IRVING, Texas — The Army-Navy game will not affect the 12-team College Football Playoff selection process, which will be played six days earlier, outgoing CFP executive director Bill Hancock said Wednesday, moving away from a four-team format. Announced changes.
This matchup has traditionally been held on the second Saturday of December, after the CFP releases its final rankings. Academy officials did not want the annual rivalry to be moved up to match the final standings of the 12-team playoff era.
The Army and Navy said the CFP would consider the idea of seeding 11 of the 12 teams and earning an automatic berth into Group 5 if either academy competes as the American Athletic Conference champion. I expected. In the previous four-team CFP/New Years 6 format, if either Army or Navy were among the top four contenders, or if Navy was able to finish as the highest-ranking Group of 5 conference champion, the committee and would have had to wait for the navy. Instead, Navy lost the AAC Championship Game, ending its hopes for a Cotton Bowl bid.
But CFP officials said this week at their annual spring meeting that they will not be asking other CFP participants to wait a full week to learn their opponents in a shorter turnaround before the 12-team playoffs begin. I decided it couldn't be done. The first round on campus will take place a week after Army vs. Navy.
“Waiting a week for a 12-team playoff is often complicated and has a short deadline,” AAC Commissioner Mike Aresco said. “It's another thing with four teams not being able to play until the end of the month. Play (after two weeks) has changed a lot.”
The new policy would open up a scenario where Army or Navy could win the AAC and qualify for the CFP as the top G5 champions, but advance to the CFP even if they lose to another academy six days later.
Army will join the AAC as a football-only member this year, but the annual matchup with Navy will still be a non-conference game. That's due to both the uniqueness of the games on the calendar and the game contract with CBS (the AAC has an exclusive deal with ESPN for conference games). If Army and Navy both reach his AAC championship, they will play two weeks in a row.
• Hancock also said Wednesday that CFP will not move the three first-round games from the third Saturday in December. Pack had reported that the NFL was upset that CFP would hold games on the first Saturday of the year when NFL games are played, which is allowed under the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961.
“I read that. I don't get it,” Hancock said. “Could we have played Thursday or played multiple games on Friday? There are no great options. What we settled on was an option that ESPN was happy with.”
• Washington State Athletic Director Pat Chun has resigned from the CFP selection committee due to his resignation from his position with the Washington State Advertising Bureau. Mr Hancock said the CFP would find a new at-large commissioner to serve Mr Chun's three-year term.
• CFP also increased the travel budget for team families from $1.5 million for three games to $7.5 million for 11 games.
(Photo: Danny Wilde/USA Today)
