Navigating College Football Playoff Scheduling Amidst NFL Dominance

As the NFL keeps its grip on TV ratings, college football faces a tricky challenge: figuring out when to schedule its big postseason games so they don’t go head-to-head with pro football. The College Football Playoff (CFP) schedule is always a puzzle, and both leagues want the best possible viewership while trying not to step on each other’s toes.

This year, the CFP decided to shake things up by tweaking kickoff times. The goal? Cut down on overlap with NFL games. It’s a rare example of the two football worlds working together, or at least trying to.

The NFL’s Dominance and Its Impact on College Football Scheduling

Every fall, the NFL pretty much owns the week—Sunday, Monday, Thursday, and sometimes even Friday. By mid-December, the NFL grabs Saturdays too, thanks to the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961. That law was supposed to keep college football’s Saturdays sacred, but times change.

With the CFP growing to 12 teams, scheduling has gotten even messier. More games mean more chances for overlap, and nobody wants to get buried in the ratings.

The Challenge of Competing Viewership

Last year, the NFL’s Saturday afternoon Chiefs-Texans game pulled in 15.5 million viewers. The CFP’s Penn State-SMU first-round game? Just 6.6 million. Later that day, Ravens-Steelers drew 15.4 million, while Texas-Clemson managed 8.9 million.

Still, some CFP matchups like Notre Dame-Indiana and Ohio State-Tennessee did alright, each topping 13 million viewers. Not bad, but the NFL is a tough act to follow.

Collaborative Efforts to Minimize Overlap

This time around, the CFP and NFL are making more of an effort to avoid running games at the same time. Adjusting kickoff times lets the first CFP game have a 90-minute window all to itself.

Ole Miss-Tulane kicks off at 3:30 PM ET, then Oregon-JMU at 7:30 PM ET. The NFL’s Eagles-Commanders starts at 5 PM ET, and Packers-Bears at 8:20 PM ET. It’s a bit of a juggling act, but at least fans won’t have to pick sides quite as often.

A Proactive Approach

CFP executive director Rich Clark says it was the CFP that suggested staggering the kickoffs to cut down on overlap. He thanked the NFL for being willing to adjust, and pointed out that there’s a real sense of respect between the two organizations.

Clark also mentioned that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell genuinely cares about college football. After all, that’s where many future NFL stars get their start.

Future Considerations for the CFP Schedule

The CFP is still looking for ways to make the schedule work. One idea? Move the whole playoff back a week. That would keep the 12-team playoff from running into the NFL’s big Saturday slate.

It’s a pretty big change, but not out of the question—especially if the playoff keeps expanding down the road.

Health and Safety Concerns

The folks in charge of the CFP want to keep a two-week break between conference championships and the first round. It’s about giving players time to recover, which seems reasonable.

Still, they’re open to making changes if necessary. The possibility of starting the CFP a week earlier is definitely still up for debate.

The Importance of Collaboration

The way the CFP and NFL work together really shows how important collaboration is in sports. Adjusting kickoff times and tossing around new scheduling ideas lets both sides keep their audiences happy.

If you want to dig deeper, check out the full article on NBC Sports.