Ohio State spent $4.4M "on two College Football Playoff trips," while runner-up Oregon totaled $3.8M, according to expense reports cited by Jon Solomon of CBSSPORTS.com. The financial numbers reported to the NCAA "do not include postseason revenue from the CFP and a participant's conference, or costly expenses associated with CFP bonuses to coaches and staff members." No school "spent more money on a single playoff game" than Alabama, which accumulated almost $2.6M in expenses for its semifinal against Ohio State in New Orleans. OSU spent about $558,000 "less than Alabama despite traveling from a farther distance." Alabama sent a "traveling party of 908 people -- 197 more than any other team brought to a playoff game and more than any traveling party from Alabama's past BCS Championship Game trips." Alabama "did not identify a bottom-line figure and said it will receive $2,058,400 from the CFP semifinal plus additional postseason money from the SEC in June." Oregon "listed a net gain" of $1.3M for two playoff games when factoring $4.9M in Pac-12 reimbursements and $650,501 in "credit card fees for tickets." Florida State "showed a net surplus of $144,866 on the Rose Bowl trip" when factoring in a $2M CFP expense stipend and $292,863 in ACC ticket sales. The four playoff teams "combined to absorb" 10% of their "committed tickets from the three games," totaling a $2.4M loss. Alabama "absorbed the largest number of single-game tickets" by not selling 2,134 tickets -- a loss of $388,600 (CBSSPORTS.com, 5/5).
IF IT AIN'T BROKE...: CFP Selection Committee Chair Jeff Long said of the format's success in its inaugural season, "The overwhelming sentiment from fans and colleagues and ADs is 'You know what? The committee got it right.' And that's gratifying for us as a committee." Meanwhile, he said he thinks conferences "need divisions." Long: "If you just have one conference without a division, you're going to fall out of contention earlier in that process. To me, from an AD's point of view, I want to sell tickets, I want my stadium full because that's a better environment for my student-athletes to hopefully win a game, the home-field advantage, all those things. I like divisions because I'm going to be in that hunt for a division title longer, that's going to keep my fans engaged longer" (ESPN.com, 5/5).
