College Football Playoff Board Votes Unanimously to Expand to 12 Teams: Reports
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The College Football Playoff will expand to 12 teams as early as the 2026 season after the CFP board voted unanimously Friday for expansion, per multiple reports.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported the decision was made early in the afternoon and that it will likely be implemented within four years.
Sources: The CFP Board of Managers has decided on a 12-team College Football Playoff during today’s meeting.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 2, 2022
The 12-team model is expected to start in 2026, after the current contract, according to a source. There’s still a chance that it could go earlier, but those details are complicated and would take some time to work out. https://t.co/sRWlmiDvbe
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 2, 2022
Nicole Auerbach, senior college football writer for The Athletic, also reported the now-four team playoff would expand to 12 teams.
Auerbach said the format would offer the six highest-ranked conference champions automatic bids. The remaining bids would be at-large.
The 12-team CFP format will be the one that was initially proposed by the four-person working group. Six highest-ranked conference champions, six at-larges.
Source tells @TheAthletic that there are a lot of details left to work out to see if it can be implemented before 2026.
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) September 2, 2022
But, I will say, this source says they would like to see the 12-team CFP implemented “as soon as possible.”
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) September 2, 2022
I’ve been told that it is possible the CFP could take a 12-team CFP to market for 2026 onward, and then also see if they could implement the 12-team model early in a one- or two-year package with ESPN (who has exclusive rights through 2025-26 season). Food for thought.
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) September 2, 2022
Such a format could potentially leave the door open to non-Power Five programs playing for a chance at a national title.
The College Football Playoff replaced the BCS model after the 2013 season.
The model, which features two semifinal games and a title game, has been criticized since its inaugural season.
