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Inaugural CFP Title Game Goes Smoothly, As Officials Envision Return To AT&T Stadium

The "large crowd, clear roads and seamless ticket-related issues for fans" made last night's inaugural CFP National Championship at AT&T Stadium "a win-win-win proposition for CFP and local organizing officials, who envision making a bid to return the event to the Dallas-Fort Worth area" in '20, according to Jimmy Burch of the FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM. AT&T Stadium Special Events Organizing Committee Chair Tommy Bain said, "All the feedback so far is that it’s gone well. We’re very happy and we are so thankful that we missed the precipitation." Bain said that local officials "will meet in February to discuss plans for a future bid" and identified '20 "as the likely date." However, he noted there are "two potential issues that must be addressed." Bain: "No. 1, are the Cowboys looking at bidding [for] the Super Bowl? And, also, we’ll talk to the College Football Playoff people about their philosophy in moving this game around and see where we fit in all of that. I believe they will want to take this around the country." Burch notes the next two CFP title games will be held in Glendale, Ariz., and Tampa, with Atlanta "considered a frontrunner" to host the '18 game. But no venues "have been announced" beyond the '17 game (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 1/13). Meanwhile, in San Antonio, W. Scott Bailey notes the decision to invest roughly $44M in improvements to the Alamodome needed to secure the '18 men's basketball Final Four "could help sway the College Football Playoff site-selection committee to award its championship game" to the city. Valero Alamo Bowl officials "expect to receive in a matter of weeks a request for proposals" for the '18-20 championship games" (SAN ANTONIO BUSINESS JOURNAL, 1/9 issue).

PRE-GAME PUSH: In Dallas, Jeff Mosier in a front-page piece reports organizers and fans at last night's Ohio State-Oregon CFP National Championship "mostly praised the atmosphere and events" leading up to kickoff. One of the "few moments of off-the-field frustration came soon after the doors opened at AT&T Stadium," as thousands of fans trying to maneuver the main concourse "found themselves part of cramped crowds that stood virtually still at times." What "started as slight annoyances quickly grew into a painstaking crush of pedestrians whose questions and frustrations mounted the longer they couldn’t move" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 1/13). In Ft. Worth, Dickson & Hanna in a front-page piece note OSU fans "seemed to outnumber Oregon faithful at several party zones outside AT&T Stadium." But when it "came to colorful costumes," the UO fans "took top billing" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 1/13). However, Fox Sports’ Bruce Feldman noted the vibe around the CFP was "much, much different" than other title games he has covered. Feldman: "It feels a lot more corporate. Here we're in Dallas. It's really spread out. There's a lot of stuff in Fort Worth. I just think we're used to seeing whether maybe it's in Miami, Pasadena, or in New Orleans -- it felt a lot more connected to the colleges and the fans. Here, not so much" (“America’s Pregame,” FS1, 1/12). Meanwhile, in San Antonio, Tim Griffin notes parking "was going for up to $200 outside the stadium." Even the Pep Boys outside the stadium "was charging $90 to park and make a walk of more than a mile into the stadium" (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 1/13).

Ohio State fans appeared to outnumber Oregon 
supporters inside the stadium
CROWD'S CONTROL: The AP's Ralph Russo writes if there "was any concern that fans wouldn't travel to the championship game in the new postseason system," the sell-out crowd at AT&T Stadium, "awash in Buckeyes' scarlet and Ducks' yellow, put that to rest." The crowd of 85,689 "was as charged as any BCS national championship game" (AP, 1/13). In N.Y., Tim Rohan notes for all the sport’s "history, growth and commercialization, it had never hosted an extravaganza like Monday’s." The atmosphere inside AT&T Stadium "felt like that of a Super Bowl, with die-hard fans wearing the Buckeyes’ scarlet and gray or the Ducks’ green and yellow" (N.Y. TIMES, 1/13). ESPN's Chris Fowler said prior to kickoff, "A far less corporate crowd than we usually see. This is college football -- passionate fans in here tonight.” ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit: “You can feel a buzz in the air" ("2015 CFP National Championship,” ESPN, 1/12). ESPN.com's Ryan McGee notes the loudest that the crowd got "reacting to anything not game-related was during a third-quarter salute to the military," but that "was cheering." The loudest "groans of disgust were when the AT&T Stadium PA announcer asked the crowd to pick what song they wanted played during the next timeout by cheering for one of the following: Imagine Dragons, Meghan Trainor or Mark Ronson" (ESPN.com, 1/13). Meanwhile, SPORTS ON EARTH's Michael Clair writes the idea behind the Taco Bell Live Más Student Section -- "sticking 500 fans from each school into a separate section and tossing them on screen" -- certainly "had merit." Clair: "Sadly, other than the schadenfreude I got from watching groups of shirtless fans look sad when things didn't go their way, I didn't notice any particularly noteworthy shenanigans" (SPORTSONEARTH.com, 1/13).

FAN ADVANTAGE: In Dallas, Matt Wixon notes the OSU red in the crowd "nearly doubled the Oregon yellow, which isn’t surprising given the size disparity of the schools" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 1/13). In Ft. Worth, Stefan Stevenson notes OSU "appeared to have a 60-40 fan advantage at AT&T Stadium," which can be explained in part because travel to Texas "is easier and cheaper from Columbus, Ohio, than from Eugene, Ore" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 1/13). In Dallas, Brandon Formby notes face value for standing-room tickets was $200, but that "went down to $186 on StubHub.com," making it "the cheapest ticket sold on the website during the entire sales period." The "highest individual seat went for $5,122," and the site’s "most expensive sale was an 18-person suite that went for $35,500" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 1/13).

I SHALL CALL IT MINI-ME! ABC's Robin Roberts prior to the game said it "feels like the Super Bowl." Roberts: "I have covered a lot of sporting events and college bowl games, but this has a bigger feel to it" ("World News Tonight," ABC, 1/12). SPORTS ON EARTH's Will Leitch wrote CFP organizers "desperately want" the National Championship "to be a Super Bowl Lite." Every aspect of the event was "set up like a little brother watching his older brother and trying to do the exact thing as him, only with tinier feet." While it "makes sense for ... organizers to try to emulate the Super Bowl," it also speaks to the "overarching question about this game moving forward: What is this going to be?" (SPORTSONEARTH.com, 1/12).

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