Exploring What The 12-Team College Football Playoff Will Look Like

The college football playoffs are still on course to get far bigger in 2024, tripling in size from its current four-team field that has been in place since 2014. So with plenty more games to feast your eyes on and more rounds, what exactly will the 12-team college football playoff look like? What bowl games will be played? And how will it actually work? These are some solid questions we will look to answer today. However, you can always look for more College Football news and updates right here.

What Year Will NCAA Football Playoff Expand?

The playoff will expand to 12 teams starting in 2024, which means the current 2023 season will be unaffected by these proposed changes and will continue to be a four-team field. Nevertheless, it’s important to remember that the final structure may vary depending on discussions and decisions made by college football officials.

How Will The 12-Team College Football Playoff Work?

As things stand, under the new proposed 12-team college football playoff system, the six highest-ranked conference champions will receive automatic bids into the field. The other six spots will be at-large bids given to the remaining highest-ranked teams by the selection committee, something similar to that of NFL Power Rankings. Nevertheless, there has been another twist added by the powers that be that will benefit the league champions.

The four highest-ranked champs will receive an automatic bye to the CFP quarterfinals, skipping the four matchups of the first round (No. 5 vs. No. 12, No. 6 vs. No. 11, No. 7 vs. No. 10 and No. 8 vs. No. 9). There had been talks of changes being made to the proposed new system due to the demise of the PAC 12, however, any such movements have been shelved for now at least.

What Bowl Games Will Be Part Of It?

The Fiesta Bowl, Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl will all feature in the quarter-finals of the CFP 2024 with the Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl hosting the semifinals.

Moreover, in 2025, the Cotton Bowl, Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl make up the quarterfinals, with the Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl hosting the semis.

But Why a 12-Team Format?

There seems to have been strong support from the presidential and commissioner level for a 12-team format from the beginning rather than an 8 or 16-team system. This is because they want the first-round byes for the top four seeds, but also because of the workable logistics in the overall college football calendar, it makes it easier to manage and implement for everyone.

Great News for Fans?

It’s thought that the expanded playoffs would generate increased excitement and interest among fans, as more teams would have the chance to compete for the ultimate prize; the national championship. Moreover, it’s thought it will also provide more opportunities for fans to attend playoff games.

What Conference Benefits Most From The Changes?

With up to seven available slots, the SEC will likely benefit most from the proposed changes, seeing as they were the most successful conference of the CFP era with 10 appearances, 14 wins and five championships. The Big Ten also should benefit from the proposed new changes with the league packing the top 12 of the final CFP standings. Another beneficiary is the Group of 5 programme, where one team will make the 12-team playoff annually, and the much-improved profiles of leagues such as the AAC and Sun Belt increase the chances of two Group of 5 participants in some years. Despite this, the Group of 5 teams will likely be road teams in the opening weeks of the new system.