Campaign Promises
Other/Miscellaneous -> Miscellaneous Promises -> College Football | ||
| Item | Miscellaneous Promises | |
| College Football | Grade | |
| MP-6 | The Promise: "....we should be creating a playoff system. Eight teams. That would be three rounds to determine a national champion....I'm going to throw my weight around a little bit..." When/Where: Interview on CBS New Program "60 Minutes" dated 11/17/08. Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WDuQe89kJM Status:Among the principal complaints against the college football Bowl Championship Series (BCS) when Candidate Obama promised to "influence" change were that the methodology employed to select championship game participants consisted of subjective voting assessments coupled with the ability for an undefeated team to finish a season without being afforded the opportunity to play in that year's national championship game. Further, a team could lose its own conference championship but still be selected to play in the BCS championship game. President Obama's desire for a college football playoff system was repeated several times during his first term in office, most notably on 04/23/09 when he received the Florida Gators champions at the White House. During his remarks to that winning football team, he stated "You guys are the national champions. I'm not backing off the fact we need a playoff system." This remark became reality on 06/26/12 when university presidents approved a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) plan to institute a four-team playoff system. The structure: four teams, two semifinals played in bowl games during the New Year holiday, followed by a national championship game played about a week later. The four-team playoff system was activated with the CY2014-CY2015 college football season. President Obama didn't get the eight teams he wanted in the new college football playoff system. However, he most likely influenced the creation of the new four-team playoff system. This promise was fulfilled. | 1.00 |