NCAA Declines to Expand College Football Playoffs

On Friday, the College Football Playoff managers released a statement regarding the future of a potential expanded playoff. In the statement they declined to expand the playoffs, instead sticking with the four team playoff until at least 2026. This news comes on the heels of at least one conference, the ACC voicing that their member schools were against the expansion

“The CFP Board of Managers met via video conference yesterday, as a follow-up to a video meeting earlier this week conducted by the CFP Management Committee.

“The Board of Managers has accepted a recommendation from the Management Committee to continue the current four-team playoff for the next four years, as called for in the CFP’s original 12-year plan. At the same time, the Board expects the Management Committee to continue its discussions of a new format that would go into effect for the 2026-27 season.

“Even though the outcome did not lead to a recommendation for an early expansion before the end of the current 12-year contract, the discussions have been helpful and informative. I am sure they will serve as a useful guide for the Board of Managers and for the Management Committee as we determine what the Playoff will look like beginning in the 2026-2027 season.

“I thank the working group for its hard work that resulted in the 12-team proposal, and the Management Committee for its thorough and diligent job reviewing it and other possible expansion ideas. This has been a long, careful, and detailed process that involved many people considering a complex matter. I am grateful to everyone for their dedication to college football and the detailed and deliberative effort everyone put into the consideration of a different format. I know the four-team event will continue to be successful.”

There had been a lot of buzz to expand the playoffs, with proposals that included 8 team, 12 team and 16 team options. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, Bob Bowlsby (Big 12 commissioner), Craig Thompson (Mountain West commissioner) and Jack Swarbrick (Notre Dame athletic director) proposed a 12 team model back in June. The expansion was looking at trying to get automatic bids in for each conference, to ensure inclusion of everyone, but one of the sticking points has been the increase of games.

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