College Football Playoff Announces Updated Health and Safety Policies for Post-Season, National Champion Could Win by Default
On Wednesday, the College Football Playoff Management Committee announced its policies to protect the health and safety of student-athletes as positive cases of the omicron virus rise prior to the College Football Playoff.
The protocols could allow a team to be named the CFP National Champion by default if opponents are unable to compete. If both teams in the championship game are unable to play, the game will be considered a "no contest" and no champion will be named for the year.
According to the CFP, the policies were based on recommendations made by the Management Committee during a meeting on Tuesday.
College Football Playoff COVID-19 Policies:
The following policies and statements were made by the CFP regarding the Cotton Bowl (No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Cincinnati), Fiesta Bowl (No. 5 Notre Dame vs. No 9 Oklahoma State), Orange Bowl (No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 Georgia) and Peach Bowl (No. 10 Michigan State vs. No. 12 Pittsburgh) if a program is unable to compete because an insufficient number of players are able to play due to COVID-19.
Fiesta and Peach Bowls
The CFP, bowl game and ESPN shall attempt to identify an alternate date for the game within one week of the scheduled date; if no date can be identified, the game would be considered no contest.
Playoff Semifinals (Cotton and Orange Bowls)
If one team is unavailable to play – The unavailable team shall forfeit the game and its opponent would advance to the national championship game.
If both teams are unavailable to play in one semifinal – The semifinal game would be declared "no contest" and the team winning the other semifinal game would be declared the CFP National Champion.
If three teams are unavailable to play – The semifinal game in which two teams are unable to play would be declared "no contest." In the other semifinal game, the team unable to play shall forfeit the game and its opponent would be declared CFP National Champion.
CFP National Championship
If the team's unavailability is determined after the Playoff Semifinals have been conducted, the national championship game in Indianapolis may be rescheduled to no later than Friday, January 14. If one team is able to play and the other is not and the game cannot be rescheduled or is rescheduled and cannot be played, then the team unable to play shall forfeit the game and the other team shall be declared CFP National Champion. If both teams are unable to play on either an original or rescheduled date, then the game shall be declared "no contest" and the CFP National Championship shall be vacated for this season.
Additional Policies:
Teams' travel to bowl sites
Teams have the option to arrive at the bowl site not later than two days before the game, rather than the customary five days before the game.
Bowl events
Attendance at events at the game sites will be optional for student-athletes, institutions' staff members, bands and spirit squads.
News conferences
Media access to coaches, staff and student-athletes will be virtual.
Access to the playing field
Non-essential personnel will not have access to the field and sidelines pre- and post-game. (For clarity, this includes, but is not limited to, institutions' friends and family and bowls' "special guests" and sponsors.)
Testing arrangements
Each institution will use the testing arrangement that it used during the regular season. The institution will arrange for testing at the game site.
Acceptance of opponent's protocol
Each conference has agreed to accept each other conference's testing protocol.
Certification
The director of athletics and the institution's chief medical officer must certify that each person with access to the playing field on game day has tested negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of the kickoff or has been fully vaccinated.
Health and Safety
To provide the best chance of health and safety, the participating institutions are encouraged to ensure that student-athletes and staff take prudent measures and follow medical recommendations to help prevent the contraction or transmission of COVID before, during and after they travel to the game sites.
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Lauren Withrow is the Publisher of Wildcats Daily on Sports Illustrated's FanNation Network. Withrow is also a Host/Reporter for Mountaineer Maven, Wolverine Digest, All Panthers and Illini Now. Follow Lauren on Twitter: @lolowithrow.