Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer learned of the College Football Playoff’s decision to cover travel costs to the National Championship in front of a room full of reporters Tuesday afternoon. For his reaction, he offered a quick fist pump.
“I'm really fired up,” he said. “That kind of made my day."
The organization announced a pilot program that will “defray the cost of expenses for student-athletes’ parents or guardians to travel” to Dallas, providing as much as $2,500 per family for hotel, travel and meal expenses.
“We know how expensive travel can be, so we’re pleased to provide assistance for parents or guardians who want to see their sons play in the first College Football Playoff National Championship,” said Bill Hancock, its executive director, in a released statement. “It will make the game even more special for the student-athletes to know that their family members are receiving this benefit.”
This is a victory for Meyer, who implored reporters Tuesday to "stir it up" as part of his public campaign for such a development since early December.
Before that, athletic director Gene Smith said a plan to assist families "should’ve been done out of the chute" regarding sport’s new postseason format. On Saturday evening, Smith released a statement saying he would introduce NCAA legislation to address the matter.
"Gene Smith is a powerful man in the sport, and all due respect to all other ADs, for him to step out on the line like that, that's good," Meyer said.
"I'd like to see our commissioners jump out on deck, too, and say, 'This should happen,' because they are all employees of the student-athlete. Student-athletes don't work for us. Take them away and how is our job? Take away the student-athletes and who are you coaching, who are you AD'ing, who are you commissioner'ing for. I'm really fired up over that. That just kind of made my day. That's good."
Meyer said: "So families get to watch their son play in their first ever National Championship -- without providing hardship where they will have to take loans; or worse than that, you're going to take it from someone that you're not supposed to take money from, and then we'll miss a bowl game. That's outstanding news."
