College Football Playoff Expansion: How the New Proposals Will Change the Game

The expansion of the College Football Playoff (CFP) has been a topic of discussion for many years, with fans, players, coaches, and administrators all weighing in on the need for change. As the sport of college football evolves, there has been increasing pressure to make the playoff system more inclusive and equitable. The original four-team format, implemented in 2014, has garnered its fair share of praise, but it has also sparked criticisms of exclusion, particularly with Power Five conference champions sometimes left out in favor of teams with more prominent national profiles.

In response to these concerns, the CFP management committee and other key stakeholders in college football have been working toward expanding the playoff field. After years of discussions, proposals, and delays, the decision to expand the playoff was made official, with the expansion set to take place in the 2024 season.

This article delves into the College Football Playoff expansion, examining the new proposals, how they will impact the game, and what they mean for various stakeholders involved in the sport.

1. The Origins of the College Football Playoff

Before the CFP came into existence, the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) was used to determine the national champion in college football. The BCS, which ran from 1998 to 2013, used a combination of polls and computer rankings to select two teams to play in the national championship game. While the BCS system did bring a sense of order to the process, it was not without its flaws.

Critics of the BCS system pointed out several major issues:

• Exclusion of deserving teams: Teams from smaller conferences or with fewer national followers were often left out of the championship conversation, despite having strong seasons.
• Limited playoff format: The BCS only selected two teams, meaning that many strong teams were left out, even though they might have had legitimate claims to a national title.
• Subjectivity and controversy: The rankings and selection process were often perceived as subjective, leading to heated debates and dissatisfaction among fans and teams.

In response to these criticisms, the NCAA, along with key college football stakeholders, decided to implement the College Football Playoff system starting in 2014. The new format expanded the postseason from a single national championship game to a four-team playoff, with the top four teams selected by a committee.

While the four-team playoff addressed some of the issues of the BCS, it also created new problems. Most notably, the four-team system often excluded teams with strong records but without the “name recognition” or reputation of the traditional powers in college football. This exclusion of deserving teams from the playoff led to continued calls for expansion.

2. Why the Expansion Was Necessary

The calls for expanding the College Football Playoff have come from multiple angles:

• Fairness: Many believed that the four-team format was too exclusive and did not give enough teams the opportunity to compete for the national title. Critics pointed to teams with strong records that were left out of the playoff due to the limited field. In particular, the Power Five conferences ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, and SEC—often had more than one deserving team, but only one team from each conference was given the chance to play for the national title.
• Increased revenue: Expanding the playoff would bring in more games, potentially generating significant revenue for the NCAA, schools, and conferences. College football is a multi-billion-dollar industry, and more games mean more television rights deals, sponsorships, and ticket sales.
• More compelling postseason: The idea of expanding the playoff was also seen as a way to make the postseason more exciting for fans. More teams and more games would give fans a chance to see more high-stakes football, making the tournament feel more inclusive and thrilling.
• Addressing geographical issues: The four-team format often had teams from the same region playing against one another in the semifinals or finals, which led to concerns about regional bias. Expanding the playoff allows for more diversity in matchups and could lead to more exciting national games.

The College Football Playoff Expansion has long been seen as an inevitability. The increased focus on fairness, excitement, and revenue ultimately pushed the powers that be to consider expanding the playoff. In June 2021, the CFP management committee formally endorsed the idea of expanding the playoff, marking the beginning of a new chapter for college football.

3. The New Playoff Format

The new playoff format, which will go into effect in 2024, will expand the field from four teams to twelve. This change marks the largest expansion of the College Football Playoff since its inception, and it will dramatically alter the landscape of the postseason.

Here are the key details of the new 12-team format:

• Automatic Berths: Six of the twelve playoff spots will be automatically reserved for the six highest-ranked conference champions, regardless of conference affiliation. This means that even if a Power Five conference champion has a loss, they are guaranteed a spot in the playoff. Additionally, the top six conference champions will be ranked according to their performance and strength of schedule.
• At-Large Berths: The remaining six playoff spots will be at-large berths, awarded to the highest-ranked teams that do not win their conference championship. These at-large spots will provide opportunities for teams from both Power Five and Group of Five conferences to earn a spot in the playoff.
• Seeding: The twelve teams will be seeded based on their performance during the regular season and conference championships. The top four teams will receive a first-round bye, meaning they will not have to play in the opening round of the playoff. The other eight teams will play in the first round, which will be held at the higher-seeded team’s home stadium.
• First-Round Matchups: The first round will be a single-elimination game, with the higher-seeded team hosting the game at their home stadium. This will create exciting matchups in familiar stadiums, giving teams the advantage of home-field support in the opening round.
• Quarterfinals and Semifinals: After the first round, the quarterfinals and semifinals will be held at neutral-site bowl games, such as the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl, and others. These sites will rotate, ensuring a diverse and exciting postseason experience for fans.
• National Championship Game: The championship game will remain a neutral-site affair, hosted at a predetermined location, much like it is in the current format.

One of the most significant changes with this expanded format is the inclusion of more teams, particularly from non-Power Five conferences. Teams like Cincinnati, UCF, and Boise State, who have historically been left out of the playoff conversation, will now have the opportunity to compete for a national title.

4. The Impact on College Football

The expansion of the College Football Playoff will have far-reaching consequences for the sport. Here are some of the major ways it will change college football:

• More Opportunities for Smaller Programs: The most significant impact of the expansion is the opportunity for non-Power Five teams to compete for a national championship. While teams like Cincinnati and UCF have had strong seasons in the past, they have often been left out of the playoff due to the four-team format. With the expansion, these programs will have a clear path to the playoff, provided they perform well during the season.
• Increased National Interest: The expanded playoff will bring more teams into the national conversation, increasing the overall interest in the sport. With more schools having the opportunity to play for a national title, fans from across the country will have more reasons to tune in, even if their team isn’t a perennial powerhouse. The playoff will become more inclusive, representing a broader swath of the nation.
• More Exciting Bowl Games: The inclusion of more teams in the postseason will make bowl season even more thrilling. Instead of a handful of marquee bowl games, the first round of the expanded playoff will bring high-stakes matchups to smaller bowl games. This will elevate the importance of bowls like the Liberty Bowl, the Holiday Bowl, and others that may have previously been overshadowed by major bowl games like the Rose and Sugar Bowls.
• Increased Pressure on Coaches: The expansion of the playoff means that more coaches will feel the pressure to perform at a higher level. Coaches of teams from non-Power Five conferences will have more opportunities to prove themselves, but they will also face increased expectations. For coaches at Power Five schools, the bar for making the playoff will be higher, as more teams will now have a shot at securing an at-large bid.
• More Revenue: College football is a multi-billion-dollar industry, and expanding the playoff will only increase its financial significance. The additional games will bring in more television revenue, sponsorships, and ticket sales. This will benefit conferences, schools, and the NCAA, potentially leading to more funding for college athletics as a whole.
• Impact on the Regular Season: The expansion will likely change the dynamic of the regular season. While conference championships and rivalry games will still carry significant weight, teams that may have previously been eliminated from playoff contention in November now have more of a chance to compete. This could lead to fewer “must-win” games toward the end of the season for some teams.

5. Conclusion

The College Football Playoff expansion represents a seismic shift in the landscape of college football. The new 12-team format will provide more opportunities for teams from a wider array of conferences to compete for a national title, making the sport more inclusive and exciting for fans across the country.

By increasing the number of teams in the playoff, college football is embracing a more equitable and diverse postseason that reflects the growing importance of smaller conferences and programs. With more games, more excitement, and increased revenue, the expansion is a win for the sport as a whole.

However, the expansion also brings new challenges and pressures. Coaches will have to contend with higher expectations, while teams will have to navigate the complexities of an expanded postseason. Still, the College Football Playoff expansion is poised to change the game for the better, creating a more dynamic and inclusive college football experience for players, coaches, and fans alike.

The future of college football is brighter, with more teams having the chance to compete for the ultimate prize, and the playoff will undoubtedly evolve as the sport continues to grow. As the 2024 season approaches, the expanded College Football Playoff is set to change the face of the game forever.