The home of the first national championship game under the new playoff system, along with the three remaining semifinal rotation sites, will likely be picked by the end of April.
Starting with the 2014 season, the national champion of major college football will be determined with a four-team playoff. Three of the six sites that will be in the semifinal rotation have been picked.
The Rose and Sugar bowls will host college football’s first national semifinals on Jan. 1, 2015, with the Cotton Bowl a “prohibitive favorite” to host the national title game on Jan. 12, 2015, sources said Monday.
The others, along with the sites of future championship games, will be in place before the summer, BCS executive director Bill Hancock said.
“We’re going to announce the first (championship game) site even sooner than others,” he said. “I think it might happen even sooner than April.”
Under the 12-year deal, the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl will each play host to the semifinals four times and the games will be played on Jan. 1 each season, whether they are the host bowls for the national semifinals or not.
Six bowls, also to include the Orange, will rotate as the host venues for the national semifinals.
BILL O’BRIEN REINFORCES PENN STATE COMMITMENT
After days of Internet-fueled speculation about whether he would bolt to the NFL, Bill O’Brien stuck right where he started a year ago — Penn State.
O’Brien said Monday his love for coaching the Nittany Lions outweighed a desire to pursue opportunities to move to the pinnacle of his profession despite the promise of a big payday from the NFL.
“If it was about money, more than likely I wouldn’t be sitting here right now,” he said.
EXTRA POINTS
All-America tight end Zach Ertz will forego his final year of eligibility at Stanford to enter the NFL draft. Ertz had a team-best 69 receptions for 898 yards and six touchdowns the past season . … Florida State’s James Wilder Jr. has been arrested for the third time in less than a year. Wilder was released on a $500 bond after being arrested for failing to make a court appearance last month on a charge of driving with a suspended license. … Nevada athletic officials reached an agreement with Texas A&M assistant Brian Polian to become the Wolf Pack’s new coach under a five-year deal that will pay him $475,000 in annual base pay plus incentives if it is formally approved. Polian, 38, will replace Chris Ault, who recently announced his retirement after 28 seasons.
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