Conflicting reports emerge about College Football Playoff expansion
College Football Playoff expansion has been widely viewed as an inevitability for quite some time. The question is more about when — not if — it will happen. The answer depends on whom you ask.
During Friday’s episode of “The Dan Patrick Show,” Patrick said a source told him the College Football Playoff is going to expand to 12 teams. He claimed there has been an effort to implement a 12-team playoff as early as next season, but the expansion will have to wait until 2025 if it is not approved in December.
DP has an update on the College Football Playoff expansion from a source:
"A 12 Team College Football Playoff is a go. But they want to get it done for next season. If it's not approved in December, the Playoff won't be a go with 12 teams until 2025."#CFBPlayoff pic.twitter.com/MXqFvfglKX
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) November 19, 2021
Brett McMurphy of Action Network says Patrick’s report is simply untrue, as the College Football Playoff cannot be expanded next season due to contractual obligations.
Earliest @CFBPlayoff could expand is 2024 season. Sources told @ActionNetworkHQ, DP’s report is “bogus” & “not even possible because of ESPN & (other) bowl contracts” https://t.co/ycpLfeZOnM
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) November 19, 2021
More playoff games would mean more money, which is the main reason it is going to happen eventually. However, it does not sound like the expansion is coming within the next two years.
We know some prominent coaches are completely against the idea of expanding the playoff to 12 teams. Mike Leach proposed an insane idea for expanding the field that is almost certainly never going to happen. Going from four to 12 teams seems like the most widely accepted change. Time will tell when it happens.