Delany, Big Ten ‘pleased’ with playoff approval

Or, I suppose, what was already known for the last month or so, but officially given the stamp of approval by the Presidential Oversight Committee yesterday.

Some important details of a four-team playoff are still largely unknown, namely revenue distribution and access, but we do know the three-game event will consist of six bowl games rotating as hosts of the semifinals with the championship game will be bid out separately.

Once a leading member of the “anti-playoff party”, Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said he’s happy with the outcome from yesterday’s meeting in Washington D.C.

“The Big Ten Conference is pleased with the decision made by the presidential oversight committee to implement a four-team playoff for college football. We feel that this system will protect the regular season, preserve the tradition of bowl games and further enhance the Big Ten’s partnership with the Pac-12 and Rose Bowl while simultaneously allowing for great innovation. It was a great day for college football student-athletes, coaches, administrators and fans.”

And, really, that’s all Delany (or, perhaps, the presidents/chancellors whom he serves) ever really wanted: preserve the Rose Bowl relationship and the regular season. The four-team playoff was inevitable -- the Big Ten admitted as much this month -- but the Big Ten got much of what it wanted.