News Article: CFP officials discuss expanding to 14-team playoff in 2026

[selmaborntidefan]

I've always wanted a playoff, so I do see any problem with it. I've been a Bama fan for almost 50 years. I've always hated the "polls"!

And yet they're still going to decide on the teams in the playoffs with......you guessed it.....polls.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Just rank the teams from 1-133. First game of the season is the first round and go from there.

You can have seven rounds of playoffs with 128 teams and no byes.
I jokingly said this years ago. Teams like New Mexico State can have a one-game season and play it on the road. I'm sure that will increase their fan support.

 

[Slowpoke Catracho]

And yet they're still going to decide on the teams in the playoffs with......you guessed it.....polls.

I guess Finebaum needs something to do in his extra spare time!

 

[bamaga]

I think they should just go ahead with a 16 team playoff and ditch the committee for the BCS formula.

CFP officials discussing 14-team playoff in 2026

CFP executive director Bill Hancock said the idea of a 14-team College Football Playoff starting in 2026 was discussed at Wednesday's meeting in Dallas but added, "There's work still to be done."

www.espn.com

I heard one of the talking heads today say you will probably get your wish. Money, on campus games will be the driving forces.

 

[GrayTide]

Because it's not "fair" to the 13th and 14th teams....err which will lead to it's not "fair" for the 15th and 16th teams, rinse and repeat until they allow JUCO schools to play in it.

I was somehow under the impression that we would have to wait until October "for the fair'.

 

[AlistarWills]

Josh Pate dropped a couple thingslast night 2/29 that he felt were bombshells that went mostly unnoticed. He quoted an ESPN article that said there had been some discussions behind the scenes amongst the PtB in the SEC and BIG about leaving the NCAA. Said they were pretty serious about it.
He also notes that in the 14-team playoff stuff going around that there’s a proposal that the SEC and BIG always gets the bye and the Big12 and ACC will NEVER get a bye.

 

[colbysullivan]

Josh Pate dropped a couple thingslast night 2/29 that he felt were bombshells that went mostly unnoticed. He quoted an ESPN article that said there had been some discussions behind the scenes amongst the PtB in the SEC and BIG about leaving the NCAA. Said they were pretty serious about it.
He also notes that in the 14-team playoff stuff going around that there’s a proposal that the SEC and BIG always gets the bye and the Big12 and ACC will NEVER get a bye.

This is likely because the SEC and B1G know the other conferences will never sign off on it, so they will then have leverage to say “Fine, we are leaving you guys to go from our own division, where REAL football is played.” Let’s face it, if it’s not the SEC or B1G football, who really cares?

 

[CrimsonNagus]

I'm not a fan of byes at any level. Just go to 16 and forget the byes.

Perhaps more than ever it's time for the top 40 or so teams to create their own league and regulate eligibility for the post season in the manner that the NFL does it, where everything is determined down to the most minute mathematical details.

I support davefrat's view about creating a separate division. I would place the top 60 FCS teams in a new division and the remaining 70+ teams in its own division. I would also tell the CFPC to get lost.

Josh Pate dropped a couple thingslast night 2/29 that he felt were bombshells that went mostly unnoticed. He quoted an ESPN article that said there had been some discussions behind the scenes amongst the PtB in the SEC and BIG about leaving the NCAA. Said they were pretty serious about it.
He also notes that in the 14-team playoff stuff going around that there’s a proposal that the SEC and BIG always gets the bye and the Big12 and ACC will NEVER get a bye.

Just combine the SEC/Big 10 and you have your new league. I think this is the ultimate goal anyway. That's 34 teams, a little bigger than the NFL. The best teams are already in those leagues, everyone else can pound sand.

 

[BamaNation]

Here's an original idea... why not just make the whole season a play-in tournament? 120+ teams in the 4 months-long tournament. Lose the first game and you're out no matter what else happens. Who cares that most non SEC/Big10-14-9743 schools don't play anyone except occasionally for $$$... if they win, they keep playing. Just win baby. Every game matters. I mean if we're going to allow the 14th best team a chance, why not?

 

[DzynKingRTR]

Here's an original idea... why not just make the whole season a play-in tournament? 120+ teams in the 4 months-long tournament. Lose the first game and you're out no matter what else happens. Who cares that most non SEC/Big10-14-9743 schools don't play anyone except occasionally for $$$... if they win, they keep playing. Just win baby. Every game matters. I mean if we're going to allow the 14th best team a chance, why not?

not sure why in blue, it isn't the dumbest idea I have heard

 

[JDCrimson]

I suggested this very thing a couple of months ago on this board and got numerous facepalms...

128 teams with an 8 week season, off week in week 9 then 8 week playoff season with the losers playing lower tier consolation games.

Here's an original idea... why not just make the whole season a play-in tournament? 120+ teams in the 4 months-long tournament. Lose the first game and you're out no matter what else happens. Who cares that most non SEC/Big10-14-9743 schools don't play anyone except occasionally for $$$... if they win, they keep playing. Just win baby. Every game matters. I mean if we're going to allow the 14th best team a chance, why not?

 

[BamaNation]

Given NIL rules the roost, by definition teams are going to have to play only high-quality teams so as to maximize the value of their players' NIL deals with the most exposure. The losers in all of this are the wannabes who 1) can't compete for players, 2) cant pay the NIL bribes necessary to get those players on their campuses, and 3) aren't getting the TV deals b/c the power teams won't play them anymore b/c those games are worthless. AND with no investigations, teams with the fans with the biggest bank accounts win.

By reputation, Bama fans may have given $100 handshakes in the past after games. Fine.

I don't see too many of our boosters giving the TAMU and UTX-level deals to players. Thus, at Bama the UA-run NIL collective is what's going to pay for NIL deals while crazy rich TAMU oil guys are going off the rails with $1mm handshakes. That said, they're still TAMU so it won't really matter too much

 

[CoolBreeze]

Bad idea reportedly dead as CFP future remains in flux

Breaking down the power plays involved as the College Football Playoff negotiations continue.

www.al.com

 

[RammerJammer14]

I don’t know why they don’t expand it to a 64 team playoff. Who’s to say 7-6 Wisconsin isn’t actually worthy of a National Championship? Unless there is a playoff for the top 64 teams, we will continue to not know who the truly great teams are.

 

[Probius]

Again, this is what "fair" looks like. So everyone (in general) who has been screaming from the rooftops "It's not fair", I hope loves what "fair" ends up looking like. And I'm talking about the NIL, transfer portal, ever-expanding playoffs, etc. The entire ball of wax. I hope everyone loves their "fair".

I do indeed

 

[mdb-tpet]

I was really hoping for a 13 team playoff, but everyone is afraid of the number 13, so I'm afraid it's gonna either be 12 or 14 teams.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I do indeed

I have no idea what you could think is "likeable" or good about the current landscape of CFB.

 

[colbysullivan]

I do indeed

You actually like this garbage?

 

[4Q Basket Case]

I like BamaNation's approach. Only I'd suggest a six-game regular season with the schedule determined among 128 teams by random draw.

Then we seed the teams 1 - 128 by a combination of computers and polls (sounds like the old BCS doesn't it?)

Then have a 7-round playoff. Everybody makes the playoff and their seeding is based on a randomly assigned regular season schedule. So everybody gets a fair chance at the championship.

Losers (oops....there are no losers) Second-place finishers in each game can either go home or play an exhibition schedule against other games' losers second-place finishers.

Since you have to be fair based on new information as it becomes available, teams are re-seeded after each round.

For the first five rounds, game sites are determined by flip of a coin. Gotta be fair....who knows whether the lower-seeded team is actually inferior to the higher-seeded one?

The last two rounds (only 4 teams left by now) are played in the lowest remaining seed's home field. You know....to give the little guy a fair chance.

I was on the fence about whether this absurd idea should be in blue font. You decide.