After this year, there is only one more season with the College Football Playoff as we know it. Starting with the 2024 season, the Playoff will expand from a four-team field to a 12-team field. That will bring plenty of change to college football’s postseason and open up the national title race to a host of new programs.
In the CFP era, which began in 2014, only 14 schools have made the nine editions of the Playoff. Alabama (seven appearances), Clemson (six) and Ohio State (five) have claimed half of the 36 slots that have existed, and just seven schools have been to the Playoff more than once.
But what if the 12-team model had been in effect all along? Don’t forget, the future format has rules: (1) the six highest-ranked conference champions get automatic berths; (2) the next six highest-ranked teams get at-large spots; (3) byes go to the top four conference champs; and (4) first-round games are played at the better seed’s home stadium (quarterfinals and semifinals are played in a rotation of six bowls).
