The path toward a 12-team College Football Playoff is set, and perhaps it can pave the way to a possible 14-team format.
According to multiple reports, the CFP management committee met Wednesday in Dallas and discussed some of the bigger topics surrounding college football, and a potential 14-team Playoff was among the topics.
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According to Stephen Hawkins of The Associated Press, “the 10 FBS conference commissioners and Notre Dame’s incoming athletics director did not reach any conclusions after meeting for nearly nine hours in a hotel at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.” Revenue distribution and governance were among the topics discussed as well.
How a 14-team Playoff would work still needs to be ironed out, according to multiple reports. But it provides added intrigue to an offseason already busy for the CFP, which must address its future after the 2025 season — when its current television contract comes up.
Executive Director Bill Hancock and the CFP “would like to be done with the format and new TV deal within about a month,” according to the AP.
According to Pete Thamel and Heather Dinich of ESPN, “early discussions were had” among the 11 members of the CFP management committee about automatic qualifiers into the CFP. As it stands, there are no automatic bids from any conference into the Playoff.
The CFP voted Tuesday and confirmed a change from the 6-6 plan to a 5-7 format for the 12-team Playoff. It differs in that the five highest-ranked conference champions plus the next seven highest-ranked teams will comprise the field.
CFP leaders know there is work to be done and items to check off the list. According to multiple reports, finances will be the biggest hurdle for any domino to fall, whether that be a new TV deal or a larger Playoff field.
