The College Football Playoff will look very different in 2024. 12 teams will now head compete for the national championship, but the details were still being worked out. The original plan that was put in place was based on the Pac-12 being a Power 5 conference. That conference no longer exists. The CFP board approved a new format today that makes it more fair to all of the teams.
College Football Playoff New Format
BREAKING: The College Football Playoff has approved the move to a 5-7 format for the 12-team field starting next season‼️
"The 5 highest-ranked conference champions, plus the next 7 highest-ranked teams as determined by the CFP Selection Committee."https://t.co/08SqLIBprx pic.twitter.com/GRxXHoPpdA
— On3 (@On3sports) February 20, 2024
The previous format was a 6+6. Each of the Power 5 conferences would get an automatic bid, plus the highest-ranked Group of 5 program. Once the Pac-12 dissolved, the committee did not think it was fair to give two spots to Group of 5 teams. This would have led to many worthy programs getting left out in favor of the second highest ranked Group of 5 school. They are adopting a 5+7 model, which gives automatic bids to the four big conferences and a Group of 5 school.
Explanation For The Change
The Chair of the committee, Dr. Mark Keenum, explained the reasoning for the change.
“This is a very logical adjustment for the College Football Playoff based on the evolution of our conference structures since the board first adopted this new format in September 2022. I know this change will also be well received by student-athletes, coaches and fans. We all will be pleased to see this new format come to life on the field this postseason.”
This change makes sense and is a good thing. As a college football fan, I want the most competitive matchups in the postseason. This past year was a great example. Liberty was a great story and had an amazing season. However, watching them get shellacked in their bowl game against Oregon wasn’t entertaining at all. This will hopefully give us more even matchups with the best programs in the country.
The College Football Playoff will be even more exciting in 2024. What do you think of the change?