College football is inching closer to a decision that will impact the future of the sport of college football in a significantly negative way.
College Football is on the verge of a decision that will negatively impact the future of the sport in a significant way.
On Wednesday, the American Football Coaches Association Board of Trustees made a motion to support a move to a 24-team playoff scenario. This reality is one that college football fans really don't want to see come true.
The proposal states that while the playoffs would be extended, it would eliminate the conference championship week, rendering those games as the first round of the playoffs.
Regardless of how this would shake out, this proposal would be a total disaster. If college football fans hated the direction the sport is going with all of its players, this proposal would basically render the regular season irrelevant.
In a 24-team playoff, there would be teams with three and four losses making the tournament, and that simply isn't right.
If this criterion were live in 2025, there would have been five four-loss teams in the playoffs to go along with six three-loss teams. 11 of the 24 teams in the tournament would have had three losses, which begs the question: What's the point of the regular season?
2025 was a great example of why this idea is a horrible one. Regardless of what side you fell on, the debate between Notre Dame and Miami this year was significant, and it set a precedent. The regular season was critically important not only for the playoffs but for the National Championship.
Had the committee selected Notre Dame over Miami, then the national runner-up would have been left out. Instead, they decided that the week one matchup between the two teams meant something, and it was decisive.
That's a good thing.
In a 24-team playoff, that would not have mattered at all. The fallout of that is more than just changing early-season opponents, but look at the back end of the year. Let's say the Buckeyes have a 10-1 record heading into the Michigan game against a 9-2 Wolverines team. The Game would have no meaning.
Imagine both programs resting their starters ahead of the start of the Playoffs. Could you imagine the outrage?
That would be the result of something this brainless. It can't be understated how much this will impact the product of college football in a negative way. The one positive is that the NCAA and the Networks get a couple more Playoff games to televise.
Surprise, the only good thing is that more money is being exchanged. These decisions are never about the players, they are never about the schools, they are never about the product, they are always about the dollar.
This would be an incredible mistake, one that feels like it is inevitably going to become reality.
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