College Football Playoff had leak for first time ever
Jan 13, 2020; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Detailed view of the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship logo at midfield at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The first ever 12-team College Football Playoff bracket was unveiled during an ESPN special on Sunday, but one of the biggest questions about the field was answered just before the show began.
A minute before ESPN’s “College Football Playoff Selection Show” began on Sunday, Brett McMurphy of Action Network reported that SMU had made the 12-team field and Alabama was out. As Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports noted, that is believed to be the first time any information about the College Football Playoff bracket has leaked in advance.
One minute before the selection show started, @Brett_McMurphy reported that SMU was in the playoff and Alabama was out, citing anonymous sources.
It is believed to be the first leak of any bracket information in the 11-year history of the CFP.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) December 8, 2024
A lot of people probably had access to the bracket before ESPN unveiled it. The network’s production crew had to create graphics showing the bracket and where each team landed, so the information obviously circulated in Bristol.
It is safe to assume ESPN was not happy about the leak. There was a lot of debate over whether SMU or Alabama should get into the playoff, and that storyline was one of the main reasons to tune into the ESPN special.