Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY

A18 SPORTS
Friday 8 december 2017

Could

regional BAKER’S

flavor of

CFP cause

fans to DOZEN

tune out?

By ERIC OLSON
AP College Football Writer
Hardcore college football
fans across the country
undoubtedly will be tuned
in for the College Football
Playoff. But what about
casual fans outside SEC,
ACC and Big 12 country?
With the Pac-12 and Big
Ten not represented in the
four-team playoff, a TV
sports viewership analyst
said interest could be tem-
pered on the West Coast,
upper Midwest and North-
east.
The campuses of Clemson,
Georgia and Alabama are
in close proximity in the
Southeast — Clemson and
Georgia are just 75 miles
apart.
Oklahoma is the outlier, a
good day’s drive west of
Alabama.
“I think it’s too regional this
year,” said Jon Lewis, edi-
tor of Sports Media Watch.
“That hurts in every sport —
unless it’s the Super Bowl.”
That said, Lewis expects
a potential loss of viewer-
ship could be offset be-
cause the semifinals will
be played on New Year’s
Day, the traditional col-
lege football holiday. Cavaliers beat Kings 101-95 for 13th straight win
The last two years the semi-
finals were on New Year’s
Eve, when the games
competed with parties
and other celebrations.
An additional boost might Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James (23)
come from the Alabama- drives to the basket against Sacramento
Clemson semifinal in the Kings’ Buddy Hield (24), from the Bahamas,
Sugar Bowl being a re- in the first half of an NBA basketball game,
match of the last two Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017, in Cleveland.
national championship Associated Press
games. Page 20

Continued on Page 21