Boise State’s Spencer Danielson argues for College Football Playoff expansion

‘I think it would be awesome,’ Danielson said

Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson after last year's College Football Playoff loss to Penn State. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The College Football Playoff expanded to 12 teams for the 2024 season, and both editions of the new CFP have featured surprise qualifiers and seeding. 

Boise State earned the No. 3 overall seed for last year’s playoff as the third-highest-ranked conference champion. The five highest-ranked conference champions receive automatic bids to the CFP. 

Following a second straight Mountain West title, the Broncos received a first-round bye and fell to Penn State in a Fiesta Bowl quarterfinal. 

The CFP moved to straight seeding in 2025 but kept the five automatic qualifiers format. 

Due to a five-loss Duke team winning the ACC, the Group of Five had two teams automatically qualify for this year’s CFP: No. 11 Tulane (American Conference) and No. 12 James Madison (Sun Belt). Notre Dame, which defeated Boise State in October and ended the season on a 10-game winning streak, was not selected for the playoff and opted to skip a bowl game. 

After Sunday’s bracket reveal, many members of the national media — notably CBS Sports’ Danny Kanell and ESPN’s Paul Finebaum — argued that the Group of Five should not be guaranteed a spot in the CFP. 

Broncos head coach Spencer Danielson said he is not worried about losing access to the CFP as Boise State prepares to leave the Mountain West for the Pac-12 next summer. 

“We will always have a shot to make it to the College Football Playoff,” Danielson said earlier this week. “You look at this year, we were probably one win away from being in this year, which is on us to be better to make sure we win those games. There’s always going to be a shot for any team in the country — if they play the way they need to — to get to the College Football Playoff.

“College football is in a great place. Are there changes that need to happen? Absolutely. But there’s always going to be a shot — I think — for any school in FBS, if they have a season where they handle their business … to have a shot in the College Football Playoff.”

Danielson said he would like to see the CFP expand to include more teams in the future. 

“I think it would be awesome,” Danielson said of an expanded playoff. “I think it’s awesome for college football fans watching playoff games. You look at the FCS model … that’s an exciting thing to go through a playoff run.

“I’m sure there will be changes. I’ve read a lot of the same things everybody else reads about two Group of Five teams going to the playoff and how that’s going to go. I’m sure there will be changes just like they made changes last year. But I always believe there’s a shot for Boise State, and it’s our job to handle our side of the bargain.”