What determines whether you are a great football team? Is it an undefeated record? A top-ten defense? A resume that ranks third in the country?
Or is it your ability to make money for ESPN and Disney? Yeah, that’s probably it.
GOP SENATORS LOOK TO CRACK DOWN ON FOREIGN ESPIONAGE WITH TOUGHER REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
The Florida State Seminoles were left out of the College Football Playoff despite meeting those first three requirements. All sorts of lame excuses were offered, including that their quarterback was injured (not that that stopped Ohio State from winning it all in 2014) or that Alabama was a better team (despite limping past multiple mediocre opponents this year). But the reality is that the College Football Playoff is partnered with ESPN, and to the broadcast partners go the spoils.
There is no denying that ESPN wanted Alabama in over Florida State despite being less deserving. ESPN has a 12-year deal with the College Football Playoff and, next year, will begin its 10-year exclusive deal with Alabama’s conference, the SEC. The SEC Network is already owned by ESPN, as well. The SEC’s success is ESPN’s success, and so Alabama being in the playoff is good for ESPN.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
What’s good for ESPN and other broadcast partners has been what governs college football lately. The conference realignment that destroyed the PAC-12 kicked off when the SEC poached Texas and Oklahoma from the Big 12. The push toward two mega conferences destroyed historic rivalries and a historic conference and now violated a basic principle of sports by leaving an undefeated Florida State unable to compete for a championship. But Alabama and the SEC are better for the pocketbooks of ESPN and the College Football Playoff. That’s all that matters.
It isn’t players earning money for their name, image, and likeness or the transfer portal that will destroy college sports. It is coordinating a sport on behalf of broadcast executives who work for Disney that will. As if Disney currently killing Hollywood wasn’t bad enough.