CFP, New Year's 6 Bowl Delay Discussed Amid COVID-19, Bob Bowlsby Says

During an appearance on Big 12 Radio on SiriusXM, Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby said the College Football Playoff and New Year's Six games could be delayed as the pandemic continues surging across the country and outbreaks within programs have postponed games.

Bowlsby, who serves on the CFP operations committee, couldn't rule out holding the championship game in February and said things that might not otherwise be "acceptable" have to be considered as conferences look to plan their own title games:  

"We've spent some time talking about that," Bowlsby said. "We haven't come to any closure on it but there is some latitude to postpone if that need should arise. The same is true for the New Year's Six games." 

The College Football Playoff committee is scheduled to release its final rankings on Sunday, December 20 with semifinals slated for January 1, 2021, at the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl. The national championship is set for Monday, January 11 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. 

Already that cut down on the time teams have to prepare with the final rankings originally planned for December 6. The committee revised its calendar with a number of power five conferences pushing their championship games back to mid-December. 

"The selection committee members understand the need to be flexible as we all navigate uncharted waters this season," CFP executive director Bill Hancock said in announcing the change in August. "This move will allow them to evaluate all the available information."

It's unclear if a potential postponement of the New Year's Six games would impact programs, television broadcasts or the stadiums playing host. 

Outbreaks of the coronavirus have already forced a number of conferences to postpone or cancel games this season with nine contests already called off this weekend. That includes a number of CFP contenders like No. 1 Alabama, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 5 Texas A&M and No. 12 Georgia. 

Bowlsby's comments on Thursday acknowledge the CFP is already developing contingency plans in case of  postseason delays for similar reasons.