In Dr. Seuss' "The Lorax," an entire valley of fictitious "Truffula trees" were nearly wiped out and sold in the essence of greed. One college football coach compared the College Football Playoff's expansion to 24 teams to what happened in the children's story.
Central Michigan coach Matt Drinkall went scorched earth at his press conference on Tuesday, Oct. 20, sharing his thoughts on CFP expansion, calling it a "smoldering dumpster fire left like the Truffula trees."
Only in college football.
"All everything since COVID has just 100 percent been reaction," he said. "No one has ever said, ‘OK, well if we do this, what does it look like 15 years
from now?’ ‘What does this look like 10 years from now?’ ‘Is this in the best interest culturally of everyone?’ Or is it all just, 'how do I … make the most money right this second right now?’ … Whoever has to sell TV spots or tickets at every school or promote a conference, they’re not interested in what’s good for the sport of football.
"They're not interested in what's good for young people coming up, but they want to know what makes my job the most amount of money right now. Everything since COVID — all the reactionary conference realignment, eligibility, paying player, transfer policies, none of it's good. None of it's in the best interest of the student-athlete. None of it's in the best interest of the sport. It's just like everybody went nuts at once.
“And it’s just been a downward spiral that is nonstop until it’s going to be a smoldering dumpster fire left like the Truffula trees and "The Lorax." Like, they’re going to ring this sport out for every cent they can as long as they can and prostitute the sport for financial gain. Until people stop caring, just like they did with boxing back in the 20s, Major League Baseball back when they sell all these fields out, they’re going to prostitute it as much as they can as possible until people stop caring.”
Fans and media alike have criticized the CFP's decision to expand the field for the 2027 season. The 2026 season marks the third and final season of the 12-team CFP after the four-team CFP lasted from 2014-2023.
Nick Saban expressed concern for having college athletes play so many games. Other ESPN "College GameDay" analysts like Kirk Herbstreit and Pat McAfee expressed concern with regular season games and losses having less meaning.
It's safe to say Drinkall falls in the concerned category too.
Central Michigan has only won eight or more games three times since 2014 when the CFP was introduced, and isn't a likely year-in, year-out, contender for the playoff anytime soon, even with the expansion. It doesn't mean Drinkall can't fear what he thinks is to come, which hopefully isn't the same fate as the "Truffula trees" before the valley was revived.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: CMU's Matt Drinkall on CFP expansion: 'They're going to prostitute it'
