Although college football’s conference commissioners and administrator’s haven’t decided on an official name for college football’s first playoff in 2014, they have come to the consensus that the name and the event will not include a title sponsor.
“It won’t be ‘The Vizio Championship Tournament,'” said executive director Bill Hancock, according to ESPN.com. “The Final Four doesn’t have one. The Masters doesn’t. The Super Bowl. That’s the kind of event we have.”
So what will the name be?
The commissioners and administrators are expected to make that decision during their meeting next month, but Hancock said that they have narrowed down the range of candidates to “a small number” and added that the name will be simple and straightforward, “not cutesy.”
Most college football fans will certainly appreciate and respect the move, but it will be interesting to see how long it lasts. Not having a title sponsor seems to add prestige and class to the proceedings, but there’s always the money angle. College football has never had a problem pairing corporate sponsors with some of its biggest bowl games because of the revenue those partnerships created. So, the same could happen in the future with the college football playoffs.
However, Hancock also noted that the bowl games hosting the semifinals will still include their sponsors in the name, saying:
“The semifinals will have something to the effect of ‘The Football Tournament Semifinal at the Discover Orange Bowl.”
So, those previous partnerships may bring in enough for the NCAA to make its money, while still allowing the NCAA to say that its event is on par with some of the most respected and most beloved in all of sports.
Title sponsor, or no title sponsor, one thing seems clear – most college football fans can’t wait for the playoff system to finally arrive and replace the old, worthless computer system known as the BCS.