By Zachary Persing ’15, Sports Editor

In 2012, NCAA Conference Commissioners ended years of complaints by College Football fans around the country when they unanimously voted to restructure the College Football postseason and move from a system that paired the top two teams in the nation, to a four team playoff system, slated to start in 2014. As more details came out, the Cotton, Orange, Rose, Fiesta, Peach and Sugar bowls agreed to host the two semi-final games on a rotating basis. Additionally, a 13-person committee was formed to select the teams for the playoff. All off these changes have been met with overwhelming approval from fans, because this system is widely viewed as fairer than the previous system and because there will be more meaningful games for fans to watch during Bowl Season.

Until this year, only the top two ranked College Football teams in the country  had the opportunity to compete for the National Title. That meant teams with one loss, although not eliminated, had a very hard time getting into the championship game. In 2003, an undefeated USC team even missed out on the championship game because LSU and Oklahoma were also undefeated. Now there is a little more margin for error. This is a key reason why Will Schwartz ‘17, a member of the Newark Academy Football team, likes the new system. He said, “a four team playoff is good because it virtually guarantees that undefeated teams get a title opportunity and it even allows for the possibility of a team with one unlucky loss to get a chance.” On October 18^th, 5^th ranked Notre Dame lost to 2^nd ranked Florida State on a controversial penalty with 13 seconds remaining in the game. In prior years, Notre Dame would have faced an uphill battle to get into the National Championship game, but now they have a realistic chance of making the playoff if they can win all of the games that remain on their schedule.

Many people believe that the College Football Playoff is a good thing because there will be more meaningful games played during the Bowl Season and regular season. In reality, regular bowl games are nothing more than glorified exhibition contests. In the past, the only bowl game that counted for anything more than pride was the national championship game. Now there are 3 games with National Championship implications. Brandon Dempsey ’15, a captain of the Newark Academy Football Team, believes that more meaningful games will be good for the sport. He said, “more people pay attention to March Madness than they do to the regular season in College Basketball. I think the same thing will happen with this playoff. I think more people will watch more postseason games, which is obviously a good thing for the sport.” ESPN happened to agree with Brandon’s sentiment about the viewership for these games as they will pay a reported 470 million dollars annually for the right to broadcast all three playoff games.

Although the playoff system has been received overwhelmingly positively, it has not entirely escaped controversy. People have wondered whether adding another game to the schedule could be unhealthy for players. Additionally, people have speculated that the members of the selection committee, made up of university administrators and former players/ coaches, could be biased toward a school with which they have a relationship. Although those concerns are certainly valid, the College Football Playoff will be a good thing because more people will be watching the games and all teams will have a fairer chance at the championship.