Momentum rapidly growing for College Football Playoff expansion to eight or more teams

[Auggie]

CBS Sports / June 8th, 2021

College Football Playoff expansion discussions are moving faster than anyone initially thought. Doubling the CFP field to eight teams is all but assumed at this point, but expansion may not stop there, multiple industry sources tell CBS Sports.

"Expansion is coming, and it may be as soon as this summer. It might even be more than [eight teams]," an FBS athletic director, who recently spoke with their league's commissioner, told CBS Sports.

Yahoo Sports reported Tuesday that a 12-team model is favored by multiple parties. CFP executive director Bill Hancock's bold assertion the bracket could expand to as many as 16 teams -- found in the 17th paragraph of an otherwise sleepy April press release -- ignited increased speculation.

"The SEC is going to push 12 because of their brand. I'm hearing 12," a Group of Five AD told CBS Sports.

MORE: https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/momentum-rapidly-growing-for-college-football-playoff-expansion-to-eight-or-more-teams/

From the link: A 12-team field would presumably allow for six automatic bids -- Power Five conference champions and the top-ranked Group of Five team -- along with six at-large bids.

Meanwhile, some are calling for eliminating one game from the season schedule to accommodate extra playoffs, which is a great idea IMO.

(LINK: https://www.si.com/college/2021/06/08/college-football-playoff-expansion-debate-schedule)

We can start with those early season match-ups like Ohio State vs. Wossamotta U.



I'm all for expanded playoffs. It's the mechanics (and more importantly, who will make the most money) that will decide how it all works out.

Let the fighting begin.

[sop]

1. Oh, good...January/December Madness!

And who actually watches all those meaningless bowl games anyway?

[JT45242]

2. 8 teams is all that is need ... simple solution and get rid of meaningless bowl games

8 team playoff.

5 champions of Power 5 leagues.
Top rated group of Five team (May be seeded no lower than 6) -- would like a mix of people and computers so that playing someone matters but since top teams duck these guys, not sure how to do that fairly (although the at large rule about using Strength of NONCONFERENCE schedule might help).

2 at large teams who MUST BE SEEDED 7 & 8. (Limit one at large per conference so that ESecPN cannot self promote a playoff with 3 SEC teams). These at large bids should be based on a combination of human ratings and things like strength of NONCONFERENCE schedule. [I am looking at you SEC teams most of whom play only cupcakes out of conference]. Notre Dame either joins a conference or is limited to at large as the 7 or 8 seed on the road for the first round.

Every D1 team can practice 14 times between November 15 and January 15 so that going to a bowl game does not give you extra practice time for the young guys. (This was the original reason for extra bowl games)

First round is home game for top 4 seeds. (Could even go neutral site bowl games)

That leaves 3 bowl games for semis and finals.

You could then have 16 bowls that people might watch with teams in the top 40 in the country because the teams would be good or at least watchable no more 6-6 vs 6-6 in a bowl game.

This also prevent small bowls from causing teams to lose a ton of money by not being able to sell tickets to a crappy game in a place that the fans do not want to go to (I am looking at you Pinstripe Bowl, Motor City Bowl, etc.)

[rurallib]

3. Smell the money!

be nice if the players get a cut of the money