The College Football Playoff Expands to 12 Teams
In a historic move, the College Football Playoff will now feature a field of 12 teams, after a unanimous vote by university presidents overseeing the CFP. The 12-team format will include five conference champions and seven at-large selections, marking a significant shift from the original plan of six conference champions.
The change in the format was prompted by realignment and the disassembling of the Pac-12, leading to the new 5-7 format. No conference will have automatic access to the playoff, with the highest-ranked conference champions earning the five reserved slots. The selection committee’s rankings will determine the seven at-large bids, with the possibility of multiple teams from the same conference making the playoffs.
The upcoming season will be the first with a 12-team playoff, following 10 years of a four-team event. The top four ranked conference champions will receive a first-round bye, while teams seeded fifth through 12th will play on the home field of the higher-ranked team.
New Year’s Six bowl games will host the quarterfinals and semifinal playoff games, with the national championship game remaining at a neutral site in Atlanta on Jan. 10. Additionally, the CFP management committee is set to discuss the pending six-year, $1.3 billion deal between ESPN and the CFP for exclusive rights to the 12-team playoff through 2031.
Fans can expect an exciting and competitive season with the expanded playoff format, offering more teams the opportunity to compete for the national championship. Stay tuned for further updates from ‘The Puck Drop’ as we cover the latest developments in college football.
