By halftime of last night's CFP Championship, there were already billboards around Tampa "thanking fans and by Tuesday morning those billboards were directing people to a website that is already beginning the process of being the first city to host a second CFP championship game," according to John Romano of the TAMPA BAY TIMES. Tampa Bay Sports Commission Exec Dir Rob Higgins said, "You know what I want to hear them say? 'We've got to come back here.'" CFP Exec Dir Bill Hancock said, "The energy in the entire community is awesome. ... There's something special about the heart, the soul, the warmth whatever you want to call it, they've go it here" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 1/10). In a roundtable for the TAMPA BAY TIMES, Martin Fennelly writes downtown Tampa was "putting on a show," and it "all worked." That is why the game "will be back," and it "should be back." AT&T Stadium and Mercedes-Benz Superdome seat more fans, and there are "newer stadiums" in the Bay Area and one "soon to open in Atlanta." But Tampa knows "how to do this" and has the "people who know how to put things together." Fennelly: "The people who run the CFP ... like Tampa Bay." Greg Auman writes there has been a "Super Bowl feel to Tampa this week." The city "knows how to throw a party around a sports event" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 1/10). In Tampa, Jay Cridlin notes the atmosphere for the title game "found its sweet spot" yesterday during a "festival-sized pregame show for ticketholders" featuring country singer Dierks Bentley. On a "sprawling campus" south of Raymond James Stadium, there were "corporate tents, interactive games and cool things to ogle" (TAMPABAYTIMES.com, 1/9).
CROWD PLEASER: Official attendance for the game was 74,512, a Raymond James Stadium record (Mult., 1/9). The Baton Rouge Advocate's Scott Rabalais tweeted, "That's with temp seats, but still, they've had Super Bowls here." The Tampa Bay Times' Auman noted the only crowds north of 71,000 at the venue "were the two Super Bowls and a U2 concert in 2009." ESPN VP/Communications Josh Krulewitz: "Rough guess of fan breakdown in stadium -- Clemson 60%, Alabama 40%." USA Today's Luke Easterling: "As a lifelong Tampa resident, I couldn't be more proud of how my city hosted the #nationalchampionship." USF AD Mark Harlan: "Congrats to @RHiggins_TBSC and the entire @SportsTampaBay staff. All the work and effort produced the best ever." PewterReport.com's Trevor Sikkema: "Everything I heard and read was that Tampa was an incredible host for the Championship game. Can't say I'm surprised. I love this city." Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed's Press Secretary Jenna Garland: "Reed congratulates Tampa on a fantastic event, says people of Atlanta will make 2018 #CFBPlayoff special." 49ers President Al Guido: "Unbelievable job @CFBPlayoff @BHancockCFP @MKellyCFP @RHiggins_TBSC @TBBuccaneers! The standard has been set. Excited to host in 2019."
