Connect with us

Published

on

There were no promises made to the Rose Bowl this week during negotiations that ultimately led to the College Football Playoff expanding to 12 teams for the 2024 and 2025 seasons, but the CFP said it recognizes the importance of the historic bowl’s traditional New Year’s Day time slot, and the Rose Bowl will continue to push for it in the next contract.

“There was no intention of keeping early entry into the expanded playoff from happening,” said Laura Farber, chair of the Rose Bowl Management Committee. “In our negotiations, we had initially asked for an exclusive window around the Rose Bowl Game’s historic time slot at 2 p.m. PT on January 1. While we relinquished that ask, the Tournament of Roses is going to continue to work with the CFP Board of Managers on how we will fit into that CFP playoff rotation. It’s our intent to keep the Rose Bowl Game on January 1, but we’ll remain flexible on scheduling as needed.”

The current 12-year contract runs through the 2025 season, and the Rose Bowl was the last organization to agree to what needed to be a unanimous decision to expand the field before the deal expired. Farber said there was typical “back and forth” in the negotiations this week and that “it wasn’t the smoothest process,” but they were “extremely pleased to have come to an agreement” with the CFP’s board of managers.

“We look forward to working with them as the new system is put together and developed, because that is still in process,” she said. “There’s several steps that still need to be taken as the structure of the expanded playoff is still finalized — not for 2025 and 2026 — but obviously going forward, and we look forward to being part of that process. It’s really premature to say what the schedule of the expanded playoff is going to look like. Nobody knows.”

The Rose Bowl will host the quarterfinals in 2024 and 2025 in its same historical time window and its existing television contract. CFP executive director Bill Hancock said there hasn’t been much discussion about the next contract, which will begin in 2026, and they will “address all the bowls on the same basis,” but there is an appreciation for the Rose Bowl’s traditional window, which is one of the most lucrative in all of sports.

“I would say that it would be in everyone’s best interest for any CFP that happens in the Rose Bowl to kick off around 2 p.m. PT,” he said. “We do know that the ’24 and ’25 quarterfinals will kick at 2ish Pacific. I have to emphasize that nothing is in place, nothing’s locked in, nothing is guaranteed for 2026 and beyond.”

That leaves the door open for future changes, including multiple broadcast partners in the next contract. ESPN is currently the sole rights holder for the CFP and has first rights to broadcast the additional games in the expanded format. Hancock said ESPN hasn’t yet informed the playoff if that’s its intention. In 2024 and 2025, the higher-seeded team will host the first round on campus. The New Year’s Six bowl games will host the quarterfinals, semifinals and national championship. Hancock didn’t eliminate the possibility of quarterfinal home games but declined to speculate.

“We’ll learn a lot in ’24 and ’25, there’s no doubt about that,” Hancock said. “I don’t want to speculate about what might change and what might not change. It’s way premature to address that, but I know we’re going to learn a lot about our event in the first couple of years.”

The 12-team format, though, doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon.

Less than two hours after the CFP announced it will expand, a reporter asked the CFP executive director when it’s going to 16 teams.

Hancock didn’t flinch, saying the 12-team format is “solid, solid, solid in the minds of the presidents and the commissioners,” he said. “Solid. Did I say solid?”

“There hasn’t been any conversation about changing that,” he said. “I would be stunned if that were to change.”

Hancock said it’s too soon to speculate when the commissioners will need to determine the contract for 2026 and beyond.

“A lot of time and conversation went into the format that we have that you’re so familiar with, and everybody’s happy with,” he said. “We’re really not talking about 2026 yet.”

For the 2024 and 2025 seasons, the four quarterfinal games and two semifinal games will be played in bowls on a rotating basis. The 2024 quarterfinals will take place in the Fiesta Bowl, Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl, while the Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl will host the semifinals. The 2025 quarterfinals will take place in the Cotton Bowl, Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl, while the Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl will host the semifinals.

The first round of the playoff in 2024 will take place the week ending Saturday, Dec. 21, at either the home field of the higher-seeded team or at another site designated by the higher-seeded school. (No. 12 at No. 5, No. 11 at No. 6, No. 10 at No. 7, and No. 9 at No. 8.)

Hancock said there’s no timetable for making a decision on specific dates for the games to be played, but they are cognizant the CFP is likely going to compete with the NFL for viewers.

“We’ll make it in conjunction with the television rights holder,” he said. “That’s our plan, is to the play the weekend [of Dec. 21], but I can’t really speculate about when we’ll get to that. These games are what, two years and one month away? On one hand, that’s not a lot of time to get ready for a new event. In the other sense, it’s plenty of time to decide things like game dates.”

Hancock said he believes the 12-team format will make the regular season more important, particularly in November, because there will be more teams in the conversation for the playoff.

“The game of college football is certainly very healthy,” Hancock said. “Look at the viewership. Look at the number of people in the stands. I think this 12-team tournament will only enhance that. When people ask me about 12, what is it about 12? For me, it’s one word — participation: More student-athletes will have a chance to compete for the national championship.”

Continue Reading

Sports

Canucks, Boeser agree on new seven-year deal

Published

on

By

Canucks, Boeser agree on new seven-year deal

The Vancouver Canucks have come to terms with forward Brock Boeser on a new seven-year contract, carrying a $7.25 million AAV.

Canucks GM Patrik Allvin announced the deal on Tuesday during the first hour of NHL free agency. Boeser, 28, was an unrestricted free agent on a previously expiring contract.

Drafted by Vancouver 23rd overall in the 2015 NHL draft, Boeser has collected 204 goals and 434 points in 554 games with the Canucks to date. A top-six scoring threat, Boeser has elite playmaking skills and the potential to produce big numbers offensively. He had his best year offensively in 2023-24, producing 40 goals and 73 points in 81 games.

Boeser didn’t hit those marks again last season — settling for 25 goals and 50 points in 75 games — but was still second amongst teammates in output. He also plays a prominent role on Vancouver’s power play and when he can generate opportunities at 5-on-5, he is a true difference-maker up front for the Canucks.

The extension is a happy ending for Vancouver and Boeser. When the regular season ended, Boeser admitted “it’s tough to say” whether he’d be back with the Canucks. Boeser reportedly turned down a previous five-year extension offer with the club and Allvin subsequently looked into deals for him at the March trade deadline, with no takers. Boeser looked — and sounded — poised to explore his options on the open market.

Ultimately, Boeser decided to stay put by committing the best years of his career to the Canucks.

Continue Reading

Sports

Jake Allen agrees to 5-year deal with the Devils

Published

on

By

Jake Allen agrees to 5-year deal with the Devils

Jake Allen, one of the top goaltenders available entering free agency, is not heading to the market after agreeing to a five-year deal with the New Jersey Devils, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.

Allen’s average annual value on the deal is $1.8 million, sources told ESPN. That AAV allows the Devils to run back the same goaltending tandem for next season.

Jacob Markstrom has one year remaining on his contract for $4.125 million. Nico Daws is also under contract for next season, before becoming a restricted free agent next summer.

Several teams were interested in the 34-year-old veteran, whom sources said could have made more money on the open market. However, the deal with the Devils gives Allen long-term security. Allen has played for the Blues, Canadiens and Devils over his 12-year-career. He has started in 436 career games.

Last season, Allen started 29 games for the Devils, going 13-16-1 with a .906 save percentage, 2.66 GAA and four shutouts.

Continue Reading

Sports

Capitals sign Fehervary to 7-year, $42M extension

Published

on

By

Capitals sign Fehervary to 7-year, M extension

Washington Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary signed a seven-year extension through the 2032-33 season that is worth $6 million annually, the team announced Tuesday.

Fehervary, who had one year of team control remaining, will enter the final season of a three-year bridge deal that will see him make $2.675 million before his new contract begins at the start of the 2026-27 season.

He finished the season with five goals and a career-high 25 points while logging 19 minutes. Fehervary also played a crucial role in the Capitals’ penalty kill by finishing with 245 short-handed minutes for a penalty kill that was fifth in the NHL with an 82% success rate.

Securing the 25-year-old Fehervary to a long-term deal means the Capitals now have seven players who have more than three years remaining on their current contracts.

It also means the Capitals front office has one less decision to make ahead of what is expected to be an active offseason in 2026 that will see the club have what PuckPedia projects to be $39.25 million in cap space.

That’s also the same offseason in which captain and NHL all-time leading goal scorer Alex Ovechkin‘s contract will come off their books along with that of defenseman John Carlson.

But until then, the Capitals have their entire top-six defensive unit under contract as they seek to improve upon a 2024-25 season that saw them finish atop the Metropolitan Division with 111 points before they lost in the Eastern Conference semifinal to the Carolina Hurricanes in five games.

Continue Reading

Trending