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CFP director Bill Hancock shares update after meeting with commissioners, presidents
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All signs are pointing to the eventual expansion of the College Football Playoff format, which has featured a 4-team format since its inception in 2015.
On Tuesday evening in a virtual call with conference commissioners and school presidents, CFP Executive Director Bill Hancock said the discussions surrounding expansion included models for 4-, 8-, and 12-team formats.
ESPN’s college football senior writer Adam Rittenberg relayed some of the most notable takeaways from the call:
Bill Hancock says 4-, 8- and 12-team playoff models were discussed today.
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) September 28, 2021
In June, a 12-team format was proposed for consideration by a 4-man committee subgroup called the working committee.
According to the CFP official website, that proposal called for the bracket each year to include the six highest-ranked conference champions, plus the six highest-ranked other teams as determined by the CFP selection committee:
No conference would qualify automatically and there would be no limit on the number of teams from any given conference.
The four highest-ranked conference champions would be seeded 1-4 and each would receive a first-round bye. Teams seeded 5-12 would play each other in the first round, on the home field of the higher-ranked team. (#5 would host #12; #6 would meet #11; etc.)
Under the proposal, the quarterfinals and semifinals would be played in bowl games. The championship game would continue to be at a neutral site, as under the current format.
Per ESPN’s Heather Dinich, the commissioners and Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick met for about 2 hours:
Meetings here have ended. Not much news. CFP executive director Bill Hancock reiterated “we have time.” The 10 FBS commissioners and Swarbrick met for about 2 hrs before the presidents joined them by Zoom.
— Heather Dinich (@CFBHeather) September 28, 2021
Follow Travis Jaudon on Twitter/Instagram @JaudonSports. Contact him at travisLjaudon@gmail.com.
