CFP Board of Managers Votes to Expand, Former Big 12 Commish Bob Bowlsby Must Be Smiling

STILLWATER – The CFP Board of Managers made up by University Presidents involved in the CFP have voted unanimously to expand the College Football Playoff to 12 teams by the 2026 season and before, if deemed possible by the CFP Commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick. The Board of Managers held a virtual meeting on Friday (Sept. 2, 2022) and both Sports Illustrated and ESPN simultaneously reported the news. 

“This is an historic and exciting day for college football,” said Mark Keenum, the President of Mississippi State and the chairman of the CFP Board of Managers. “More teams, more participation and more excitement are good for our fans, alumni, and student-athletes. I’m grateful to my colleagues on the board for their thoughtful approach to this issue and for their resolve to get expansion across the goal line and for the extensive work of the Management Committee that made this decision possible.”

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CFP Trophy on display at Big 12 Media Days.

The Board of Managers accepted the 12-team format that was originally introduced by a special working group that included then Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson, and Swarbrick. The format was floated to the CFP members at a time when Sankey and the SEC had accepted Texas and Oklahoma as new future members of the SEC coming from the Big 12. The volatility caused power brokers in college athletics to pause, and the expansion and that format were kicked to the curb. 

Volatility has continued as this summer USC and UCLA announced a move from the Pac-12 Conference to the Big Ten in 2024. The Board of Managers is well aware that the playoff will make all members much more money. To start with ESPN will have to top it’s $470--million rights fees for the current four-team playoff or the event will be bid out to different or additional television outlets. 

The expansion of three games in the playoffs to likely 11-games will increase ticket revenue and more with the additional sites. 

There are many questions involved like whether Power Conferences or any berths will be automatics based on championships. Will the Group of Five be guaranteed a playoff spot? Is it possible they will simply take the top 12 teams in the CFP rankings? 

Initially, it was reported the Board of Managers would leave many decisions up to the Commissioners and Swarbrick, but later it was released by the CFP that the Board made a lot of decisions.

The board approved the following:

1. The 12 teams will be the six conference champions ranked highest by the selection committee (no minimum ranking requirement), plus the six highest-ranked teams not included among the six highest-ranked conference champions.

2. The ranking of the teams will continue to be done by a selection committee whose size, composition, and method of selection will remain substantially unchanged. The Management Committee will modify the selection protocol as required by the change to the playoff structure.

3. The four highest-ranked conference champions will be seeded one through four and each will receive a first-round bye.

4. 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-seeded institution (No. 12 at No. 5, No. 11 at No. 6, No. 10 at No. 7 and No. 9 at No. 8.)

5. The model allows for first-round games to be played on either the second or third weekend in December in a way that best accommodates the format and the participating teams, with at least 12 days between the conference championship games and the first-round games. The Management Committee would make the final determination of the calendar. 

6. Subject to reaching agreement with bowls, the four quarterfinal games and two Playoff Semifinal games would be played in bowls on a rotating basis.

7. The national championship game will continue to be played at a neutral site.

Subject to reaching agreement with bowls, the four highest-ranked conference champions will be assigned to quarterfinals bowls on selection day in ranking order, and in consideration of current contract bowl relationships if those bowls are selected for the rotation. For example, if the Pac-12 champion were ranked #1, the Big Ten champion were ranked #3, and the Rose Bowl were a quarterfinal site, the Pac-12 champion would be assigned to the Rose Bowl and the Big Ten champion would be assigned elsewhere.

With the four highest-ranked champions assigned to quarterfinal games in bowls, the opponent from first-round game winners will be assigned by the selection committee based on the bracket.

The higher seeds would receive preferential placement in the Playoff Semifinal games.

First-round games will not have title or presenting sponsors and existing venue signage will remain in place. The CFP will control the video boards.

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Bob Bowlsby in his last year as Big 12 commissioner had a rought time. 

The board has tasked the College Football Management Committee (the 10 conference commissioners and the Director of Athletics at the University of Notre Dame, who run the playoff) with assessing the possibility of beginning the expanded playoff in either the 2024 or 2025 regular season.

For Bob Bowlsby this is some vindication. Bowlsby seemed hurt when this format was not adopted and came out with criticism. Bowlsby’s last year as commissioner of the Big 12 was rocky mostly due to the announced departure of Texas and Oklahoma. Now Bowlsby’s adoption of BYU, Central Florida, Cincinnati, and Houston as new and added members to the Big 12 is credited in part by new commissioner Brett Yormark for saving the conference and now the format he helped workout has had a successful resurgence.