Image Courtesy: CBS Sports
ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Heather Dinich confirmed on Friday that the College Football Playoff’s board of managers unanimously voted to expand the event to 12-teams by 2026 but are encouraging the format by 2024. Although, it is doubtful the CFP 12-team field will make its debut until 2026 according to SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. It was described as a “historic day for college football” last summer when conversations were made public.
According to the CFP news release, the playoff will include the six-highest ranked conference champions and six at-large teams. “The four highest-ranked conference champions will be seeded one through four and each will 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 seed. The quarterfinal and semifinal games will be at played at bowl sites with a national championship location announced annually ahead of the next season”.
First Round
Left side
No. 8 Seed
No. 9 Seed
No. 5 Seed
No. 12 Seed
Right side
No. 6 Seed
No. 11 Seed
No. 7 Seed
No. 10 Seed
Quarterfinals
Left side
No. 1 Seed
No. 8 Seed/No. 9 Seed
No. 4 Seed
No. 5 Seed/No. 12 Seed
Right side
No. 3 Seed
No. 6 Seed
No. 2 Seed
No. 7 Seed/No. 10 Seed
Semifinals
Winner
Winner
Winner
Winner
Final
Winner
Winner
