CFP presidents unanimously approve Playoff expansion |
College Football Playoff expansion is coming.
No, really this time. The Playoff Board of Managers unanimously approved an expansion from four teams to 12 teams on Friday. The board has tasked the College Football Management Committee (the 10 conference commissioners and the Director of Athletics at the University of Notre Dame, who run the playoff) with assessing the possibility of beginning the expanded playoff in either the 2024 or 2025 regular season. The format approved was what was pitched last year with the top six conference champions and six at-large bids making up the field. The Playoff started in the 2014 season and Clemson has made it six times in that span. Clemson president Jim Clements was put on the Board of Managers in 2021. This is what they approved on Friday (from news release): -The 12 teams will be the six conference champions ranked highest by the selection committee (no minimum ranking requirement), plus the six highest-ranked teams not included among the six highest-ranked conference champions. -The ranking of the teams will continue to be done by a selection committee whose size, composition, and method of selection will remain substantially unchanged. The Management Committee will modify the selection protocol as required by the change to the playoff structure. -The four highest-ranked conference champions will be seeded one through four and each will receive a first-round bye. -The other eight teams will play in the first round with the higher seeds hosting the lower seeds either on campus or at other sites designated by the higher-seeded institution (No. 12 at No. 5, No. 11 at No. 6, No. 10 at No. 7 and No. 9 at No. 8.) -The model allows for first-round games to be played on either the second or third weekend in December in a way that best accommodates the format and the participating teams, with at least 12 days between the conference championship games and the first-round games. The Management Committee would make the final determination of the calendar. -Subject to reaching agreement with bowls, the four quarterfinal games and two Playoff Semifinal games would be played in bowls on a rotating basis. -The national championship game will continue to be played at a neutral site. -Subject to reaching agreement with bowls, the four highest-ranked conference champions will be assigned to quarterfinals bowls on selection day in ranking order, and in consideration of current contract bowl relationships if those bowls are selected for the rotation. For example, if the Pac-12 champion were ranked #1, the Big Ten champion were ranked #3, and the Rose Bowl were a quarterfinal site, the Pac-12 champion would be assigned to the Rose Bowl and the Big Ten champion would be assigned elsewhere. -With the four highest-ranked champions assigned to quarterfinal games in bowls, the opponent from first-round game winners will be assigned by the selection committee based on the bracket. -The higher seeds would receive preferential placement in the Playoff Semifinal games. -First-round games will not have title or presenting sponsors and existing venue signage will remain in place. The CFP will control the video boards. NEWS: CFP presidents have unanimously approved to expand the College Football Playoff to 12 teams, sources tell @SINow. ESPN first. The 12-team CFP format will be the one that was initially proposed by the four-person working group. Six highest-ranked conference champions, six at-larges. The 12-team model is expected to start in 2026, after the current contract, according to a source. There's still a chance that it could go earlier, but those details are complicated and would take some time to work out. https://t.co/sRWlmiDvbe One of the main drivers of this College Football Playoff expansion was money. Presidents felt as if they were leaving too much on the table. Monday could end up a powerful motivator for starting prior to 2026.
The date of implementation (2024 or 25 or 26) is being left for commissioners to determine, as well as details of the format.
Source tells @TheAthletic that there are a lot of details left to work out to see if it can be implemented before 2026.
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