In 2026 the CFP will be 12 teams

[JacketFan137]

According to this tweet

Interesting to see how this plays out. tech would have a more realistic shot at making it with 12 (2009 and 2014)

the conference realignment will also come in to play with this new agreement. be prepared for a lot of posturing and bureaucracy!

 

[SOWEGA Jacket]

As I’ve said for years it will expand into the 20’s within a decade from now. It’s actually faster than even I thought. I can’t wait until it grows where every team goes into November with a shot. The purists love to talk about how a team with 2 losses should be given. O chance, but they never bring up how 80% of fanbases tune out by mid October. This will be awesome.

 

[CuseJacket]

Sources: CFP board decides on 12-team playoff

The College Football Playoff's Board of Managers voted on Friday to expand the CFP to 12 teams in 2026, but is encouraging the sport's commissioners to try to implement it as soon as 2024, multiple sources told ESPN.

www.espn.com

The College Football Playoff's Board of Managers voted on Friday to expand the CFP to 12 teams in 2026, but is encouraging the sport's commissioners to try to implement it as soon as 2024, multiple sources told ESPN.

It may take weeks or months to figure out the possibility of playing a 12-team playoff in 2024 or 2025. While CFP officials have laid out the obstacles to such sudden change - venues, hotels and television contracts - money can loom as a powerful motivator for change.

 

[slugboy]

The bowl structure has been a big impediment. Currently, if you’re a big fan of one of the final four teams, then you buy two $500 tickets and spend that much or more to travel and stay in a hotel just for the semi-finals. Then, it's off to the other side of the country with tickets costing $1000 each and travel plus hotel again.
Even the "super fans" were having trouble absorbing the cost of two rounds of playoff football with travel involved in the current system. At least under the new plan, the first round is at the home stadium of one of the teams. But there are still three rounds after that through the bowl system that are going to involve travel for both fan bases. It's getting even more expensive.

 

[FredJacket]

The early returns on "responses" on social media... lots of "only the top 3-4 will ever win it all anyway.. so this is a waste" ... "blowouts in the quarterfinals" This baffles me. There will be upsets. This will be worth watching. More games between top tier teams is great. Looking forward to seeing this playout. Looking very forward to seeing an upset or 2.

I wonder if (long term) this will create a "market" for more parity in the top 15-20 teams... instead of what we have now with a top 3-ish dominating the last few years as the 4-team format has set it. Will more elite recruits be convinced they can get there without going to just a few schools?

 

[wrmathis]

The early returns on "responses" on social media... lots of "only the top 3-4 will ever win it all anyway.. so this is a waste" ... "blowouts in the quarterfinals" This baffles me. There will be upsets. This will be worth watching. More games between top tier teams is great. Looking forward to seeing this playout. Looking very forward to seeing an upset or 2.

I wonder if (long term) this will create a "market" for more parity in the top 15-20 teams... instead of what we have now with a top 3-ish dominating the last few years as the 4-team format has set it. Will more elite recruits be convinced they can get there without going to just a few schools?

this is funny to me. cuz there are already blowouts in the Semis. hopefully this moves the blowouts earlier and get better/closer games in the semis. but who knows

 

[forensicbuzz]

It would work if the tickets and such were 50:50. Otherwise it's a huge home advantage for the already advantaged team.

 

[GaTech4ever]

I wonder if NFL prospects will still sit out as they’re required to play even more games now without any slice of the $ pie (NIL doesn’t count). Or if the new playoff structure is too much an allure. We’ll find out

 

[Jim Prather]

this is funny to me. cuz there are already blowouts in the Semis. hopefully this moves the blowouts earlier and get better/closer games in the semis. but who knows

It should make the semis more competitive. Now the teams will only know who they are playing the week before and not have a month to prepare

 

[GTNavyNuke]

The early returns on "responses" on social media... lots of "only the top 3-4 will ever win it all anyway.. so this is a waste" ... "blowouts in the quarterfinals" This baffles me. There will be upsets. This will be worth watching. More games between top tier teams is great. Looking forward to seeing this playout. Looking very forward to seeing an upset or 2.

I wonder if (long term) this will create a "market" for more parity in the top 15-20 teams... instead of what we have now with a top 3-ish dominating the last few years as the 4-team format has set it. Will more elite recruits be convinced they can get there without going to just a few schools?

We see in baseball and basketball playoffs that upsets happen a lot. Maybe not as much but there will be football upsets.

 

[RamblinRed]

First, this will likely happen before 2026, second this is likely to dampen much realignment for a while.

A 12 team playoff with 6 bids going to the 6 highest ranked conference champions basically means the P5 conferences all get an auto bid as well as the top ranked G5 school. 6 at large teams basically means ND is guaranteed a bid with a Top 12 finish.

I think this will be more than fine for ND and they will stay independent and get a new deal from NBC so they play on NBC in the afternoon and B10 players a night game on NBC.
For conferences, it makes it less likely they want to poach teams from other conferences. Why go to another conference (B10 or SEC) where your odds of ever getting a playoff bid is almost nil when you can stay where you are and you just have to beat teams that are more in line with you. Why would you add teams unless they are additive to your media deals?

If you're say Oregon, would you rather be in the B10 and getting more money but competing against Ohio St, Michigan, WI, Mi St, Penn St for an auto bid or stay in the PAC10 and have to compete against WA, Stanford, Utah for an auto bid. If your Clemson do you want to go to the SEC and compete against UGA, AL, TX, OK, TX A&M, FL for an auto bid or in the ACC?

The deal also means the B10 and SEC are likely to have multiple playoff teams every year.

 

[Oldgoldandwhite]

The bowl structure has been a big impediment. Currently, if you’re a big fan of one of the final four teams, then you buy two $500 tickets and spend that much or more to travel and stay in a hotel just for the semi-finals. Then, it's off to the other side of the country with tickets costing $1000 each and travel plus hotel again.
Even the "super fans" were having trouble absorbing the cost of two rounds of playoff football with travel involved in the current system. At least under the new plan, the first round is at the home stadium of one of the teams. But there are still three rounds after that through the bowl system that are going to involve travel for both fan bases. It's getting even more expensive.

This! I would have been fine with 5 Conference champions, one guaranteed spot for the little guys, and maybe a wild card or two. Now SEC and BIG will get 7 or more spots some years.

 

[RamblinRed]

This! I would have been fine with 5 Conference champions, one guaranteed spot for the little guys, and maybe a wild card or two. Now SEC and BIG will get 7 or more spots some years.

No. The Top 6 conference champions get bids. That is basically going to be the champion from each of the P5 conferences plus the highest rated non-P5 champion. And then 6 slots for automatic bids. Most years that will probably be ND, 3 SEC and 2 B10 teams.

 

[BonesGT]

Under the proposal, the top 4 ranked conference champions will get a bye in the first round. Based on this, Notre Dame can never have a 1st round bye, making their path to a NC more difficult. Would that be enough to make them join a conference??

Last year, the seeding would have been:

(Bye Teams)
1 - Alabama
2 - Michigan
3 - Cincinnati
4 - Baylor

5 - UGA
6 - Notre Dame
7 - Ohio State
8 - Ole Miss
9 - OK State
10 - Michigan State
11 - Utah
12 - Pitt

UGA's path would have been more difficult having to play Pitt and Baylor in the first two rounds and then likely Alabama in the semis.

 

[Jazzchaz]

I was hoping if they expanded the playoffs, they would get rid of the usually worthless, cash cow conference 'championship' games. Now those games in the SEC and Big Ten will just be played for playoff seeding.

 

[RamblinRed]

The more I think about this the more i'm liking it.
The B10 and SEC are going to get multiple teams just about every year, but frankly I can see the ACC getting multiple teams more years than not, especially with the new ACC format starting next year where the top 2 teams will meet in the championship game.

Interesting that Sankey is sort of throwing cold water on things a little today as he basically said it is unlikely to happen before 2026. It was known going into these discussions that he was no longer in favor of auto conference bids. I suspect he feels like he is losing a spot or 2 due to the autobids.

I also think it makes teams moving to the top2 conferences less likely, For most programs it is a tradeoff between do you want more revenue for your athletic programs or a better chance of making the playoff. I suspect most fans would prefer the latter. If i'm Clemson, why would I ever leave the ACC.

 

[ibeattetris]

but frankly I can see the ACC getting multiple teams more years than not, especially with the new ACC format starting next year where the top 2 teams will meet in the championship game.

I think so far, ACC would have had six seasons with multiple teams in playoffs. 2015 we'd have had three. 2014 would have had GT in at 12th.

 

[RamblinRed]

Here is a good article on why the new CFP came about (it was driven by the Presidents) and how it might impact college football going forward.

How College Football Playoff expansion will affect realignment, job security and the future of the sport

Now that expansion is in place, here's how the fallout will impact college football

www.cbssports.com

 

[GTNavyNuke]

Here is a good article on why the new CFP came about (it was driven by the Presidents) and how it might impact college football going forward.

How College Football Playoff expansion will affect realignment, job security and the future of the sport

Now that expansion is in place, here's how the fallout will impact college football

www.cbssports.com

Very good article. While no one knows the future, I think there are two factors not discussed much.
1) Concussions altering the game to make it less violent / interesting. What needs to be done if you believe this is a student-athlete game vice a minor league where academic preparation is largely irrelevant.
2) Other forms of entertainment / societal changes making football less relevant. I think this is largely what scared them into adopting the new format as alluded to in the article.