American Athletic Conference Commissioner Tim Pernetti pitched the idea of a separate football playoff in the future for conference champions who don’t make the 12-team College Football Playoff field.
USF athletic director Michael Kelly was less than enthused.
“My thoughts are that it is a nonstarter at this point in time,” Kelly told Green, Gold and Bold. “The new 12-team playoff provides a realistic path for the AAC Champion to make the playoff as evidenced by the fact that the American Champion would have made the playoff in seven of the first 10 years of the CFP with this new criteria.”
Pernetti said his idea – which he said is just “a conversation at this point” – would allow more coaches and student-athletes to experience playoff football.
“Think about it. There could be conference champions left out of the CFP, and the prospect of an additional playoff for these champions creates more opportunity and a greater experience for our student-athletes,” he said.
“We’re still waiting to hear what the downside of more meaningful postseason football is, that, by the way, could be a powerful complement to the marketing platform of the CFP.”
Critics have said the downside of an additional playoff for non-CFP teams could further stereotype so-called Group of Five teams as second-rate.
For instance, can you name last season’s FCS Division I-AA national champion without looking it up? Didn’t think so.
For the record, South Dakota State beat Montana 23-3. I know this because I looked it up.
Kelly said USF’s “entire focus is on finding a way to win the conference championship and to schedule an appropriately challenging nonconference slate for USF to earn a CFP berth. In a year that we fall short of our CFP goal, we will explore the best possible bowl or other postseason event opportunities that may become available in the future.”
It’s unclear whether Pernetti’s idea will gain serious consideration in the future, although it’s clear that television partners could be interested. The impact an additional playoff could have on the current bowl game structure could be a major factor to consider if it gets that far.
“We believe in more postseason football opportunities for our student-athletes. I want you to focus on that word – more. More means more added. The CFP is a paramount relationship to the American, providing the opportunity for all of our coaches and all of our student-athletes to compete for a national championship,” Pernetti said.
“We’ve been there before and we expect to be there again. What has been established in this postseason is so meaningful, and there is room for more – in addition to, not in replace of.”