Nov. 05--Sometimes one plus one does not equal two.
When College Football Playoff officials announced they would reveal sites for the January 2018, 2019 and 2020 national championship games from Big Ten headquarters in Rosemont, many sensed a victory for Detroit (2019) or Minneapolis (2020).
Nope.
Turns out CFP executive director Bill Hancock was in Chicago on Wednesday for commissioner meetings. And Hancock announced that Atlanta (2018), Santa Clara/San Jose (2019) and New Orleans (2020) will be the host cities.
Should Big Ten fans be in a huff over this? Nah.
Unless Michigan or Michigan State reaches the title game in the 2018 season or Minnesota in the 2019 season, it won't really matter where the games are played.
Sure, Detroit is a 3 1/2-hour drive for Ohio State fans, and Wisconsin faithful could load up an RV for the four-hour trip from Madison to Minneapolis. But is that enough reason for CFP officials to choose a cold-weather destination in mid-January?
Not when you have other prime destinations eager to host and reap an estimated $100 million to $300 million in economic impact.
Atlanta provides an area loaded with rabid college football fans, a new stadium set to open in 2017 and better weather for fan events.
Santa Clara offers a modern stadium that will host the Super Bowl in February, a Pac-12 hub, better weather for fan events and San Jose's "vibrant downtown." (I can't vouch for Hancock's description.)
New Orleans is a world-class city, of course, with incredible restaurants and hotels in walking distance to the stadium, plus better weather for fan events.
What's the common denominator?
Hancock said the playoff management committee, which comprises the FBS commissioners plus Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick, "talked about the weather, of course" but did not emphasize it.
"The other cities just had better packages," Hancock said.
Detroit's 2019 bid was hampered by an auto show that will be using the city's convention center.
Minneapolis is hosting the Super Bowl in 2018 and the Final Four in 2019. To get a major event in three straight years, Hancock said, could lead to "community fatigue" -- less enthusiasm from fans and corporate sponsors.
In an interview with the Tribune, Hancock said commissioners such as the Big Ten's Jim Delany "look at the big picture" rather than lobby for title games in their conference's footprint. Delany could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Other cities and areas that lost out in the bidding process were Houston, South Florida, Charlotte and San Antonio.
Minneapolis whiffed on 2020, but Hancock indicated it will not be denied in the next wave. He said the new Vikings stadium, scheduled to open in 2016, "is going to be fabulous."
"We toured it in September and I was blown away," Hancock said. "Minneapolis put together a tremendous bid for this. They don't have anything to be ashamed of. I know they'll be disappointed, but there's a great stadium and great community support in Minneapolis. I can't say enough good things about them."
tgreenstein@tribpub.com
