College Football Playoff Expansion? CFP Explores 63 Different Postseason Scenarios
Apr 26, 2021, 3:18 PM
ATLANTA, GA - December 6: The National Championship trophy is displayed following the College Football Playoff Semifinal Head Coaches News Conference on December 6, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
(Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Are we about to witness College Football Playoff expansion? If you’re someone wanting college football’s postseason to increase from four to maybe eight or even 16-teams, you’ll like what the Playoff Manage Committee did at their annual spring meetings.
The committee “received a briefing from a working group of four of its members,” considering options for the future format of the College Football Playoff.
NEWS: The College Football Playoff management committee met remotely this week.
Details on the meeting » https://t.co/FOPFyJ5pKq#CFBPlayoff 🏈🏆 pic.twitter.com/HDB45YEdL6
— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) April 23, 2021
College Football Playoff expansion: 63 possible scenarios
Expansion anyone? According to the CFP’s press release recapping their spring meeting, “In its analysis, the working group has reviewed some 63 possibilities for change. These included 6-, 8-, 10-, 12- and 16-team options, each with a variety of different scenarios.”
College Football Playoff Executive Director Bill Hancock said that the working group “continues to support and believe in the four-team playoff as it is currently constituted.” But the fact that the CFP is looking at expansion scenarios is promising for the future.
College Football Playoff “considering” various expansion plans, including 6, 8, 10, 12 and 16 team options. pic.twitter.com/r9yfz1VX5W
— Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) April 23, 2021
The Playoff for the 2021 season is expected to be its normal four teams. But maybe the 2022 season could produce some potential change? The current College Football Playoff contract (12 years) runs through the 2025 season.
This conversation comes at a time where a handful of schools has dominated the Playoff. In the first seven years of the Playoff, Alabama and Clemson have each appeared six times. Ohio State has four appearances, along with Oklahoma. Those teams, plus Notre Dame, aren’t slowing down anytime soon. Leaving us all to wonder, will anyone else get in?
Playoff needs some change in a hurry
The Pac-12 hasn’t produced a team to the Playoff since 2016. Programs outside of the Power 5 haven’t had any representation in the college football’s top four teams. A possible expansion has always been shot down by the Playoff committee, so it’s interesting to hear that it’s actually being discussed.
Something has to change. In an ideal world, the College Football Playoff features a number of teams that creates a national tournament. The fact that it’s a possibility gives hope to an improved championship system in a sport that has always had issues with the way it determines its best team.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12-3 pm) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.
