WASHINGTON — It may not come as shock to anyone, but Bowl Championship Series officials waited for the start of ESPN’s 6 p.m. SportsCenter to make its big playoff announcement on Tuesday.
The BCS Presidential Oversight Committee kicked off its meeting at the Dupont Circle Hotel at 3 p.m. Two-and-a-half hours later, an agreement on a new four-team playoff was reached.
But instead of immediately stepping up to the podium to announce the groundbreaking news, the group of university presidents and conference commissioners in attendance stayed behind closed doors for an additional 30 minutes.
University presidents and college commissioners delayed their announcement for ESPN’s sake. (Matt Michaels/Medill News Service)
George Smith, a reporter who covered the meeting for ESPN, said the BCS specifically delayed the press conference so it could be shown live at the top of Tuesday’s 6 p.m. SportsCenter.
The move makes sense for the BCS and ESPN. The four-letter network pays the BCS $125 million annually to carry the national championship game, Fiesta Bowl, Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl. The deal began in 2011 and will run through 2014 – the last season before the playoff is implemented.
As you can see in the press conference video, the university presidents and college commissioners enter the room and take the stage at the same time Smith is reporting live on ESPN.
“We are literally just moments away from an official announcement regarding a college football playoff,” Smith said. “Charles Steger, president of Virginia Tech and the head of the committee, will step out right now.”
Seconds later, Steger announced the details of the new playoff.