College Football Association
Encyclopedia
The College Football Association (CFA) is the name of a now-defunct body through which American college football
schools negotiated TV contracts with networks. The CFA was an alliance of 64 schools from the major conferences and selected independents.
ruled in NCAA v. Board of Regents of University of Oklahoma that the NCAA's television plan violated the Sherman Antitrust Act
. As a result, individual schools and athletic conferences were freed to negotiate contracts on their own behalf. Together with the growth of cable television
, this ruling resulted in the explosion of broadcast options currently available. So beginning in 1984
, they sold their own television package first ABC
, and later with CBS
. The Big Ten
and Pacific-10 conferences sold their own separate package to ABC.
, the television landscape changed. ABC had both the CFA and Big Ten-Pac-10 packages, and NBC had the Notre Dame home package
. It was once again relegated to limited appearances. The beginning of the end for the CFA occurred in 1995
, when the Southeastern Conference
and Big East
broke from the CFA, signing a national deal with CBS. They are the only major conference guaranteed a national "game of the week" because ESPN
's games may come from any of the conferences they offer.
The CFA officially sealed the books on June 30, 1997.
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
schools negotiated TV contracts with networks. The CFA was an alliance of 64 schools from the major conferences and selected independents.
Background
On June 27, 1984, the U.S. Supreme CourtSupreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
ruled in NCAA v. Board of Regents of University of Oklahoma that the NCAA's television plan violated the Sherman Antitrust Act
Sherman Antitrust Act
The Sherman Antitrust Act requires the United States federal government to investigate and pursue trusts, companies, and organizations suspected of violating the Act. It was the first Federal statute to limit cartels and monopolies, and today still forms the basis for most antitrust litigation by...
. As a result, individual schools and athletic conferences were freed to negotiate contracts on their own behalf. Together with the growth of cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
, this ruling resulted in the explosion of broadcast options currently available. So beginning in 1984
1984 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1984 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with Brigham Young University winning their first national championship by beating an unranked Michigan team in the Holiday Bowl...
, they sold their own television package first ABC
College Football on ABC
ESPN College Football on ABC presented by Kay Jewelers is a presentation of the American Broadcasting Company's regular season American college football television package...
, and later with CBS
SEC on CBS
The SEC on CBS is a presentation of the college football television package owned by CBS Sports...
. The Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
and Pacific-10 conferences sold their own separate package to ABC.
Decline
By 19901992 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1992 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first year of the Bowl Coalition, and ended with Alabama's first national championship in thirteen years—their first since the departure of Bear Bryant...
, the television landscape changed. ABC had both the CFA and Big Ten-Pac-10 packages, and NBC had the Notre Dame home package
Notre Dame Football on NBC
Notre Dame Football on NBC is a presentation of the Notre Dame football television package on NBC. The television network broadcasts all Notre Dame home games.-History:...
. It was once again relegated to limited appearances. The beginning of the end for the CFA occurred in 1995
1995 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1995 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first year of the Bowl Alliance and was a relatively calm year compared to the early 1990s.Tom Osborne led Nebraska to its second straight national title with a victory over Florida in the Fiesta Bowl....
, when the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
and Big East
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
broke from the CFA, signing a national deal with CBS. They are the only major conference guaranteed a national "game of the week" because ESPN
ESPN College Football
ESPN College Football is the branding used for broadcasts of NCAA Division I FBS college football across ESPN properties, including ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, ESPN Classic, ESPNU, and ESPN Radio...
's games may come from any of the conferences they offer.
The CFA officially sealed the books on June 30, 1997.