HOOVER, Ala. -- Bill Hancock said the College Football Playoff is considering moving the playoff semifinals from New Years Eve.Hancock, the CFPs executive director, said the move could happen no sooner than after the 2018 regular season.Were exploring if theres a better [date] for the semifinals, Hancock said. Were thinking about if New Years Eve is the way to go.The fact that Hancock publicly addressed the possibility of moving the games off New Years Eve indicates it is likely to happen, a source said.Theres still work to be done, a source said. However, I doubt Bill would have said something if he didnt think he could get the room [of the commissioners] there.Last seasons Orange Bowl semifinal on New Years Eve between Clemson and Oklahoma drew a 9.1 rating, a 38.5 percent drop compared to the previous years Rose Bowl semifinal on New Years Day, which had a 14.8 rating. The number of viewers dropped nearly 45 percent from 28.1 million for the Rose to 15.6 million for the Orange.Last seasons Cotton Bowl semifinal on New Years Eve between Alabama and Michigan State drew a 9.6 rating, a 36.8 percent drop compared to the previous years Sugar Bowl semifinal (a 15.2 rating) on New Years Day. The viewership dropped nearly 35 percent, from 28.2 million to 18.5 million.All CFP games are televised on ESPN.The FBS conference commissioners who created the CFP in 2012 said they wanted to start a new tradition by playing the semifinals on New Years Eve two of every three years during the 12-year contract with ESPN. When the Rose and Sugar Bowls host the semifinal games, those would always be played on New Years Day.After the just-completed Year 2, Hancock said the CFP stood by its decision to keep the semifinals on New Years Eve to start a new tradition in viewing habits. That stance, however, has softened with Hancock admitting the bigger priority is finding a date to get the most people to watch.Even before Year 2, ESPN executives lobbied extensively for the semifinals to be moved off New Years Eve. But the conference commissioners wouldnt budge.This seasons semifinals at the Peach and Fiesta bowls will be on New Years Eve with the CFP title game Jan. 9 in Tampa, Florida.The 2017 season semifinals at the Rose and Sugar bowls will be on Jan. 1, so the earliest the Playoff could move the semifinals is Year 5 -- after the 2018 regular season. Those semifinals are currently scheduled for the Orange and Cotton bowls on Dec. 31, 2017.The CFP has a 12-year contract with ESPN to televise the four-team playoffs. Hancock said there has been no talk from university presidents or commissioners about expanding the playoff field. Hancock added that after six years of the playoff -- after the 2019 regular season -- the CFP can look in and potentially change three of the six bowls -- the Fiesta, Cotton and Peach.Hancock also said the Big 12s decision to add a conference championship game after the 2017 season will greatly help the league in the CFP. The Big 12 was the only Power 5 league that didnt have a conference title game and didnt play 13 games. Hancock said they talked a lot with the Big 12 and told them how much adding another quality opponent would help.It gives them another quality opponent, Hancock said. It is a game-changer. Cheap Air Force 1 Shoes Wholesale . -- The Missouri Tigers might not have a roster full of superstars. Cheap Air Force Ones For Sale . After Martin Skrtel put the Reds in front from close range at Stamford Bridge after only four minutes, Hazard hit back in the 17th with a superb strike. 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BRISTOL, Conn. -- We approach this womens college basketball season uncertain of something that weve gotten used to being pretty obvious: Who is the best player in the country? For that matter, who are the five best? Or the 10 best?Were counting down espnWs top 25 players this week, with No. 1 to be revealed Friday. This much we can already tell you: Its not Breanna Stewart.In the 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons, there was no doubt the UConn forward was the transcendent star of womens college hoops. There was nothing to debate or argue, not legitimately anyway. It was an open-and-shut case.Stewart came into college with the grandest of expectations and then did everything she set out to: winning four NCAA titles, and getting the most outstanding player award every year in the process.But with no Stewie left in the college game, who takes over there as the spotlight player? Or is there one?Not only do we not know who its going to be, we dont know whether it actually exists, UConn coach Geno Auriemma said Tuesday. Everything is an evolving story.Auriemma was among a group of coaches and players who visited ESPN on Tuesday to talk about the upcoming season. That sense of uncertainty, as it pertains to the big picture, was pervasive but not unpleasant.Hey, nothing against Stewart, Moriah Jefferson or Morgan Tuck, whose experience and talent basically dominated the overall storyline of womens hoops the past few years. But theyre now in the WNBA, and their departures have left a door open to, well, a lot of people.I dont think theres a clear-cut player of the year; theres a lot of good choices right now, said Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw, whose team is No. 1 in the preseason AP Top 25. I think in recruiting over the last few years, kids are not all going to the same place. We have Brianna Turner. Ohio State has Kelsey Mitchell. South Carolina gets Aja Wilson. Those three players alone have contributed to parity.Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley encourages Wilson to aim high.I feel like its a goal I want to shoot for, Wilson, a junior forward, said of winning national player of the year. But just being in the running is a lot of fun.There are also players such as Washingtons Kelsey Plum, who averaged 25.9 points per game last season, just behind fellow guard Mitchells 26.1. The two Kelseys both admire each others games and feel theyve picked up things from watching the other.Kelsey can shoot it from deep, said Plum, who helped lead the Huskies to the Final Four last year. I love watchiing other guards, like seeing Kelsey play in the Big Ten.dddddddddddd They run a similar offense to what we do. I will watch her, rewind it, watch her again. Shes one of my favorites.Mitchell said she has also learned from observing Plum, especially in changing speeds to thwart defenses. As for being in the mix as one of the countrys best players, the soft-spoken Mitchell said, You never want to think too much about those things. But I will say Im grateful to be in the conversation.The same goes for players such as Baylor forward Nina Davis, Louisville forward Myisha Hines-Allen and Maryland guard Shatori Walker-Kimbrough.Louisville coach Jeff Walz said Hines-Allen has worked on expanding her range, but he also hopes she has an even more impressive body of work this season.The big thing for her is the consistency part, Walz said. She had a remarkable ACC season -- 16 games -- but she didnt start out very well. She has it in her. Im excited to get things started.Tennessee guard Diamond DeShields is ready, too, and finally feeling closer to 100 percent and injury-free.Ive always strived to be one of the best, DeShields said. I hope to be a contender in that regard.But hold on -- what about the returning UConn players? Sure, the big three are gone, but there are guards Kia Nurse and Gabby Williams, guard/forward Katie Lou Samuelson and forward Napheesa Collier. All of them now move into more prominent roles.Theyre all very good, but have any of them proved greatness yet? No, but now is their chance. That said, Auriemma doesnt necessarily want any of his returners to think they have to try to turn into the second coming of Stewart, to whatever degree thats even possible.If [Katie] Lou, for example, tries to be all the things she thinks we need, is that fair? Auriemma said. There is some of that, that they want to fill that void, and they know it has to be filled. But I want them to fill it in their own way.Maybe that results in major accolades, and maybe it doesnt. But there will be players who now have more of an opportunity to be noticed, and well get to see them try to rise to the occasion all over the country.I think theres a kind of optimism this year, UCLA coach Cori Close said. Individually, it seems more wide-open for those honors. And that should impact the NCAA tournament. I think theres going to a lot of drama there, which is good for the game. ' ' '
