What the College Football Playoff expansion means for Colorado
After months of speculation and swirling rumors, the College Football Playoff Committee announced on Nov. 9 that it will expand the playoff from 12 to 24 teams, starting in the 2027-28 season.
The 24-team field will comprise the four conference champions from the SEC, ACC, Big Ten and Big 12. It will include the highest-ranked team from the American, MAC, Conference USA, Mountain West, Pac-12 or Sun Belt. The 19 highest-ranked remaining teams in the final CFP Selection Committee ranking will also make it.
The first round will consist of eight matchups between the number 9-24 ranked teams, with the top eight being awarded a first-round bye. Campuses will also now host 16 of the 23 total games, a significant increase from just four in the previous format, where those games were largely successful.
This expansion will also effectively end the conference championship game amongst Power 4 conferences, which the committee says is to prevent players from potentially facing an 18-game season.
The removal of conference championship games means the top team, record-wise, in each conference will automatically be in the playoff with a first-round bye.
For a Colorado team that has looked directionless for most of the season, the expansion provides a small glimmer of hope that the Buffaloes could eventually get back on College Football’s biggest stage.
With 19 at-large bids up for grabs, that opens the door for more teams from each conference to sneak in. The Big 12 are projected to have three to five programs in the field next year given how well the conference has performed this season.
This new format provides more margin during the regular season and could also make high-stakes regular-season matchups less meaningful over time.
The playoff agreement requires that every SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC program play at least 10 regular-season games against Power 4 opponents to remain in serious playoff contention. The Big 12 currently plays a nine-game conference schedule, so Colorado will need at least one non-conference Power 4 opponent scheduled yearly.
The Buffs are a long way away from being a top contender in a Big 12 conference that has really proved its strength this year. That said, the expansion provides more paths for them to qualify and no longer requires a conference title win.
Even if their window to contend isn’t quite ready to open just yet, a 24-team playoff gives Colorado a better chance to be in a playoff game and hunt for their second National Championship in the future.
Comments