In 1928, John Heisman, a nationally recognized coach and namesake of the Heisman Trophy, proposed a revolutionary idea for college football: a playoff system. This plan aimed to divide the country into four regions, based on geography and the football strengths of the era. The first region included states east of Ohio and north of the Mason-Dixon line, which had dominated college football up to that point. The second region covered the southeastern states east of the Mississippi River. The third spanned the Midwest to the Rocky Mountains and the southern states west of the Mississippi. Finally, the fourth region encompassed teams from states west of the Rockies.
At the time, sports media was primarily print and radio, as television wouldn’t come into play until 1939. Heisman suggested forming a committee of sportswriters to select the best teams in each region. However, the idea faced significant obstacles. In 1928, there were no distinct divisions in college football; it wasn’t until 1973 that the NCAA split schools into Divisions I, II, and III. Additionally, many universities vehemently opposed postseason play, fearing it would make football uncontrollable and overshadow academics.
Critics like sports editor Sam Otis pointed out the plan’s flaws. In an article for the *Cleveland Plain Dealer*, Otis argued that unanimous agreement from colleges was required for a playoff to work. With many leading institutions against championship-based football, a true national playoff seemed unattainable. If some schools refused to participate, less qualified teams might end up representing their regions, undermining the championship’s integrity.
Heisman’s playoff proposal ultimately failed to gain traction. Instead, college football postseason play evolved into the bowl system, designed to attract fans to warmer climates. Today, the college football playoff has become a reality, but it’s intriguing to consider how Heisman’s early vision might have shaped college football history had it been implemented. Would the sport be vastly different, with a playoff system nearly a century old? This reflection provides a deeper understanding of the evolution of the college football playoff and its historical roots.
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