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The real cost of a Group of Five Playoff

There has been a lot of talk about playoffs this offseason. Not just any playoffs, but “small school” playoffs.

That isn’t a surprise given the meteoric success the College Football Playoff has been from a ratings perspective over the last three seasons. When actual stakes are attached and fans of teams that may not have had a chance under the old BCS system can suddenly traffic in hope as the season wears on (hello, 2016 USC,) it adds an element of drama to an otherwise predictable series of transactions. It takes a product that already has a cult following and makes it even more outsized.