The College Football Playoff field has long been a hot talking point across the country. The four-team format isn’t a bad option, although it makes it very difficult for the College Football Playoff Selection Committee to please everybody when the field is announced.
For years, talks and discussions have circulated about an expanded playoff field. Well, wait no more.
According to Pete Thamel of ESPN, the College Football Playoff is expanding to 12 teams in a monumental decision by the CFB Board of Managers.
According to Thamel, this change won’t take place until the 2026 season, although there is a chance this could still take place earlier than 2026 if a shift in negotiations occurs.
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
All of the changes across college football lately have sparked talks for an expanded field, and Thamel reports that money was a significant decision in this change.
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.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 2, 2022
It’s still a few years away, but we finally have a breakthrough in the format. This format will include automatic berths for the top six conference champions followed by six at-large bids.
Furthermore, other reports suggest that this could happen as soon as 2024.
Commissioners meet Thursday, which means we could know what year the 12-team #CFBPlayoff is implemented within a week. https://t.co/7YSla9LRAn
— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) September 2, 2022
Every year since the beginning of the College Football Playoff, we have had debates about who should be in and who should be out. Once this new format goes through, those debates won’t be as prevalent — hopefully.
The changes keep on coming in college football.
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