The College Football Playoff Board of Managers made a major decision Friday that paves the way for future expansion.
The Board of Managers on Friday voted to approve expanding to a 12-team playoff. The shift to 12 teams will not be immediate, and is likely to come in 2026 once the playoff’s new television contract begins.
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
Ross Dellenger of SI added that the format of the expanded tournament has not yet been decided, and will be left to commissioners. The format for the playoff will involve the six highest-ranked conference champions and six at-large bids.
To be clear, there are still a lot of sticking points in how this will work. However, Friday’s vote ensures that expansion is coming within four years, and perhaps sooner. While this outcome has looked increasingly inevitable in recent years, actually formalizing it is a significant step.
On the other hand, kicking the issue to commissioners could open up some new issues. We have already seen some issues arise in the past. There may be more to come.
