Despite massive declines in television audience ratings, the College Football Playoff is dead set on claiming New Year's Eve as its own.
In an interview with Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports, CFP executive director Bill Hancock reaffirmed that the semifinals will take place on the final day of the year well beyond the next decade.
"The contract is in place for 12 years," Hancock said in an interview. "We have not talked at all about making any changes."
The comments come as a bit of a surprise, because, as ratings would have it, football fans did anything but watch the Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl on New Year's Eve.
The former, between Clemson and Oklahoma, saw a 45 percent drop from the 2014 Rose Bowl (15.6 million viewers this year from 28 million last year).
As for the game between Alabama and Michigan State, there was a decline of 34 percent to 18.5 million.
Hancock is adamant, however, that one bad year, albeit within a two-year sample, isn't cause for concern. If anything, he said, the lack of competition in the games might have played a role.
"We all need to be careful, step back, and remember that one year does not make a trend," he said.