During the Friday afternoon news dump of Labor Day weekend, networks announced the decision for a twelve-team College Football Playoff.
Conference commissioners discussed various options that could take effect with a new media contract starting in the 2026 season. They had long talks without consensus and tabled the discussion for their next meeting.
On a 30-minute zoom call, 12 college presidents made the decision and laid out the playoff format. The playoffs will include the six highest ranking conference champions and six at-large teams. First-round byes will be given to the four highest-ranking conference champions. Campus facilities will be used for the first round, and bowl games will be used for the final three rounds.
If you have read my past posts, you will know the NCAA is an association of colleges represented by their presidents. So, this decision could be considered a byproduct of the NCAA,
What changed? The three letters NIL turned the athletes into professionals. The transfer portal created free agency.
Past concerns revolved around the players’ health and the impact on their academics. Now that players are professionals, they are making personal business decisions. They need to be concerned with their health and futures.
It was an easy business decision made by the group of 12 presidents. The 12-team playoff will start in 2026, with the possibility of starting as early as 2024.
Will Norte Dame join a conference to get chances for a first-round bye?
Maybe conferences will stay smaller so schools will have a better change to qualify.