On December 1, 2022 the College Football Playoff Board of Managers approved then advancement of expansion for the CFP for 12-teams. This board of managers at that point in time reported to CFP Executive Director; Mr. Bill Hancock. From my understanding; CFP Executive Director Bill Hancock will be stepping down into retirement. The CFP Board of Managers is comprised of members from FBS academic/athletic institutions. Nine (9) of the eleven (11) members earned titles of Doctor; meaning holds PH.D. degrees in a field of accreditation/expertise or JD (Juris Doctorate) within law. The remaining two Board of Manager members are; an Athletic Director at Ohio State University and Reverend of a Prestigious Catholic University; Notre Dame.
The CFP Board of Managers under the direction of the CFP Executive Director Bill Hancock, were tasked with the approval or non-approval of advancement for the College Football Playoff expansion from a four (4) FBS teams to twelve (12) FBS teams. Also included with that responsibility, the Board of Managers were to establish the selection process, seeding process and playoff format schedule. The Board of Managers did approve the development of and implementation of the CFP format for twelve (12) FBS teams.
The list of the Board of Managers are; including names, title, and degrees:
Dr. Kristina M Johnson; President at Ohio State University. Earned Degrees are; BS, MS and PHD in Electrical Engineering. (Currently is no longer President at Ohio State University)
Dr. Mark Keenum; President at Mississippi State University. Earned Degrees are; AAS, BS, MS and PHD in Agricultural Economics.
Mr. Gene Smith; Senior Vice President and Wolfe Foundation Endowed Athletic Director at Ohio State University. Earned Degrees are; BA in Business Administration.
Dr. Timothy Caboni; President at Western Kentucky University. Earned degrees are; BA Speech Communication. MB in Corporate and Organizational Communication. PH.D in Leadership Policy.
Mr. Gordon Gee; President at West Virginia University. Earned degrees are; BA History. JD of Education Law and Education specializing in legal and administrative problems in institutions of higher education.
Dr. Jack Hawkins; Chancellor at Troy University. Earned Degrees are BA, MS and PH.D.
Reverend John Jenkins; President at Notre Dame University. Earned Degrees are; BA, MA and PH. D in Philosophy.
Dr. Kirk Shultz; President at Washington State University. Earned Degrees are; BS and PH.D in Chemical Engineering.
Dr. Satish Tripathi; President at the University of Buffalo. Earned Degrees are; (3) Masters in Computer Science and Statistics. Plus a PH.D in Computer Science.
Dr. Gerald Turner; President at Souther Methodist University. Earned Degrees are; BS, MS and PH.D in Psychology.
Dr. Keith Whitfield; President at University of Neveda Las Vegas. Earned Degrees are; BA in Psychology, PH.D in Lifespan Development Psychology. Post Doctoral Training in Quantitative Genetics.
This list of academicians with earned advanced degrees; indicates that all but one (1) member of the group holds a Doctoral degree and or Doctorate credentials. The more interesting dichotomy is that not one of them earned degrees in athletics or the development of athletic processes. Furthermore, each of these individuals have all been taught through the earning of their advanced degrees, how to problem solve through research and development. There are specific rules that those with higher educational degrees must adhere to and follow when problem addressing a problem in academics, athletics or business.
The development of research possessing rules are vital to understanding the problem in which these academicians are solving. These academicians failed to complete the due diligence of researching the problem of an expanded playoff system for college football at the FBS level. They failed to examine published peer reviewed research, either by publication or in book format that already examined playoff formats. There are multiple publications and peer reviewed research articles that would have been discovered by these highly astute academicians. Indicating that other academics within the field of athletics, has investigated the problem at hand; the expansion of the college football playoff at the FBS level.
Research has been published on the subject matter of the college football playoff expansion at the FBS level since early (2013). The original published, intellectual property and copyright protected research on the college football playoff expansion was titled; “College Football In The BCS Era The Untold Truth: An Analysis of Factors That Supports the 16-Team Playoff Model (Siggelow, 2013).” This (2013) publication examined the independent variables on the dependent variable, while examining categorical variables within each independent variable. All of which effects the validity of the selection process, the validity of subjectivity, the credibility of conferences and the FBS programs within each, and other direct factors that associate of an expanded playoff format. Chapter 15 titled: The Future Business Plan for the 16-Team Playoff. This published chapter explains every detail from the selection process, seeding process, start dates and incorporating the use of the college bowl systems for the quarter final round with the remaining eight winning FBS programs.
During the following three (3) years by (2016), I expanded the research within the book to include other specific topics of research. Those research topics included area, building an NFL style balanced schedule, facts evidence and truth telling, and examining the Sherman Act versus the NCAA and the Power Brokers. This created a title change and the need for a new copyright. The title of the new publication: College Football In The BCS Era The Untold Truth Facts Evidence and Solution (Siggelow, 2016). The publication of this research is available at Lulu.com.
The Board of Directors failed their due diligence as educators and academicians to examine any and all published research that examined the possibility of an expanded playoff format by more knowledgeable, experienced researchers who possess a firmer, crystal-clear understanding of and well-developed process and format. They were only driven by the power brokers of college football to develop an expanded playoff format. Those power brokers include ESPN as a corporation, CFP Commissioner Bill Hancock, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, and the media members who promote ideologies such as Rece Davis, Heather Dinich, Kirk Herbstreit and Joel Klatt to name a few. This does not exclude the college Presidents and Athletic Directors from the FBS NCAA conferences with name brand programs of the Athletic Coast Conference, Big 10, Big 12 and the Southeastern Conference. This could influence all the AP, USA Today Coaches and Football Writers Association who subjectively rank FBS programs. This could and will cause vested interests within the subjective bias ranking formats to pre-determine who the voters want to see in the future College Football Playoff 12-Team Format.
The future CFP12 Team format designed by this Board of Managers, fails to allow more than one of the non-name brands FBS NCAA programs from any of the non-name brand conferences access to the 12-team format. That one playoff spot is reserved for the highest ranked non-name brand FBS programs from the 3 subjective polls. Thus, causing a subjective bias versus those who should have earned their way into the playoff by being a 0-loss non-name brand program at the end of the process. Furthermore, the seeding bias only gives that one non-name brand program the last seed of 12 in the field. Which indicates that no matter if the non-name brand FBS program ends the season with 0-losses, the CFP committee devalues the efforts of that FBS programs coaches, staff and student athlete successes.
I believe that with my extensive time of researching this problem of an expanded playoff format dating back to (2007) qualifies me as an expert in the problem. I examined historical, quantitative and qualitative research that dates back to data starting with the college football season in (1995) to the current FBS seasons. My published research offers more accessibility to all FBS members who play for name brands or non-name brand conferences or programs. There are not limitations to who earns a bid and seeding spot. However, there is a criterion-based selection and seeding process based upon the professional model theory, not the subjective bias ranking systems used now.
It is now time that my research be presented to all the Athletic Directors who possess a stake in the college football playoff expanded format. With the annual National Athletic Directors Conference next year approaching, I should apply for presentation then.