George Kliavkoff believes NCAA Playoff must be reconsidered

The Pac-12 Commissioner, George Kliavkoff, has voiced what many of his peers have been thinking this last week — the NCAA playoff expansion has to be reconsidered. 

The movement of Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC has triggered the entire proposed structure and access to College Football Playoff (CFP) to be reevaluated. There are far too many moving pieces to have any certainty at all on the matter. 

“It’s certainly going to be readdressed,” George Kliavkoff, Pac-12 commissioner earlier this year, told CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd. “Remember that was a two-year process done by four people. The proposal is good, but it’s not done. We’ve mis-set fans’ expectations that it’s going to move on a very fast timeline.”

Buisness side of things

The initial timeline was set for the expansion to be implemented in 2023 according to the CFP executive director, Bill Hancock. This issue has been looked over for the past two years by the CFP subcommittee. However, the awaiting addition of the Big 12’s two powers has prolonged the process even further. 

“One of those tracks is something no administrator has mentioned publicly. Texas and Oklahoma moving to the SEC changes not only college athletics but the entire college sports business model” said Dodd

Another problem with the possible addition of Texas and Oklahoma is that SEC and ESPN may run into media troubles. The SEC and ESPN are exclusive partners in the conference’s media deal. The absence of the conference’s biggest two contributors will affect the revenue dramatically. As Dodd pointed out, Texas and OU leaving damages Fox’s investment in the Big 12. Fox currently splits rights with ESPN on the Big 12, Pac-12, and Big Ten.”

NCAA playoff biggest concerns

The Big-12 losing their two powerhouses could shift the SEC into an overwhelming position of power when it comes to media deals as Dodd and Kliavkoff both pointed out in different ways . Ultimately, it’s within reason that they can potentially hold six out of the twelve available spots which would be concerning to the CFP committee and fans around the nation. 

Some Power Five athletic directors have already vocalized their concerns and frustration with the addition to the SEC.

“Why on God’s green Earth would the Pac-12 and Big Ten hand over these [playoff] rights, which only strengthens the SEC?” an anonymous Power Five athletic director told Dodd.

He wasn’t alone in that thought.

“I don’t care if there are 10 SEC teams in; we just can’t make that a bonanza [every] year for them. You can’t strangle everybody else financially,” another athletic director told Dodd.

The shifting landscape of college football doesn’t appear to be settling anytime soon.

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