After last year's ratings disaster, the College Football Playoff has wisely decided to move its semifinal games off New Year's Eve. And yes, it was ESPN's quiet lobbying behind the scenes that helped spur CFP officials to give up their pipe dream of taking over New Year's Eve in the same way the NFL dominates Thanksgiving.
Under a deal that began in 2014, ESPN is paying $5.6 billion over 12 years to televise the CFP. The network's big college football gamble paid off initially with TV ratings for the first two national semifinal games in 2014, outpacing even those of previous National Championship games.