College Football to Extend Number of Playoff Teams

On Friday, Sept. 2, the College Football Playoffs board announced that the college football playoffs will extend to 12 teams in 2026 but are trying to get the change implemented for the 2024 football season.

The announcement for extending the college playoffs to 12 teams was in the works since last summer, when 11 presidents and chancellors approved the 12 team model. The Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and the Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick met Thursday, Sept. 8 in Irving, Texas to further discuss the possibility of using the 12 team model for the 2024 season.

The way the format of the 12 teams will work is that the four highest ranked teams will be ranked from one to four and will receive first-round byes. The teams that are ranked five to 12 will play against each other in the first round during the second or third week of December. According to ESPN the quarterfinals and semifinals will be played as bowl games on a rotating basis; the championship game will be played on a neutral site as the current four-team format.

Suggestions for the college football playoffs to extend to 12 teams were arranged by SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, Swarbrick, Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson, and former Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby.

In June 2021 the idea came about but was put on pause because of objections from the ACC, Big 10 and PAC-12. After USC and UCLA committed to the Big 10 and the new television deal, the problems from the leagues mentioned began to fade.

The commissioner for the Big 10, Kevin Warren, explains to ESPN that the college football playoff expansion is great for the future of college football and the Big 10. Warren mentions that he is proud of what they were able to do to reach the agreement.

It could take a while before we hear the decision to implement the 12 team model for the 2024 or 2025 season as they are still trying to figure out the venues, hotels and television contracts for the playoff extensions.

All information courtesy of ESPN, espn.com