Why the CFP selection committee might be the wrong target for Florida AG in FSU’s playoff snub

Florida attorney general Ashley Moody on Tuesday announced an antitrust investigation into the College Football Playoff. More specifically, she’s directing her office to dig into any potential improprieties in keeping out undefeated Florida State from the four-team field.

But On3’s Andy Staples isn’t certain that’s the best use of resources if the goal is to ultimately help Florida State make the CFP the next chance it gets. A better investment would be combing the depths of state law to see if there’s any way to help the Seminoles out of the ACC Grant of Rights, Staples argued.

“What they should do, though, if the state of Florida government really wants to help the Seminoles cause, is try to use this to help advance Florida State’s stated goal of getting out of the ACC. Because while you can’t prove a conspiracy against the ACC, you can prove that the ACC is not considered a power conference, and that perception is not what Florida State signed up for. When Florida State signed the Grant of Rights in the ACC, it was to be a power conference with a seat at the table, considered the equal of the Big Ten and the SEC. Clearly, no one considers the ACC an equal of those conferences. No one anywhere, except maybe the ACC office,” Staples said. “Florida State made it abundantly clear in August that they’re trying to get out.”

Moody, in seeking various communications from the CFP selection committee, is apparently in search of something nefarious showing that ESPN, which owns the rights to the CFP, was in cahoots with the committee. She is also seeking communications and records regarding deliberations.

Staples doubts a grand conspiracy exists, and unwound a bit of the reasoning for why it wouldn’t make sense for ESPN to want to tank Florida State.

“So if you’re thinking they went against what they were planning to do because of some conspiracy, well there’s not,” Staples said. “And also, if you think there’s some conspiracy with ESPN to screw Florida State and the ACC, well, you’re not following the money very well. If ESPN wanted to screw someone, it would’ve been Michigan or future Big Ten school Washington, because the Big Ten is the one conference that doesn’t have any rights, currently, with ESPN. They thumbed their nose at ESPN. That would be who you’d screw if you were ESPN. Last I checked, the ACC works with ESPN to make a channel called the ACC Network. The ACC sells all of its rights to ESPN. Some of them get sub-licensed to the CW. But for the most part, all of them go to ESPN. So you’re looking in the wrong place if that’s what you’re looking for.”

Investigation unlikely to turn up much by way of documentation from the CFP

While a trove of documents shedding light on the CFP selection committee process would be a fascinating read, it’s unlikely to be produced by this investigation.

By meeting in person, the CFP selection committee cuts off at the knees most any opportunity for their discussions to be documented. Even following most rules of order, an executive session can be used to shield the details of a discussion. But actual dialogue from the CFP selection committee room would be a juicy read.

“I would love it if the people in charge of the College Football Playoff or the people on the College Football Playoff selection committee were dumb enough to put anything in writing. Because, the whole system is designed so that none of this stuff gets out. Like they meet in person for a reason. They meet in person so that nobody can record their Zoom. They meet in person so they’re not sending notes to one another. That’s why they’re all in the same hotel multiple weeks of the year. So, if they’re smart, there probably won’t be anything to deliver, based on the subpoena. I hope they’re not smart, because I’d love to see some of that stuff. I’ve always said I would love to see this whole deliberation get televised. It would be awesome,” Staples said.

More considered selections from the CFP could be a result from this, 12-team era

With 12 teams getting in the field in 2024, with the top four getting byes, the rankings and specific decisions within them will carry more meaning beyond just the top four. This year, for instance, having Florida State at No. 5 would be the difference between a bye and a first-round game, not getting in the field.

But the ranking at No. 11 and No. 12 would sudden take on new meaning, which Staples isn’t convinced the committee has quite considered yet.

“You’ve gotta be careful with all of these selections, once you move into the 12-team world. Because who you have at No. 4 and who you have at No. 5, that determines who gets a bye. Who you have at No. 8 and who you have a No. 9 determines who gets a home game. Who you have, most years, at No. 11 and who you have at No. 12 determine who gets the last at large. And then which Group of 5 champion you rank the highest determines who makes the playoff entirely. And it doesn’t seem like all of those decisions were made with extreme care over the years,” Staples said. “So, is the committee going to be more careful with that? Are there going to be more, I don’t know, definitive criteria? Because with a four-team playoff, you can’t really have definitive criteria. You basically say, ‘Pick the best four.’”

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