The College Football Playoff’s Board of Managers voted Friday to expand the playoff field to 12 teams and fans had a lot to say about it. The unanimous vote is an important first step in pushing the playoff beyond the current four-team format.
The proposed model grants automatic bids to the six highest-ranked conference champions, gives first-round byes to the four highest-ranked champions and completes the field with six at-large selections.
Sources: The CFP Board of Managers has decided on a 12-team College Football Playoff during today’s meeting.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 2, 2022
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
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 2, 2022
The board has approved the new format to be utilized beginning with the 2026 season, though it hopes that it can be implemented earlier, perhaps as soon as the 2024 campaign.
“This is an historic and exciting day for college football,” said Mark Keenum, chairman of the CFP Board of Managers chairman and president of Mississippi State. “More teams, more participation and more excitement are good for our fans, alumni, and student-athletes. I’m grateful to my colleagues on the board for their thoughtful approach to this issue and for their resolve to get expansion across the goal line and for the extensive work of the Management Committee that made this decision possible.”
Among the measures approved by the CFP board Friday:
- 12-team bracket: Six highest-ranked conference champions (no minimum ranking requirement), plus next six highest-ranked teams
- Rankings system: CFP Selection Committee will continue to determine weekly rankings with criteria to be reevaluated
- Bracket placement: Four highest-ranked conference champions will be seeded 1-4 with first-round byes; four highest remaining seeds will host lower seeds at sites to be determined
- Scheduling: First-round games will be played at campus sites on either the second or third weekend in December, at least 12 days after conference championship games
- Bowl relationship: Quarterfinal and semifinal games will be played at rotating bowl sites subject to agreements being reached; national championship will continue being played at neutral sites; existing conference relationships with bowls will be considered for game placements
Interested in how this impacts recruiting. https://t.co/u2ZcbeoSpK pic.twitter.com/YMUs256Ro9
— Shaun M. Davis (@SD2Mics) September 2, 2022
Definitely better than seeing the same damn four teams in the CFP every year.
Now as long as every division champion up to mid-major can be represented, it’d be ideal. https://t.co/8dzIejtCX3
— Schlasser (@UrinatingTree) September 2, 2022
Won’t have to beat ohio state to make the cfp anymore https://t.co/kZa8jFlNH1 pic.twitter.com/ZaDzeJimoP
— 🥀 (@drunkspecialist) September 2, 2022
Texas A&M, Georgia, Oklahoma and Kentucky following Alabama into the CFP every year … https://t.co/sDLzNttk9Q pic.twitter.com/WrnpLzL2hj
— Myron Medcalf (@MedcalfByESPN) September 2, 2022
Bama Georgia Ohio state and Clemson https://t.co/q1TQ5ofA0A pic.twitter.com/YIrjRXI7Wd
— Jerome from B’ham 🥋 (@JeromeFromBham) September 2, 2022
If the 12 team CFP had started in the CFP’s 1st year of 2014, UCF & Cincinnati would have made it 2x.
As reference, UF & FSU would have made it 3x & Miami 1x. usf would have made it 0 times. https://t.co/xnG4A0AI9N
— ⚔️Sidelines – UCF⚔️ (@SSN_UCF) September 2, 2022
we officially do not have to worry about not making the playoff for years to come https://t.co/TXLhmPJXqN
— Barstool Bama (@BarstoolAlabama) September 2, 2022
Enjoy the next 4 seasons of College Football. It will never be this good again.
Horrific day for the sport. https://t.co/iuw7yDIOfj
— CFB Kings (@CFBKings) September 2, 2022
It was inevitable. Follow the money. https://t.co/tFpap1MASu
— Mark Packer (@MarkPacker) September 2, 2022
