How does 12-team College Football Playoff work? Explaining expanded CFP format in 2024

College football will see plenty of changes in 2024 — and chief among them is the College Football Playoff expanding to 12 teams after 10 years in a four-team model.

The new CFP allows for eight more teams to have a shot at winning a national championship following conference championship weekend, as the old format saw only the four highest-ranked teams at the end of the season compete in two semifinal games.

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The format for how teams are seeded in the 12-team playoff, as well as where they play, is also different than in past years. Here’s an explanation of how the new 12-team CFP works ahead of the 2024 season:

How many teams are in the College Football Playoff?

The new CFP format will feature 12 teams for the first time in college football history. Prior to that, the playoff allowed four teams in, from its inception in 2014 through the 2023 college football season. The precursor to the playoff, the Bowl Championship Series (1998-2013), allowed only the top two teams in the final BCS standings to play in the championship game.

What teams make the CFP in 2024?

The 12-team CFP will comprise the five highest-ranked conference champions and seven at-large teams.

Of note: With the dissolution of the Pac-12 Conference, this guarantees at least one Group of Five champion will make the playoff under the current format. Only one such team made the playoff in the four-team era: Cincinnati, which went 13-0 in the 2021 regular season and claimed the No. 4 spot as champions of the American Athletic Conference.

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How are teams seeded in the 12-team CFP?

The top four of the five highest-ranked conference champions will be seeded 1-4, earning first-round byes and advancing…


Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/does-12-team-college-football-222947152.html

Author : Cincinnati.com | The Enquirer

Publish date : 2024-08-25 22:29:47

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