Just weeks after the College Football Playoff's inaugural postseason finished with Ohio State winning the national title, the CFP is reportedly being pressured to adjust its schedule.
The reason, according to sportsbusinessdaily.com: television ratings. And the CFP is holding its ground.
"We've started a new tradition and we don't want to back away from it now," said Bill Hancock, the CFP's executive director.
According to the report, ESPN would prefer that the CFP's semifinal games next season be played Jan. 2 rather than New Year's Eve, a move that would create less competition for ratings. Not that there were any complaints about the ratings the Ohio State-Alabama and FSU-Oregon semifinal games, played New Year's Day, drew anyway.
When it comes to TV ratings, however, more is always better.
The CFP has a 12-year contract with ESPN, but according to the report, the network is only advocating a schedule change for next year's CFP schedule.
Another possible complication with the schedule is the prospect of an expanded NFL playoff format.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
