In case you didn’t already know, the College Football Playoff is expanding! The current 4-team structure will be bumped up to 12 teams come 2024. This news was confirmed by the NCAA. So, what does this mean for college football fans?
More teams means more chances to see your favorite squad in action – and potentially bring home the national championship trophy. Exciting times are ahead for diehard gridiron addicts!
In recent years, the leagues have been working to deliver more entertaining and competitive events. In some cases, these initiatives include playing overseas games to create exciting moments that can keep audiences engaged.
This tactic has been adopted by numerous professional leagues, such as the NFL and MLB, all of which are attempting to give their fans a unique experience when attending or watching an event.
To create more attractive competition, the NCAAF has been working on a project to expand the college football playoffs to 12 teams, and they have finally succeeded.
“We’re delighted to be moving forward,” CFP executive director Bill Hancock said in a prepared statement.
“When the board expanded the playoff beginning in 2026 and asked the CFP Management Committee to examine the feasibility of starting the new format earlier, the Management Committee went right to work.
More teams and access mean more excitement for fans, alumni, students, and student-athletes.
“We appreciate the leaders of the six bowl games and the two future championship-game host cities for their cooperation. Everyone realized that this change is in the best interest of college football and pulled together to make it happen.”
The new format
Under the new playoff format, the first round will begin the week of Saturday, December 21, and will be played at the home grounds of the top-ranked teams.
Four quarterfinal games will be played at bowl sites, meaning teams seeded 1-4 that receive byes in the first round are unlikely to host a home playoff game.
In the case of the famous Rose Bowl, it will be a quarterfinal game in the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
In fact, the Rose Bowl was the last to accept the new format because they wanted to maintain its status and privileges.
First, it requested that it be allowed to keep its traditional January 1 window into future playoffs, intending to host the Big Ten and Pac-12 teams when their playoff game doesn’t fall on New Year’s Day.
CFP officials reportedly rejected the idea.
The next phase of the Rose Bowl is a proposal that would relinquish control over New Year’s Day but allow for one semifinal every three years instead of two quarterfinals for each semifinal in the currently scheduled cycle. That didn’t go well, either.
If the Rose Bowl doesn’t agree to the change, it reportedly faces the prospect of removing college football’s most storied bowl from the New Year’s six-bowl cycle in the following CFP contract.
Finally, the oldest bowl in history gave in to the pressure and waived its special treatment, so the new College Football Playoff proposal has all the support it needs to move forward with its lucrative expansion plans.
The expanded sector is said to generate gross revenue of $450 million by 2024.
“I’m excited about College Football Playoff expansion, as I said from Day 1,” Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren told ESPN. “I was supportive of it, and I was supportive of the 12-team playoff. We just had a lot of issues to work through.
“We’re partners with the Rose Bowl, and I have great respect for the Rose Bowl. Any time you have the length of the relationship we’ve had, it’s one of the cornerstones of college football. I didn’t take it at all personal that they were holding anything up.
They’ve been one of the key components of the college football postseason championship, from the BCS to the CFP.”
More emotions and more betting opportunities
The expansion of the College Football playoffs has been met with excitement from fans, players, and coaches alike.
With more teams now vying for the National Championship, the playoff system will create more opportunities to watch college football during those winter months.
The extra games also mean emotions will run high as teams battle it out to become champions.
This is good news for fans who like to bet on their favorite team or sport.
The expanded College Football Playoff system means there are more chances to put money into your favorite school and potentially win big!
With an increased selection of games available for betting, there could be some tempting odds to take advantage of – making it even more exciting for punters across the country.
At VIP Sportsbook, we understand the importance of college football playoffs and are already anticipating changes for the upcoming seasons.
We are committed to providing our customers with an exciting betting experience and up-to-date information about any new developments.
VIP Sportsbook has assembled a team of dedicated professionals to ensure customers have access to the latest news, stats, and odds for each game in preparation for the new playoff format.
This team will also be available to answer questions or provide advice on picks throughout the entire season.
We strive to make sure that everyone can make informed decisions regarding handicapping games so they can get the most out of their betting experience.
VIP Sportsbook is your one-stop shop for everything related to college football playoffs this year and beyond!