Those hoping for expansion of the College Football Playoff will welcome Friday’s news that the NCAA’s CFP subcommittee has at least thought about what an expanded tournament would look like.
A College Football Playoff news release confirmed that the CFP discussed 63 potential changes to the playoff format, including ones that accommodate 6, 8, 10, 12, and 16 teams. According to Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic, some other formats tossed around by the committee included automatic bids for some conference champions, potentially guaranteed spots for Group of Five champions, byes, and even fields determined solely by rankings.
There was no formal preference agreed on by the subcommittee, nor is playoff expansion a guarantee. It also seems fairly unlikely that major changes would be implemented prior to the expiration of the CFP’s contract with ESPN, which ends in 2025-26.
It’s not clear how much momentum there even is to expand the playoff despite the discussion. Some of the sport’s prominent names have backed expansion, while others have some reservations about the idea. At the moment, it does not seem that there is a clear preference for changes, which would probably have to happen before any are made.
