Football playoffs expanded to 12

[Flipper]

By 2026...but conferences are being asked to push for 2024.
This will not create more opportunities for the MAC...the field will include the six highest rated conference champs and the six highest rated at large teams after that.

The notion that the P5 would expand the playoffs to auto bid all the conference champs was a pipe dream from day 1.

Thanks to ESPN and the other networks, everything that was unique and enjoyable about college football has been ruined as it is now 100% NFL lite

https://www.espn.com/college-football/s ... ources-say

[mbenecke]

By 2026...but conferences are being asked to push for 2024.
This will not create more opportunities for the MAC...the field will include the six highest rated conference champs and the six highest rated at large teams after that.

The notion that the P5 would expand the playoffs to auto bid all the conference champs was a pipe dream from day 1.

Thanks to ESPN and the other networks, everything that was unique and enjoyable about college football has been ruined as it is now 100% NFL lite

https://www.espn.com/college-football/s ... ources-say

We'd likely never receive an at-large bid, but there's an outside shot that this program could at some point be one of the 6 highest ranked champions. Considering we would never get in in a top 4 scenario, this feels like we could at least somehow sneak in. But it'll be difficult and rare.

[kdog27]

Alabama, OSU, Clemson etc. still get byes then will so will be same 5-6 teams in final four it always is.

[jpfalcon09]

By 2026...but conferences are being asked to push for 2024.
This will not create more opportunities for the MAC...the field will include the six highest rated conference champs and the six highest rated at large teams after that.

The notion that the P5 would expand the playoffs to auto bid all the conference champs was a pipe dream from day 1.

Thanks to ESPN and the other networks, everything that was unique and enjoyable about college football has been ruined as it is now 100% NFL lite

https://www.espn.com/college-football/s ... ources-say

There's at least a spot for essentially the highest ranked G5 conference champion. WMU would have qualified several years ago, so there's an outside remote chance a MAC program could do it again. This probably spurs the conference to expand as well. You'll want to get as many seats at the table as you can get.

[MarkL]

So every single playoff from now until forever will have Ohio State, Georgia, and Alabama. And common appearances by USC, Clemson, LSU, and Michigan.

Boring.

[fanatic13]

Two years ago the pac 12 would have had zero teams while the sun belt and aac would have had auto bids so in theory we don't even have to be the best g5 champion

I don't like the change but it gives us a chance to make the playoff. Niu would have made it in 2012 and I'm sure one year Marshall would made it

[jpfalcon09]

So every single playoff from now until forever will have Ohio State, Georgia, and Alabama. And common appearances by USC, Clemson, LSU, and Michigan.

Boring.

Those programs are already dominating the current playoff. Expanding access is good even if it means it's watered down, and ensuring the smaller conferences at least have a seat means they're not going to be excluded if college football separates from the NCAA.

[Falconfreak90]

IF a spot is guaranteed for the G5 conferences, I might consider watching power 5 games again. Right now, I don't care. They don't want us in their world so why support them?

[Falconfreak90]

By 2026...but conferences are being asked to push for 2024.
This will not create more opportunities for the MAC...the field will include the six highest rated conference champs and the six highest rated at large teams after that.

The notion that the P5 would expand the playoffs to auto bid all the conference champs was a pipe dream from day 1.

Thanks to ESPN and the other networks, everything that was unique and enjoyable about college football has been ruined as it is now 100% NFL lite

https://www.espn.com/college-football/s ... ources-say

100% correct, Flipper. The only time I watch a power 5 team is if BG or another MAC team is playing. Totally is NFL Lite.

[Bgsu2016]

I’m intrigued by it to be honest. Looking at the 2019 season we’d have a playoffs of…

#1 LSU
#2 Ohio State
#3 Clemson
#4 Oklahoma
#6 Oregon
#17 Memphis

#5 Georgia
#7 Baylor
#8 Wisconsin
#9 Florida
#10 Penn State
#11 Utah

To avoid a rematch of a conference foes you’d flip Penn State and Utah to have Oregon/Penn State, Memphis/Utah, Georgia/Wisconsin and Baylor/Florida. Still my biggest worry about this whole format is the pure appetite of fans for ALL these games. You’d basically have to fully adopt the NFL model for ticket sales sakes where the only neutral site game is the title. We’ve already seen this quite a bit where the national title in most cases is cheaper than the semifinals to attend

[hammb]

The way I see it expanding access to the playoff to the point that the G5 can legitimately get a seat at the table is a very good thing. I still say ALL conference champs should get a ticket, but we all know that will never happen.

Still, this doesn't "fix" anything with college football. The problem is that we'll now have at least one round of playoffs where the games are usually blowouts. Maybe I assign my own issues to college football and the "casual" fans of the sport don't care, but to me the biggest issue is the fact that 3-4 programs have separated themselves so much from the rest of the pack that it's largely just not an entertaining sport.

And personally I think the issue is more that the "have nots" are not nearly as good as they were 20 years ago, as opposed to the "haves" just being better. Declining participation numbers at the HS level are the biggest issue with the current landscape of D1 football. There aren't enough good players to fill 130 85 player rosters. The NFL and NCAA need to come up with a viable plan to stop the massive defection from the sport.

Anecdotally I have a sports-obsessed 7yo. We are actively participating in an organized sport at least 8 months of the year. It is very rare that he has expressed any interest in playing flag football, and with the season overlapping with fall Soccer it's a non-starter.

[Beaker]

Set that boy straight