In an uncertain time for Group of Six football, ESPN’s College Gameday will shine a light on the best the non-powers have to offer: Saturday morning from the blue turf craziness that is Boise, Idaho.
Packs of students will pack in like sardines, funny posters will be made and million-dollar field goals will be missed in ESPN’s first visit to a Group of Six school since the 2023 season.
But while this feels like an olive branch extended to the Boise States of the world, ESPN’s work off the field has
them holding the knife behind their back.
Playoff: 24 Group of Six: No More?
The College Football Playoff officially announced its plans to expand to 24 teams starting with the 2027-28 College Football Season, giving ESPN exclusive media rights to televise these new CFP games through the 2031-32 season.
After being rumored for months, a lot of college football fans’ worst fear came true with the CFP expansion. Fittingly enough, ESPN will be taking their show to a program that may be affected the most.
With a 24-team playoff, the suits had a chance to make college football whole again. Conference championships could punch your ticket to the dance, giving out 10 automatic qualifiers and 14 at-large bids.
Instead, the positions of power laughed in the faces of the Group of Six. Each Power Five conference will get a qualifier, while the Group of Six will only be able to send ONE team, being whichever conference champion is ranked highest amongst the six.
Oh yeah, and conference championship games are gone, so your only real championship game opportunity will be the CFP, which is keeping the New Mexico’s and Memphis’s of the world out so we can let in more four-loss SEC teams.
So, What Will Happen?
Any time the 24-team concept has been brought up on ESPN’s College GameDay, the crowd quickly greeted the segment with loud boos.
This was happening in places like Tennessee, Indiana and BYU, programs that will be just fine enduring a new model.
So what will happen at Boise State?
There may be a tension in there if the topic is brought up, and even more of a tension if they try and skip around it. Thousands of angry fans getting riled up behind a TV crew that is profiting more from their potential program demise.
On the other hand, perhaps it is a good thing that the show is headed to Idaho. Boise fans have a chance to truly voice their opinions with the decision now final, turning College GameDay into College Protest.
Thoughts from ESPN…
How will the hosts respond? Could be a mixed bag.
GameDay host Rece Davis went on The Dan Patrick Show to say he is not a fan of the 24-team bracket. Nick Saban has also been vocal about denouncing a new system.
But when the cameras go on this Saturday morning, what will be their answer?
On another note, ESPN has not made too many friends in terms of PAC-12/MW/Group of Six supporters this season.
Jokes about not knowing teams and confusing which teams are in which conference (Such as Kirk Herbstreit not knowing Fresno State and Boise State are in the same conference. They’ve been in the same conference together since 2001, except for one year…)
It’s time to face the music. Whether it’s about the CFP, ESPN’s own agenda, or anything else in this turbulent time for college football.
