Orlando has a long tradition of being one of the premier destinations for sporting events.
From World Cup matches to WrestleMania, college football bowl games, and the NFL's Pro Bowl, Camping World Stadium (also known as the Citrus Bowl) is the place to witness some of the best sports has to offer.
But as college leaders debate the future of the College Football Playoff system, Florida Citrus Sports CEO Steve Hogan believes Orlando is well suited to be part of those discussions. I believe that.
“Do I want to have the opportunity to be a part of everything the system has to offer in the future? Absolutely,” Hogan told the Orlando Sentinel. “Given the opportunity, we're going to make a lot of noise and be as competitive as anyone to create an opportunity for Orlando to be in the playoffs.”
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FCS helps bring some of the top events to Central Florida and its 60,000-seat venue, including the Florida Classic and the Cheez-It and Poptarts Bowl Game.
The current playoff field will expand from 4 to 12 teams over the next two seasons, with the 5 highest ranked conference champions earning spots and the following 7 highest ranked teams earning spots as determined by the CFP Selection Committee: To do.
The top four conference champions will be selected from No. 1 to No. 4 seeds, with first-round byes. The remaining eight teams will be seeded 5-12 and will play at the home field of the top-ranked team.
The quarterfinals and semifinals will be played in the traditional New Year's Six bowl game (Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Peach, Rose, Sugar). The location of the national tournament has not yet been determined.
But the conference's commissioner continues to discuss future cycles, starting with a new TV deal in 2026, and there is already talk of further expanding the playoff field.
The latest proposal reportedly includes expanding the playoffs to 14 teams.
As the field expands, bowl games other than NY6 could take on a more prominent role, possibly hosting a first round, quarterfinals, or semifinals.
“It's up to the College Football Playoff and the playoff managers to decide if they have a chance to participate,” Hogan said. “If they do that, Orlando will be convincing and aggressive.
“If somehow they decide that the opening game is suitable for a neutral venue opportunity, we want to be ready for that as well.”
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Even if the playoff management committee decides not to include any more bowl sites in its expansion plans, Hogan said he believes Orlando's bowl games will remain the two key games of the postseason.
Both were among the most-watched bowls on ESPN platforms outside of New Year's Six games. The Citrus Bowl topped the list with an average audience of 6.8 million viewers, while the PopTarts Bowl placed him in third place with an average of 4.3 million viewers.
“Even if nothing changes, I think we have great business for this community,” Hogan said. “For 4 teams to be in the top 20” [rankings] If they played here in Orlando, the TV ratings would be high and tens of thousands of fans would be in the stadium. ”
The Citrus Bowl traditionally features the highest-ranked teams from the Big Ten and SEC that are not participating in the New Year's Six Bowl. The Poptarts Bowl features the best teams from the Big 12 and ACC, including Notre Dame.
This year's Citrus Bowl pitted No. 21 Tennessee against No. 17 Iowa, while the PopTarts Bowl pitted No. 25 Kansas State against No. 18 North Carolina State.
Hogan doesn't think the expanded playoffs will affect the quality of teams playing in the Orlando Bowl.
“I don't think there will be a negative impact,” he said. “These teams have been very successful and it’s good to be in a position to potentially select these teams.”
Email Matt Murschel at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on X. @osmattmurschel.
