Nebraska Football: The push to take away the coolest part of the playoffs

While it seems like it will be a while before Nebraska football fans really have to worry about it, one big change in the College Football Playoff format might already be in jeopardy. That’s bad news for lovers of the sport as it just so happens that the ability for playoff teams to host games was an elegant aspect. Just imagine if the Huskers somehow managed to make the playoffs and hosted a home game in Memorial Stadium. The atmosphere would be electric.

So, of course, there is a group of people that are trying to take that away. It turns out that the people who run the bowl games don’t want Nebraska football fans and fans like them to have their fun come the end of the season.

A new report from Sports Illustrated sheds light on a letter that was sent to conference commissioners this week. That letter, from Bowl Season executive director Nick Carparelli, encouraged conference leaders, including Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren to forgo playing first-round playoff games at home stadiums. Instead, Carparelli asked these leaders to choose to play first-round games in bowl games.

This would take away some very interesting home-field advantage from teams like the Nebraska football team and take away something very special from the college football playoff format.

In an interview with SI on Friday, Carperelli confirmed he sent the letter. He added that the effort to get the college playoffs’ first-round games to be played in bowls is “ongoing.”

"“The bowl system embraces the fact that the CFP is evolving into a 12-team playoff. This is in the best interest of college football. We understand the commissioners are tasked with finalizing the logistics. We are hopeful they will consider all playoff games being integrated into the bowl structure. I don’t think it’s too late to make changes.”"

Interestingly enough, one of the arguments for why bowls should host these games run in the face of how playoff sites are determined in almost every other sport. Carperlli argued that bowl games would offer a more “fair and neutral site.”

Of course, when it comes to MLB, NFL, NBA, and NHL playoffs, the entire point of one team getting to host a playoff is because they had a good enough season that they are rewarded with an advantage. It’s hard to argue that Nebraska football getting into the playoffs and then getting to host a game wouldn’t be one heck of an advantage, but that should be entirely the point.

The good news is that for now, it appears that Carperelli getting the conference leaders to change their minds is a bit of a long shot. Now the Nebraska football team just needs to find a way to make the expanded playoffs in the not-too-distant future and reward its fans with something truly magical.