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It had to happen for the health of the sport.
It had to happen to stop the SEC and Big Ten — the soon-to-be super conferences — from monopolizing the College Football Playoff.
It had to happen to prevent the rest of college football from becoming irrelevant.
It was a no-brainer, really, a decision that made too much sense not to happen, even if it took longer than it should have. The news that the playoff will be expanding to 12 teams, after the board of managers, which is composed of 11 FBS presidents and chancellors, unanimously agreed to a new format on a Friday conference call, is great news for college football.
It is particularly welcome since it will include the six highest-ranked conference champions and six at-large berths of the next six-highest ranked teams and it could happen as soon as 2024, the playoff announced on Friday. The top four seeds will get byes and the first round will be hosted by the higher-seeded teams on the second or third weekend of December, adding a new and exciting element to the playoff. Conference championship games will remain to determine league winners.
“It was time for us to make a decision,” said CFP board chair Mark Keenum, the Mississippi State president. “This is where we think college football needs to be headed to determine our champion.
