ESPN: College football buzz: What we're hearing about playoff expansion

[Ope3]

My thought is the first two rounds as home games for higher seed. Rotate the NYD Six yearly for the two semis, which allows the other four to be premium bowls in the years they are not used for semis.

With a 16 Team playoff, there are NO other premium Bowls.

There are not any with a 12 Team either, not enough for the Bowl Committee/Organizer to pony up anywhere remotely similar cash guarantees.

 

[Panthadad2]

I like the top 5 conference champs getting an auto bid. If the ACC can't get its act together enough for its champ to not be in that top 5 than tough cookies. If the tournament goes to a nice even 16, even better.

Also, I like @PMWinSTP's post above about rotating the top NYD bowls to be semifinals. Yes, it would water down those bowls in the non-CFP years, but it could move the calendar up a week for the portal. Unfortunately, I think the old days of NYD being a college football extravaganza might have to go because of the school year calendar. At this point, the whole D1 playoff system is getting mucked up to retain those top bowl games and they might need to go, like it or not.

 

[WilliamsArenaGuy]

If you go to 16:

-first two rounds in December at home sites
-final four always on NYD starting with Rose and a rotating bowl after
-Championship Monday like it is now I guess (NFL Playoffs are in the way for a weekend)

 

[fmlizard]

With a 16 Team playoff, there are NO other premium Bowls.

There are not any with a 12 Team either, not enough for the Bowl Committee/Organizer to pony up anywhere remotely similar cash guarantees.

I guess the Rate Bowl becomes the Grandaddy of Them All!

The Rate Bowl did get some of the best Ratings of this cycle. Ratings according to ESPN were up a lot, at 10-15 year highs for the minor bowls. Unheard of for cable in 2025. So the minor bowls will keep on bowling.

 

[60's Guy]

So if they can't settle (SEC wants 5+11 and B1G wants 24 teams) it will stay at 12 with four P4 champs and an G6. Duke would have replaced JMU this year in that scenario and nothing else would have changed.

I like 24, but I don't like byes, so I'm more inclined to accept 16, but I'm not a fan of 11 at large teams.

This year 16 would have allowed Notre Dame, BYU, Texas and Vanderbilt in.

 

[60's Guy]

16 with those four in would have been great! Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, Texas, and BYU.

 

[GFBfan]

If you go to 16:

-first two rounds in December at home sites
-final four always on NYD starting with Rose and a rotating bowl after
-Championship Monday like it is now I guess (NFL Playoffs are in the way for a weekend)

I'd add to get rid of the conference Championship games and this sounds good.

 

[disco]

If you go to 16:

-first two rounds in December at home sites
-final four always on NYD starting with Rose and a rotating bowl after
-Championship Monday like it is now I guess (NFL Playoffs are in the way for a weekend)

I think unless you see some serious investment in the facility, you're going to see the powers that be push to remove the Rose Bowl from the playoffs/championship rotation.

 

[WAGopher]

I think unless you see some serious investment in the facility, you're going to see the powers that be push to remove the Rose Bowl from the playoffs/championship rotation.

The game day facilities are not bad and are maintained. It’s a great setting for a game. The only slight knock is that some people don’t like walking an extra 50 feet to get concessions outside the stadium walls.

I’m guessing UCLA is moving for the new shiny stadium that they think will help recruiting. Game day locker rooms should be better too.

 

[PMWinSTP]

The game day facilities are not bad and are maintained. It’s a great setting for a game. The only slight knock is that some people don’t like walking an extra 50 feet to get concessions outside the stadium walls.

I’m guessing UCLA is moving for the new shiny stadium that they think will help recruiting. Game day locker rooms should be better too.

It's also closer to campus.

 

[disco]

The game day facilities are not bad and are maintained. It’s a great setting for a game. The only slight knock is that some people don’t like walking an extra 50 feet to get concessions outside the stadium walls.

I’m guessing UCLA is moving for the new shiny stadium that they think will help recruiting. Game day locker rooms should be better too.

Well, there's some question whether UCLA can break their lease.

But in terms of the playoffs and national championship games. Look what ticket prices are for that game. The people with that kind of money aren't likely to want to sit on aluminum benches, and there aren't many suites in that stadium. I have to think that there's an expectation of more amenities. There's a reason the Cotton Bowl isn't played in the Cotton Bowl stadium anymore, despite it still being there.

 

[GooningGopher]

With a 16 Team playoff, there are NO other premium Bowls.

There are not any with a 12 Team either, not enough for the Bowl Committee/Organizer to pony up anywhere remotely similar cash guarantees.

My brother, you forget about the poptart bowl

 

[FriendlyWolverine]

Word is Warde and Petitti are trying to get 24 teams in- which makes me want to puke. We'll start seeing teams like Troy bragging about their playoff run- right before getting blown out in their first game.

 

[WAGopher]

Well, there's some question whether UCLA can break their lease.

But in terms of the playoffs and national championship games. Look what ticket prices are for that game. The people with that kind of money aren't likely to want to sit on aluminum benches, and there aren't many suites in that stadium. I have to think that there's an expectation of more amenities. There's a reason the Cotton Bowl isn't played in the Cotton Bowl stadium anymore, despite it still being there.

Good point and I don’t know what kind of premium seating they have

 

[WAGopher]

It's also closer to campus.

Mileage wise yes, travel time is only 5 to 10 minutes more to the Rose Bowl than SoFi.