call it that that goes with that and certainly the tv broadcasters reflected that but I think it also means that the tv broadcast hasn't really changed all that much."

Ben Portnoy asserts that the Heisman Trophy holds a prestigious status among major sports awards, comparable to iconic items like the Green Jacket or the Wimbledon Trophy. Portnoy suggests that this esteemed reputation contributes to a sense of dignity surrounding the award, which is reflected in its television broadcast. However, Portnoy also notes that this tradition has resulted in the broadcast format remaining largely unchanged over time.

"I think that the answer for now is no that is not probably the case I think that certainly there's some hurt feelings and I think there's some grandstanding and all of those things going on but you know one thing I did clarify was like if Notre Dame wanted to exit the ACC like they would have to go through the same exit process that would exist for other schools so for example like they are a full member of the ACC and everything but football like there is an exit process there are fees associated with that things like that."

Ben Portnoy clarifies that Notre Dame is unlikely to leave the ACC at this time, despite potential frustrations. Portnoy explains that exiting the conference involves a formal process with associated fees, similar to what other member schools would face. Portnoy emphasizes that Notre Dame, as a full member in all sports except football, cannot simply depart without adhering to these established procedures.

"I think that on paper like Alabama Oklahoma like yeah it's a rematch from a couple weeks ago but it's two huge brands it's going to be a Friday night standalone game like that there's going to be a lot there and I I would imagine that that draws pretty significantly but you know something I do like think is worth getting ahead of is like I think there's going to be a lot of conversation about the G5 schools and like if there's blowouts and things like that and that hey they shouldn't be part of the playoff and it's going to affect TV viewership."

Ben Portnoy predicts that the Alabama versus Oklahoma game will be the most viewed matchup of the College Football Playoff weekend. Portnoy points out that despite being a rematch, the game features two prominent brands and will be a standalone Friday night event, suggesting strong viewership. Portnoy also anticipates discussions about the inclusion of Group of Five (G5) schools in the playoff, particularly if there are lopsided scores, and how this might impact television ratings.