PASADENA, Calif. — With the how and when of college football playoffs determined, it’s time to lock in the where. PASADENA, Calif. — With the how and when of college football playoffs determined, it’s time to lock in the where.
PASADENA, Calif. — With the how and when of college football playoffs determined, it’s time to lock in the where.
The conference commissioners in charge of putting together the four-team playoff system that will start after the 2014 regular season will meet starting today in Pasadena, Calif.
At the top of their agenda: Pick three more bowls to be used in the semifinal rotation and decide on a site for the first national championship game. The Rose, Sugar and Orange bowls are already part of the six-bowl semifinal rotation.
“It will be another big step,” BCS executive director Bill Hancock said recently.
True, though all signs point toward these big steps being foregone conclusions. The Fiesta, Cotton and Chick-fil-A bowls are the overwhelming favorites to be chosen for the playoff rotation, and have been for a while.
So much so that only one other bowl — the Holiday Bowl in San Diego — even put in a bid to be part of the system that will replace the Bowl Championship Series.
“I was a little surprised we didn’t get more,” Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said.
Hancock said there was plenty of interest even though it didn’t result in bids.
“I talked to 10 or 12 bowls about it,” he said. “I think for various reasons people decided, many of the bowls decided, they’d rather go in a different direction. Some wanted to stick with their conference contracts, others couldn’t meet specs for 55,000 seat stadiums.
“We’re not disappointed with the numbers. We have good options and there are terrific stadiums.”
Bowlsby conceded the appearance of three bowls having the inside track to the playoff rotation might have deterred others from bidding.
Even Holiday Bowl organizers acknowledge they are a big underdog.
