CFP Staff Tours Detroit for Potential Bid

On Tuesday, Detroit formally hosted a committee that included Michael Kelly, the Chief Operating Officer of the College Football Playoff, in an effort for the city to host college football's 2019 championship game.

Detroit is competing with five other cities to host the 2019 final game. They are Charlotte, N.C., Houston, New Orleans, San Antonio, and Santa Clara, California.

One of the big talking points from the visit was the extra mile reportedly gone by the Ford Field crew, who had painted the end zones exactly like the ones in Arlington, complete with Ohio State and Oregon colors.

"They went the extra yard and painted the field with the national championship look on it, so that was really cool to see," Kelly said. "There was signage around town to identify things with what was consistent in their bid. So very detailed, very thorough and very much appreciated."

The CFP committee also visited Comerica Park (rumored official tailgate area), West Riverfront Park and met with Olympia Entertainment CEO Tom Wilson about the District Detroit project, which includes a new Red Wings arena set to open in 2017.

"We know the types of events that have been held here before from a collegiate standpoint: MAC championships, the Final Four, and the bowl game at Ford Field," Kelly said. "There is good collegiate history here in the marketplace and we take a number of factors into effect as our leadership ultimately makes a decision in the months to come."

There is no word yet on when an official announcement or even when the next step in the process will be. This stop was stop number six on a nine city tour for the CFP committee as they visit potential hosts for both the 2018 and 2019 finals.