On Friday, the College Football Board of Managers unanimously voted to expand the college football playoff to 12 teams.
According to Pete Thamel, college football’s senior writer for ESPN, the 11 presidents, and chancellors who make up the CFP’s Board of Managers approved a 12-team playoff structure that will begin in 2026. Thamel also reported that the Board of Managers is encouraging commissioners around the league to implement the new playoff structure as soon as 2024 before the current contract’s end. However, this may take several weeks or months due to the current agreement.
The 12 teams selected to the playoff under this new structure will be the six highest-ranked conference champions and six at-large teams.
Previously, the CFP Board of Managers decided not to expand due to objections by the ACC, Big Ten, and Pac-12. However, with the college football landscape changing drastically and more moves on the horizon, it is evident the opinions of these conferences have changed.
Jack Swarbrick, the Notre Dame athletic director, and ten FBS commissioners will meet in Dallas next week to figure out the details of this monumental move for college football.
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