Sometimes more isn’t always merrier

Published 10:10 am Tuesday, December 29, 2015

After the success of last year’s inaugural College Football Playoff, the idea of expanding the system to eight teams came as quickly as the Ohio State Buckeyes’ surge to the championship.

But if people were to stop and think about why changing the system to anything more than six teams is terribly myopic, greedy and benefits everyone but the players, I hope their opinions are swayed.

The eight-team argument is the most popular and I’ll base my counter on that.

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As it stands now, teams have a month off from their final regular season game until the playoffs begin.

This break allows for bodies to heal, coaches to devise game plans and for final exams to be taken, since they are, after all, “student-athletes.”

An additional four teams and two games will essentially move the start of the postseason to after New Year’s, which encroaches on the first round of the NFL playoffs, and there’s a reason the two are kept separate.

I know some will say just move the playoff games to before Christmas and only give the players a two-week break. However, this is typically where the greed of this argument shows its head. This would put the first round at the start of bowl season in mid-December and draw the playoffs out until its current place in mid-January.

Asking players to sacrifice themselves to play more games for the benefit and excitement of others without being compensated for their play is just wrong.

The idea of doing extra work without proper compensation — going to school on a scholarship does not equate to the billions of dollars the NCAA earns from college football and basketball for the fact of academic scandals among institutions and them not having a fair shot at receiving an equal educational opportunity regular undergraduate students receive — is generally rejected by most employees at their job, so why is it scoffed upon for college athletes to just play?

What benefit do the players get from playing an extra game? Absolutely nothing.

If an athlete — see Leonard Fournette, Jameis WInston or Ezekiel Elliot — has showcased his on-the-field capabilities, especially given three years of development between high school and the NFL, he only risks injury and hurting his potential earnings just to make the at-large fan base happy.

One of two things can come from the expansion to eight games: fans have to acknowledge the fact of too much money is made off the backs of college football players and the powers at-large are pressured to break down and pay them; or football players will begin to voice their frustrations and stand up for no longer being exploited.

Like I’ve said before, I found the need for a playoff system redundant.

I miss when computers and algorithms decided the national championship game.

 

Alexander Swatson is a staff writer for The Vicksburg Post. Contact her at alex.swatson@vicksburgpost.com.