College Football Playoff Looks to Expand to 12 Teams

It was announced Thursday that a College Football Playoff management sub-group has made a proposal to reformat the existing 4-team playoff into a 12-team playoff.

Rumors were circulating this morning about the proposal and it was officially announced this afternoon by the College Football Playoff. This new proposal would include the six highest ranked conference champions along with six at-large teams that would be selected by the College Football Playoff selection committee.

The top four ranked conference champions would each receive a bye-week in the first round while the other  teams eight would compete against each other, with the higher ranked seed hosting the game in their home stadium. The following rounds would be held in selected bowl games while the championship would continue to be a neutral site.

While this proposal is far from being solidified, the working group is confident about the potential of the expansion. The working group stated, "This is a very exciting moment for college football, we think we can capture what student-athletes and fans love about the game and extend it to more people in more places, while enhancing what's great about the regular season."

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Next week an 11-member committee will meet to endorse the proposal. If the proposal is endorsed, they will forward it to the College Football Playoff board of managers where they will discuss the logistics of the proposal. If the proposal is once again certified, the board will meet again in September to hear input from athletic directors, conference commissioners, presidents, coaches, and student-athletes.

The ultimate decision will rest with the board members, but it is worth noting the current contract for the four team playoff is valid through the 2025-2026 season. While the current contact lasts for another five seasons, this format could be implemented as early as 2023.

The working group said "After reviewing numerous options, we believe this proposal is the best option to increase participation, enhance the regular season and grow the national excitement of college football."