A lengthy decision on whether or not to expand the College Football Playoff has finally been made.
The CFP Board of Managers unanimously voted to go to a 12-team playoff in the future, according to multiple reports. The playoff has been at four teams since its inception in 2014.
The 12-team model is expected to go in effect for the 2026 season, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, who reported it could happen sooner but that “those details are complicated and would take some time to work out.”
The decision comes more than a year after a working group within the CFP initially recommended expanding to 12 teams, which would include the six highest-ranked conference champions and six at-large teams. That’s the format the CFP plans on sticking with, according to Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic.
Clemson has made six CFP appearances, champions of the ACC each time. The Tigers’ most recent trip to the playoff came at the end of the 2020 season.
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