Deeper By The Dozen: CFB Plans To Expand Playoffs To 12 Teams In 2026

By Barry Janoff

September 2, 2022: Calling it a “historic and exciting day for college football,' the Board of Managers, a group of university presidents and chancellors that oversees the College Football Playoff, voted unanimous to expand the current four-team playoff into a 12-team playoff.

The new format — consistent with a proposal the board reviewed in the fall and winter of 2021-22 — is scheduled to begin in the 2026 college football regular season.

The meeting was held via a video conference call.

"This is a historic and exciting day for college football," Mark Keenum, president of Mississippi State and the chairman of the CFP Board of Managers, said via the group. "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."

The current four-team CFP format began in 2014.

The national championship game will continue to be played at a neutral site.

The CFP Championship Game site to conclude the 2026 season, to be played in January 2027, has not yet been named.

The 12 teams will be the six conference champions ranked highest by the selection committee (no minimum ranking requirement), plus the six highest-ranked teams not included among the six highest-ranked conference champions.

Subject to reaching agreement with bowls, the four quarterfinal games and two Playoff Semifinal games would be played in bowls on a rotating basis.

The board has tasked the College Football Management Committee —the ten conference commissioners and the AD at Notre Dame, who run the playoff — with assessing the possibility of beginning the expanded playoff in either the 2024 or 2025 regular season

The CPF currently matches the No. 1 ranked team vs. No. 4, and No. 2 vs. No. 3 in semifinal games that rotate annually among six bowl games:  Goodyear Cotton Bowl, Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Allstate Sugar Bowl and Rose Bowl Game.

This season's Playoff Semifinals are scheduled for Dec. 31 in  the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl and Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

The CPF National Championship is scheduled for Jan. 9, 2023, in SoFi Stadium, home for the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers.

Among the other decisions approved by the  Board of Managers:

• The ranking of the teams will continue to be done by a selection committee whose size, composition, and method of selection will remain substantially unchanged. The Management Committee will modify the selection protocol as required by the change to the playoff structure.

• The four highest-ranked conference champions will be seeded one through four and each 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 (No. 12 at No. 5, No. 11 at No. 6, No. 10 at No. 7 and No. 9 at No. 8.)

• The model allows for first-round games to be played on either the second or third weekend in December in a way that best accommodates the format and the participating teams, with at least 12 days between the conference championship games and the first-round games. The Management Committee would make the final determination of the calendar.

"This is a historic day for college football. More teams, more participation and more excitement are good for our fans, alumni and student-athletes."

•  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.

For example, if the Pac-12 champion were ranked No. 1, the Big Ten champion were ranked No. 3, and the Rose Bowl were a quarterfinal site, the Pac-12 champion would be assigned to the Rose Bowl and the Big Ten champion would be assigned elsewhere.

• 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.

• The higher seeds would receive preferential placement in the Playoff Semifinal games.

• First-round games will not have title or presenting sponsors and existing venue signage will remain in place. The CFP will control the video boards.

"I'm very pleased we were able to get this accomplished and I look forward to expansion taking place," Keenum said.

"The four-team playoff has been highly popular and successful. I believe this new format will be even more popular and successful."

The 2023 National Championship is scheduled for Houston’s NRG Stadium on Jan. 8, 2024.

The 2024 National Championship is scheduled for Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium in January 2025.

The 2025 National Championship is scheduled for Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium in January 2026.

CFP Committee Eyes Championship Cities

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