College Football Playoffs expands, adds 8 teams
IRVING, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - The College Football Playoffs has expanded from four teams to a 12-team playoff.
The new format will begin in the 2026 college football regular season with the possibility of beginning in the 2024 or the 2025 regular reason.
The 12 teams will be the six conference champions ranked highest by the selection committee with no minimum ranking requirement, plus the six highest-ranked teams not included among the six highest-ranked conference champions, according to CFP.
"Today's expansion of the College Football Playoff from the current format of four teams to 12 teams is exciting for the entire sport, but even more so for SMU," SMU Director of Athletics Rick Hart told CBS 11. "The fact that the six highest rated conference champions are guaranteed a playoff spot is a major victory for us, providing a level of access that has been lacking for SMU and so many programs.
"This is an historic and exciting day for college football," said Mark Keenum, the President of Mississippi State and the chairman of the CFP Board of Managers. "More teams, more participation and more excitement are good for our fans, alumni, and student-athletes. I'm grateful to my colleagues on the board for their thoughtful approach to this issue and for their resolve to get expansion across the goal line and for the extensive work of the Management Committee that made this decision possible."
SMU President Dr. Gerald Turner is on the board, which unanimously approved the addition of eight teams.
The proposal was one Turner has been supportive of on behalf of the American Athletic Conference and he said he is thankful it was voted for.
"I think it just makes a lot of games at the end of the season, more meaningful and I think when you only have four playoff teams, I think it sort of undermines the significance of the November games," Turner said. "I think having 12 teams kind of brings that back into play that they are important. It's important that you win your conference."
Turner said he thinks the addition will provide more excitement for college football fans.
"We want to thank the Board of Managers for this unanimous decision, and I and the rest of the Mustang Nation owe a debt of gratitude to Dr. Turner, as he represented the American Athletic Conference on this board and played a big role in this process," Hart said.
The ranking of the teams will be done by a selection committee. The four highest-ranked conference champions will be seeded one through four and will receive a first-round bye. The other eight teams will play in the first round with the higher seeds hosting the lower seeds either on campus or at other sites designated by the higher-seeded institution.
The four quarterfinal games and two semifinal games would be played in bowls on a rotating basis and the national championship game will continue to be played at a neutral site. The higher seeds would receive preferential placement in semifinal games.
Subject to reaching agreement with bowls, the four highest-ranked conference champions will be assigned to quarterfinals bowls on selection day in ranking order, and in consideration of current contract bowl relationships if those bowls are selected for the rotation.
With the four highest-ranked champions assigned to quarterfinal games in bowls, the opponent from first-round game winners will be assigned by the selection committee based on the bracket.
