LAS VEGAS — Change is good.
Steve Addazio is looking forward to the likely expansion of the College Football Playoff. In an extended interview with the local press, Addazio, now in his second season as head coach of the Rams, explained that the current structure has become a stale product as it frequently ends with the same four teams in the big dance.
“I think people like to see opportunities for other programs, whether it be in the power five, or the group of five,” Addazio said. “I think what they’re trying to do with the conference champions/ranking system should open up more opportunities for the group of five.”
According to the Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson, there will potentially be a vote on an expanded playoff this September. In the proposed format the five highest-ranked conference champions would automatically qualify. The selection committee would then determine the remaining at-large bids to fill out the 12 team bracket.
“I’ll create another level of excitement,” Addazio said of the proposed format.
Since the current system was implemented in 2015 no ‘G5’ school has ever reached the CFB Playoff. Not even Central Florida, who didn’t lose a regular season game in back-to-back seasons (2017 & 2018), or Cincinnati, who went 9-0 in the regular season in 2020.
While it is theoretically possible, in actuality, it’s been proven repeatedly that the committee will not give G5 teams the same level of respect. What this means is that about half of the Division 1 teams in the country don’t have a legitimate chance to compete for a national championship no matter what they do. Of all the sports that various schools compete in, football is the only one that has this problem.
“It’s gonna be hard,” Addazio replied bluntly, when asked if a G5 team would be able to be one of the four teams selected in the current format. “I think people are thirsting for more.”
At his core Addazio is a college football fan, someone that loves and appreciates the history, pageantry and all of the experiences that come with college football. Because of this, though, the only caveat for Addazio when it comes to allowing more teams in the CFB Playoff is that it doesn’t come at the expense of the bowl system as a whole. He expressed that the ability to weave the two together is important.
“They’re great experiences,” Addazio said.
He explained that while the bowl system may not necessarily be what it used to be, at the end of the season it’s still an opportunity to reward various teams for having successful campaigns.
“You remember those experiences for the rest of your lives. Being a part of these bowl games are tremendous. I really would not want to see that end.”
Addazio-led teams have reached a bowl game in five of his 10 seasons as a head coach. After three consecutive seasons of failing to reach the postseason, Ram fans are hoping to see Colorado State playing in a bowl once again this winter.
Addazio is also hoping for a return to the postseason as well, though, it’s less about bragging rights for him. He wants to reach the postseason because it would be conducive to helping the program grow. As Addazio explained, the ability to continue to practice and develop the team, specifically the younger players on the team, is critically important.
“That’s just a huge advantage,” Addazio said. “Having been in national championship games, and all that stuff, I mean, there were times we started those workouts and our older guys, we wouldn’t even engage them that much early. It was all about the younger players.”
While the Rams may have a ton of veterans on the roster in 2021, the ability to get the rest of the roster valuable reps this December would obviously be a good thing for the future. With the landscape of college football evolving right before our eyes, CSU needs to return to its former competitive status quickly. The gap between the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ is growing by the month. And nobody wants to see the Green & Gold left behind when the dust finally settles in the coming years.
