Florida’s attorney general launched an investigation Tuesday into potential “anticompetitive conduct” by the College Football Playoff’s selection committee after the Florida State Seminoles were left out of the postseason tournament, despite having a 13-0 season and winning the ACC Championship, a Power 5 conference.
The CFP announced earlier this month that it had filled the final slots in the four-university competition with Texas and Alabama, two teams that had lost once.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody¸—who admitted she was a “lifelong Gator” after attending the University of Florida, FSU’s arch-rival—issued a statement, saying, “I know injustice when I see it. No rational person or college football fan can look at this situation and not question the result. The NCAA, conferences, and the College Football Playoff Committee are subject to antitrust laws.” She later added, “In Florida, merit matters. If it’s attention they were looking for, the committee certainly has our attention now.”
Moody’s office submitted a 10-page document entitled “Antitrust Civil Investigative Demand” that will search for “possible contracts, combinations or conspiracies in restraint of trade, or monopolization.”
In her statement, Moody called for the committee to turn over all internal documents relating to the verdict, including “compensation of members in 2023” and “standards relating to ethics and conflicts of interest.”
This move comes after Gov. Ron DeSantis allocated $1 million of his Florida state budget for FSU to sue CFP and Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) sent a letter to Selection Committee Chairman Boo Corrigan demanding transparency.
According to Politico, some fans theorized that the selection committee made its decision due to star FSU quarterback Jordan Travis’ season-ending leg injury—or as part of a money grab after the Southeastern Conference, which includes Alabama, agreed to a $3 billion television deal with ESPN.
According to the CFP’s website, the 2023 selection committee consists of many athletic directors from various universities, retired coaches, former players, and at least one veteran sports reporter, who is now a professor.
CFP announced in December 2022 that the 2024-2025 season will be the first to feature a 12-team playoff tournament, an increase from the current four-team format.
In a May 2023 news release, it explained, “The field of 12 teams will be comprised of the six conference champions ranked highest by the selection committee (no minimum ranking requirement), plus the six highest-ranked other teams. The ranking of the teams will continue to be done by a selection committee.”