NFF’s Steve Hatchell on what’s next after amazing start to college football season With so much happening around college sports off the field, it seemed almost too much to hope that the opening weekend of football season would live up to expectations. “Finally, we got to cheer for our teams,” said Steve Hatchell, CEO of the National Football Foundation, in an SBJ Spotlight interview looking at the college football landscape. “There was some great attendance at games … some real excitement and just some terrific games. I’m hoping that this type of enthusiasm goes on for the entire year.” Hatchell talked with SBJ’s Ross Nethery about the big stories in college sports and what might come next. On the CFP expansion to 12 teams: “Football is played in all 50 states … and we work with all 774 colleges and universities around the country. So if we can have a playoff that reflects on the investment in coaching and on the players from around the country, I think that’s for the betterment of the game.”