End of the BCS

On June 26, 2012, the presidents of NCAA football voted and approved the new College Football Playoff system that will go into place starting in 2014 in place of the BCS bowl system. This playoff system will take the top four teams and place them into a playoff bracket to which a champion will be claimed. There will only be six bowl games total, three of which are under “contract” with specific conferences.

The College Football Playoff Committee has since gone through a series of parameters to ensure positive reactions by fans, players, and coaches ensuring the playoff is the best way to determine a champion. Our examples done by each teammate contribute to the effective use of public relations practices done by the NCAA surrounding this new system.

Our team focused on all the different ways that the College Football Playoff Committee went about introducing and positively reinforcing their new playoff system.

Our Examples:

• Social media used to spark excitement and conversation between fans and the organization, including their website, Facebook, and Twitter. The website was effectively used in the competition for the picking of the new logo, with a video on the main page inspiring fans to vote.
• Women in Football:  The Playoff committee admitting a woman to diversify the selection and provide a different perspective, more so representing the fans, than players and coaches.
• Public Explanation:  The College Football Playoff Committee using public relations and the release of a fan involvement video sparking excitement and faith in the new system to justify a college football champion correctly.
• The Selection Committee: The College Football Playoff organization used a variety of Public Relations tactics to announce the official selection committee as well as deal with the backlash from their publics about the committee.
• Press Conference: The BCS presidential committee used public relations to announce to the of the BCS system, however a change in the system affects all the stakeholders involved.
  
• Reactions of players, coaches and fans, both positive and negative, were combated through the use of social media outlets to promote a more positive outlook on the new playoff system.