For most of its existence, the selection of college football’s national champion was nebulous at best. The Associated Press was, generally, taken as the authority, but numerous regional publications also crowned who they thought were the kings of college football. Beginning in 1998, the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) rankings, based on the Coaches’ Poll, was used to determine which two teams would play in the BCS National Championship Game, but that still led to split national championships. In 2014, the four-team College Football Playoff was introduced, but controversy followed, as some very good teams were omitted from the competition despite having better arguments for inclusion.
All of that changes this year with the introduction of the 12-team College Football Playoff (CFP). On Dec. 8, the CFP Selection Committee will release its ranking of the top 25 teams. The top 12 teams in the nation will be invited to take part in the expanded playoff, and the top four teams will earn a first-round bye. The teams seeded five through eight will host those seeded nine through 12 in first-round games on the host team’s campus. The quarterfinals and semifinals will rotate annually among six bowl games — the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential and the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
In May, ABC/ESPN announced a five-year agreement with TNT Sports to broadcast College Football Playoff (CFP) games. ESPN and ABC will show the first and last CFP First Round games, TNT will air the second and third games of the first round, and the four playoff quarterfinals, the two playoff semifinals and the 2025 CFP National Championship will air on ESPN.
The expansion of the College Football Playoff has the potential to be a blessing for New Orleans, according to Jeff Hundley, the chief executive officer of the Allstate Sugar Bowl. As part of the playoff, the Sugar Bowl will continue to bring fans, media, attention and money to the city, as it has for decades.
When (not if) the city lands the National Championship, it could be on par with the excitement and economic impact of the Super Bowl. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Super Bowl LVIII, held in February 2024, had at least a $500 million economic impact on the Las Vegas metro area, including $70 million in local and state tax revenue due to the game.
The potential of hosting a playoff game and the championship in the same season is more than attainable, Hundley said, especially after the multimillion dollar renovations the Superdome has undergone over the last two decades, including the latest $535 million refurbishment, focused on improving the fan experience by widening concourses, adding vendors and improving technology.
Hundley said the renovations were “paramount” as newer venues in cities that have not historically been part of the College Football Playoff are fighting for the opportunity to host postseason games.
“Las Vegas has a new stadium. Nashville will have a new stadium,” he said. “It’s concerning because more and more people are seeing the value of being a part of the College Football Playoff, not just the quarterfinals and semifinals, but the national championship game. I believe with this latest round of renovations, we’re more than competitive. It’s very impressive. We’re as good, if not better than, anybody in the country when it comes to facility. New Orleans is very much in the race, and we’re looking forward to the future.”
Chris Price is an award-winning journalist and public relations principal. When he’s not writing, he’s avid about music, the outdoors, and Saints, Ole Miss and Chelsea football.
