Despite record low ratings for the Cotton Bowl Classic and Orange Bowl and the failed efforts to get viewers to tune in on New Years’ Eve, College Football Playoff Executive Chairman Bill Hancock told FOX Sports there are no plans to move the College Football Playoff Semifinals off New Years’ Eve.

Appearing on The Audible Podcast with FOX Sports’ Stewart Mandel and Bruce Feldman, Hancock said the contract is in place for 12 years and there are no plans to move the bowl games to better viewing windows or to January 1 as many of these bowl games had been traditionally played.

The Orange Bowl saw a 45 percent drop in television ratings with a New Years Eve afternoon start time. The Cotton Bowl saw an increase in viewership with national powerhouse Alabama taking on Michigan State.

Both games were blowouts, which might make it difficult to judge just how these games would have performed.

The decision not to move the games off New Years Eve is also a product of contract. This year’s game just might have been a confluence of negative factors — a Thursday game date and blowouts in the games. Next year’s Peach Bowl and Fiesta Bowl will be played on New Years Eve, but New Years Eve is on a Saturday. In January 2018, the Sugar Bowl and Rose Bowl are contractually obligated to play on Jan. 1 and so will have the national semifinal on New Years Day instead.

The next time, the Playoff could see a similar problem will not be until December 2018, when New Years Eve takes place on a Monday. That could be another poor day for television ratings for these two games again.

After then, Hancock said, they may have to re-evaluate the plan to play these big games on New Years Eve:

“It may turn out by the time we get to Year 5, and we’ve had competitive games, that we say, ‘You know what, it’s not working,'” said Hancock. “But it’s important not to jump to conclusions after one year of admittedly disappointing ratings.”

Fortunately, New Years Eve is on a weekend next year. So there will be no rushing home from work or watching on Watch ESPN instead of having the day off from work.