The College Football Playoff quarterfinals take place this week, and as we continue evaluate the landscape of college football, one thing must be adjusted ASAP: Get the CFP quarterfinals ON campus. Asking die-hard fans to spend money for three straight weeks on travel, hotel and tickets is an insane ask. Two games is more than enough.
And with Texas Tech taking on Oregon in the quarterfinals in Miami Gardens, look at the prices to get into the game. As of Tuesday morning, the get-in price is under $50 for a ticket, with StubHub fees included.
As for the other games, the get-in price for Ohio State vs. Miami is $36. The Rose Bowl has some juice, because it’s the Rose Bowl, with get-in prices for Indiana vs. Alabama at around $100. Meantime, Georgia vs. Ole Miss is still going for nearly $200, in part because of the proximity for both teams to the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.
On Campus Games for the Fans
Think about this game being in Lubbock and how absolutely electric that atmosphere would be. Also, it takes away the advantage that the teams who win first round games have with one game under their belts, while the Top 4 seeds haven’t played in nearly a month.
Right now, college football fans are being asked to give more than ever. Ticket prices, parking, alcohol sales, NIL funding, it’s all going up. And now, if your team has a magical season and you want to see them play, be prepared to pony up to travel for three-straight games to neutral site locations. It’s insane.
And imagine four games this week in Columbus, Lubbock, Bloomington and Athens. My goodness. The pageantry that comes with on-campus games is what makes college football special. Why take that away? Because college football hasn’t put the fan first in a long time, so why start now?
