The College Football Playoff is set to expand, with the first-round games of the new 12-team format scheduled to take place on Friday, December 20th, and Saturday, December 21st of 2024. The existing four-team format sees the semifinals played on various days, while the national championship game is typically played on a Monday night after the NFL regular season has concluded. With the NFL moving further into January and playing games on Saturdays, the College Football Playoff is finding it harder to schedule their games without conflicting with the NFL.
To avoid clashing with the NFL, playoff officials are exploring the possibility of holding mid-week games for the 2024 quarterfinals. Three games would be played on January 1st, with the fourth game being played either on December 31st or January 2nd.
The CFP Board of Managers has approved the new format, which will see the top six conference champions ranked highest by the selection committee, plus the six highest-ranked teams not included among the six highest-ranked conference champions, competing for the championship. The ranking of the teams will continue to be done by a selection committee, with the size, composition, and method of selection remaining substantially unchanged.
The four highest-ranked conference champions will be seeded one through four and receive a first-round bye. The other eight teams will play in the first round, with the higher seeds hosting the lower seeds either on campus or at other sites designated by the higher-seeded institution. The first-round games can be played on either the second or third weekend in December, with at least 12 days between the conference championship games and the first-round games. The final determination of the calendar will be made by the Management Committee.
The four quarterfinal games and two Playoff Semifinal games will be played in bowls on a rotating basis, subject to reaching an agreement with the bowls. The national championship game will continue to be played at a neutral site. The four highest-ranked conference champions will be assigned to quarterfinals bowls on selection day in ranking order, and in consideration of current contract bowl relationships if those bowls are selected for the rotation.
The opponent from first-round game winners will be assigned by the selection committee based on the bracket, with the higher seeds receiving preferential placement in the Playoff Semifinal games. First-round games will not have titles or presenting sponsors, and existing venue signage will remain in place. The CFP will control the video boards.
The expansion of the College Football Playoff has been a topic of discussion for several years, with the goal of creating more opportunities for teams to compete for the championship. The new format will allow for more inclusion and fairness in the selection process, as well as increased excitement and revenue for the sport.
Clemson Football is a program that has experienced great success in recent years, winning two national championships and appearing in four consecutive College Football Playoffs from 2016-2019. The program will be affected by the expansion of the Playoff, as the team will need to finish in the top six conference champions or be ranked in the top six among the other teams not included among the top conference champions to earn a spot in the Playoff.
With the new format, there will be more opportunities for teams like Clemson to compete for the championship. The team has consistently been one of the top programs in the country and will be expected to continue to compete at a high level in the expanded Playoff.
The expansion of the College Football Playoff will bring significant changes to the sport, providing more opportunities for teams to compete for the championship and increasing excitement and revenue for the sport.
