SI Article
Should the college football playoff be expanded? Read the article and comment in 7-15 sentences. Point to specifics in the article to guide your writing. Feel free to bring in external sources, experiences, or examples to support your ideas. Ask questions or build off of what those ahead of you have stated.
As a college football fan, my immediate response to this question is "Absolutely!" The NCAA and schools participating in the extra playoff games would make more money from ticket sales, advertisements, viewership, apparel, etc. However, as is typical when considering college sports, we forget about the athletes. The players are aware of the limits of their own bodies and the amount of effort and wear-and-tear they can withstand before fizzling out and needing a break. The many players from Clemson and Alabama seem to echo the same idea that one more game would be physically asking too much of them. It also leaves the players vulnerable to injury for an added week which could affect their ability to play the following season or to commit to the NFL. Moreover, I never considered the fact that the added week would push into the second semester of classes for these student-athletes. Considering most of their summer and fall were dedicated to football on top of academics, I'm sure a semester free of the added athletic commitment of being in season would help them focus on their studies.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if expanding the playoff to six teams with a wildcard game would be a nice middle ground for both sides of the issue? This way, only one team would have to play three times at most?
Correction! Typo. I wonder if expanding the playoff to six teams seeds playing each other would be a nice middle ground for both sides of the issue? This way, only two teams would have to play three times at most, giving the 1 and 2 seeds a bye week?
DeleteThe college football playoff should not be expanded, unless the players are in favor of it. I believe that it's time that collegiate athletes received the respect they deserve. Expanding the playoffs would be catering to the desires of fans rather than players and those involved with the football world day in and day out. The players are subject to nearly half a year of grueling training and playing, with no pay and are ruled over by the NCAA with an iron fist. I don't feel that college athlete should be paid for their roles as they're often receiving a free education, but being able to have some input into the decisions regarding their jobs. Brian Hamilton of Sports Illustrated summed up what all players are thinking about an extended season, "The grind is worth it for a title, but it’s long, and it doesn’t need to get longer." Players may tire in these late season games, increasing risk of injury and decreasing the quality of play. As an athlete myself, I know how long the season can be and high school teams put in significantly less work and time in than college programs. By the end of the season I'm worn down, and after games I often can barely walk I'm so sore from the beating I took the day before. Various players stated in the article how beaten up their bodies are by the end of the season, and there's definitely a mental toll on the players as well. This is all with the current schedule, and fans are calling for at least one more game to be added. I do not think the playoffs should be expanded as it will have negative effects on the players and is against their will, while fans will likely see the quality of play drop as well.
ReplyDeleteMoney, this is what I think when reading the article about expanding college football playoffs. I think this because there will be more games for people to watch that will benefit the NCAA. The NCAA receiving more money may be a good thing but an issue to consider is the athletes playing in these games. These athletes have been working hard for these games and I think making them play in more games will make them develop more stress and injuries. As an athlete myself I compete often and it is very tiring for me, so it hard to imagine what it is like playing at the college level pushing the body's limit everyday. As said from Fitzpatrick, “It’s really about six months where you’re constantly going and constantly working and your body is hurting all the time.” Extending the season will just put these players through more pain. And when athletes go through pain that puts them at high risk of injury. Then when more athletes get injured the quality of the game will worsen. Having less quality in games will cause viewership to go down making football less popular. People may think that having more games will bring more competition because more teams will have a chance to win it all. But, I think it is fine how it is because having less games will create more competition for the teams wanting to make the playoffs. Changing college football playoffs I think is more about the NCAA wanting more money but something to consider is the athletes which will over work them causing more injuries, so I think, the amount of games should not be changed.
ReplyDeleteI think that the college football playoff should be expanded. With such a small playoff, the teams that make it have much less competition in their road to the title. If there was one more week, these teams would have to fight harder for their spot in the championship and prove that they really are the best. In addition, these extra games would create more revenue for the schools and make more football for the fans to watch from home. Lastly, I believe that the article is biased in who it asked for an opinion. Of course Clemson and Alabama players are going to say that it is "ridiculous" and "too much to ask" to add another game. They don't want to take the chance that they lose to another team. I'm sure though if you asked a player from a team that barely missed the playoffs how they felt they would be begging for a chance to compete for the championship. In sum, although it might make two teams a little upset that they have to play an extra game, the rest of the league will be happy and grateful that they have a better chance of making the playoffs.
ReplyDeleteI know I am one of many that would agree that the college football playoffs should be expanded. In the article it said that "Most suggested the elimination of a regular-season game to balance the ledger. “That’d be the only way possible.” I think this would be a great idea that the NCAA could implement. When it comes playoff time and the committee has to make its final decision on who makes the playoffs, I always think that the 5th and 6th seed team always get unlucky by not getting picked or just get screwed over. So by taking out 1 regular season game and adding more teams to the playoffs would be a fare tradeoff for the fans and the players. Who doesn't want to see more college football games. With this expansion of the playoffs money will also be a huge factor. I really don't see anything that is holding this back from happening. That is why I think that the NCAA should expand to a eight team playoff.
ReplyDeleteI think that in respect to the players, the college football playoffs should not be expanded. This said, its evident that there could be economic advantages to expansion. According to the article, many of the players don't believe its fair for them to have to play another game. Clemson linebacker Kendall Joseph said, "You’re just broke down. Things just add on and it kind of lingers through the season.” A lot of the players do not feel as though they could give their best performance with an additional game, and longterm, it could damage their physical health. While the expansion would be exciting for fans, their favorite players wouldn't agree. If colleges respect their players they would suspend the expansion.
ReplyDeleteI think the college football playoff should not be expanded in respect to the players. However, I think there could be a compensation to expanding it just not as big. In many interviews with players, none seemed to be in favor. Including Reuben Foster who said “I wouldn’t imagine playing more games than this”. From an outside perspective one more game does not seem like a big deal but as an athlete I can understand the stress physically and mentally that an extra game can add. Not only could it entail more injury and fatigue to players but it’s also important to keep in mind that these are still college students balancing their school work as well. If it was expanded though there would be many benefits to the NCAA. Financially, to the schools they could increase revenue with more ticket sales and viewers in on the game. This expansion could also allow a better chance for more teams that were just short of taking a spot in the playoffs and the best team earn a championship title to be really proud of.
ReplyDeleteI agree.
DeleteAs a fan I’ve been excited about an eight team college playoff scenario since I heard about the concept. I was listening to WFUV’s (Fordham) sports talk just two weekends back, and I heard a passionate argument for a 6-team scenario, but 8 seems even more equitable toward reaching a true consensus national champion. In none of the conversations I heard was the impact on player’s mentioned. I never even considered the fact that more games means more strain on athlete’s bodies. The players in this article say it’s too many games, and it’s hard to argue with them. My dad says that when the NFL was talking about adding preseason games, the discussion was about more chances of injuries, but the statistics didn’t back it up and thus far injuries have not been a factor in the preseason games. But these players were discussing the little things like soreness and other factors that weigh on their bodies. I guess I felt swayed by the idea to take away a regular season game as a compromise. I also never considered that games could last into the 2nd semester. Again this is not great for student athletes and the staff and bands and cheerleaders who follow them.
ReplyDeleteBeing a fan of college football there is nothing more exciting than the playoffs. However, I don't think it should be expanded to 8 games. For the players this would be too much to ask for them considering they start their season in June/July. They are non stop until their last game of the season which could be the title game or the end of regular season. Either way the players are already pushing their bodies to the limit throughout their season and if they were to implement an 8 game playoff it could result in players overdoing it. As Clemson tight end Jordan Legget said "That's just too many games to ask out of a player, honestly." I think when it comes to this decision the players should have the final say. They are the ones who go out on the field every game and for every practice. Whenever they do this they are at a greater chance of injury and adding another game would just build up injuries. As a result when the title game comes around the two teams playing may not have a flush strength team due to injury over the course of an extended season. I do see how the NCAA would be able to make more profit from having an 8 game playoff but I don't believe it would be worth it. Not only would this have an effect on the student athletes but also the rest of the school who would have to travel with the team such as coaches, cheerleaders, and faculty.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the college football season should be expanded. At first it would be exciting to fans, but after a while it would start to take a toll on the athletes. Throughout the article many of the athletes were asked basically the same thing and all of them said the same thing as Minkah Fitzpatrick saying "That’s too many games. Way too many games". The players already go through hard training from the gym to the field, giving the sport their all. Many walk off the field feeling sore and tired from all the training, so why make them work even more. If someone's already tired and you give them more work, the quality of the work is going to go down. It would not be a smart idea to make their players work this hard to the point were they start breaking down. It will end up putting extra "wear and tear" on their players to the point where they can't work. Also you have to think about how the players feel. They are the ones who have to suffer with the injurys for the rest of their life. It not fair to use and abuse them like they are pieces of technology you can use and then when it gets old throw it out.
ReplyDeleteBeing a pretty big fan of college football, in my opinion I believe that an expansion would be much more excited. College football players who have the chance to play in a national championship playoff is something they will take with them for the rest of their life meaning I doubt it'll be more taxing on them because they will be pumped up to attend in this event. I do agree that if they did do this and played the same amount of regular season games it could be dangerous. That is why I agree that if the regular season was cut down a few games it would be pretty cool. I also agree that college football and especially the playoffs would be much more hyped up and would attract so many more people which creates more revenue as well. I still don't know how much it should be expanded by, but I do think it would be awesome.
ReplyDeleteThe College Football Playoff is one of the most exciting series of games in sports—the countdown to New Years Eve begins almost immediately after conference championship games wrap up in the first week of December, and there is no reason why this playoff could not be expanded to eight teams. The main argument for expansion is quality of play; more games means more excellent matchups between the best teams in college football. Consider the fact that only one of eight semifinal games over the last two years under the current format of four teams have been decided by one touchdown or less. But while the semifinal games have faltered, the other New Years' Six bowls have flourished. This year alone, both the Rose Bowl and Orange Bowl produced instant classics featuring powerhouse teams such as Michigan, Penn State, Florida State, and USC. An eight team playoff also puts a premium on playing a tough schedule and gives good teams more breathing room. It would give opportunity to a team such as USC, who scheduled #1 Alabama week one, #7 Stanford week three, and #24 Utah week four—and lost all three—but reeled off nine wins to end the season, including three top 25 wins and two victories over top five teams. USC is a microcosm of a multitude of playoff-worthy yet two and three loss teams. Florida State and Michigan each lost just two regular season games, and one of both team's losses came by three points on the road to eventual CFP teams. Each of these teams certainly would have contended with #4 Washington, who lost by 17 points to Alabama. At this stage it seems inevitable the playoff will expand anyway. College football is driven by ratings, and ultimately, revenue. Ratings, while up from 2015's playoff, still have not been the viewership explosion network executives expected from games featuring the best teams in the nation. A larger playoff would in all likelihood mean less regular season games, which would essentially cut out the annual drubbing teams such as Alabama give when facing off against teams like Chattanooga in the beginning of September. That means better games from September-December, which ultimately translates to more people watching. In addition, with more competitive teams, the playoff games themselves are better games (and would probably take games off the ratings fiasco that has been New Years Eve), which in turn leads to better ratings and more money in the pockets of the NCAA and ESPN.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the college playoff system should be expanded to eight teams. My perspective primarily comes from seeing the college football league as a business. As there are more playoff games, the opportunity for the league to make more money also increases. With more tickets sold to games, air-time dedicated to games, and advertisements is not an opportunity to skip out on for schools and media networks. Aside from the potential profits, having a bigger pool of teams will give the lower seed teams attention that they will not received without the expansion. With another two rounds before the championship game, the title of winning in the last game, will be harder earned and something fans and players will be proud of.
ReplyDeleteHow can the college football board/players say no to an abundance of money and attention? I absolutely want to see the college football playoffs expand. Expanding to a 6, 8 or 10 playoff bracket is heavily favored among College Football fans. It'd last a few extra weeks and include a couple more thrilling games. Teams that got screwed over, like Penn State and Michigan, will have the chance to prove themselves. Revenue would skyrocket and it would undoubtedly be successful. However, as seen in the article, many players are skeptical to expand. It'd create complications with playing too much and missing academics. While these concerns may be valid, they can easily be accommodated for. Schedules will be shortened and bye weeks can be implemented. Players will be given adequate time for academics with required tutoring and testing sessions. Ultimately, the games won't be too taxing on the players and academics won't be a problem. Of course, the players should have the say. That's why the college football board will come forth with a promising plan. The playoff expansion will certainly become a reality in the near future with all these positives. The 4 game playoff setting will be known as history before we know it.
ReplyDeleteI think that the college football playoff should be expanded to 8 teams. That being said, I don't think that they have to play every single week. They should rotate a bye schedule so that for the players sake, they will have a better chance of not getting injured. Also, I think the playoffs should expand to 8 teams because there is always the argument about which teams should be in and which teams shouldn't. Last year, because Ohio State lost to Penn State, some people thought that Penn State should be in the playoff instead of Ohio State. If the college football playoff gets expanded to 8 teams, there will be less argument about which teams should be in. If the college football playoff was implemented this year, both Penn State and Ohio State would be in. The last point would be that it would be more exciting for the fans. This would have the 1 and 2 seeds have a lower chance of winning which would make the games more intense. That is why I would like the college football playoff to expand to 8 teams.
ReplyDeleteAs a huge fan of college football I am in favor of an 8 team playoff. I believe that it will be more exciting for fans because there is more games to watch. I don't love the aspect that if you lose one to two times your out of consideration for the playoff, so making it 8 teams gives other teams who may of lost twice a chance to get in. In this years playoff teams like USC, and Penn State got snubbed from the playoff bracket. A team like washington who had a very easy schedule, and ended up losing their only ranked game to USC does not deserve to be in the playoff. I understand that their record was unbelievable and they lost 1 game but their strength of schedule was too favorable for them. Making a 8 team playoff will give the fans more games to watch because the playoff weekend comes and goes too fast. I am a huge supporter of the expansion of the college football playoff.
ReplyDelete