Now that college football is in its offseason, it’s nice to get an update like this to get that football “fix.”
Other than getting the great news of the return of the EA Sports College Football video game, things have been quiet since Michigan won the National Championship back in January.
The good news for college football fans is that a lot of progress has happened behind the scenes, and we now have some new information on what next year’s expanded College Football Playoff will look like.
If you didn’t know, the CFP will move into a new era next season as the field for the playoff will increase from four teams to 12. The move should be a very popular decision for college football fans, and we now know how those 12 teams will be selected:
“The CFP Board of Managers unanimously revised the qualifying criteria for the 12-team event to include the five highest-ranked conference champions plus the next seven highest-ranked teams determined by the CFP Selection Committee.”
So…can we all just fast forward to December of next year and get this thing going already?
The decision to automatically qualify the top five conference champions is a change from what the CFP committee initially laid out. Originally, the top six ranked conference champions would have gotten in, leaving the next six ranked teams to fill the remaining playoff spots.
Mark Keenum, the Chair of the CFP Board of Managers and President of Mississippi State University, had this to say when the board’s decision was made public, and explained how conference realignment affected the decision:
“This is a very logical adjustment for the College Football Playoff based on the evolution of our conference structures since the board first adopted the new format in September 2022.
I know this change will also be well received by student-athletes, coaches and fans. We all will be pleased to see this new format come to life on the field this postseason.”
As you can see in the excerpt above, the four highest-ranked conference champions will get a first round bye, while seeds five through 12 will face off to move on in the competition. Those first round games will also include HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE, which should result in some electric atmospheres.
If you are a fan of college football, this is truly a wonderful update. I don’t think many people will be opposed to an expanded playoff, which if you didn’t put two and two together, just means MORE FOOTBALL. Bring on football season…
