College football fans finally got their decades-long wish fulfilled this season as FBS playoff games are headed to campus for the first round.
Notre Dame, Texas, Penn State and Ohio State will each host a playoff game this weekend, but those watching at home — and especially those in the stadium — may notice a slightly different vibe to these games. That’s not just because the stakes are raised, it’s because of the overall game presentation.
As Front Office Sports points out, the home teams are not the ones organizing and producing the games. That would be the College Football Playoff governing body. So expect to see a few changes to the gameday atmosphere.
Per FOS:
- Opposing schools are allotted 3,500 tickets (including seats for band members), far fewer than the typical 50-50 split during conference championship and bowl games.
- Away teams have the option for a hype video during introductions.
- Home team staff will operate the P.A. system and music, but there are no sponsored elements, per CFP rules.
You might start to see some home fans get restless if the jumbotron starts playing hype videos for the visiting team, but the host school doesn’t have any say here.
It’s not the end of the world, either. The home fans are still going to have their gameday traditions like normal and the advantage of playing on campus is still massive. There’s nothing wrong with showing a little bit of love to a visiting team that accomplished what only 12 out of 134 FBS programs could not by reaching the playoff.
