Just announced. 12 teams with autobids for the six highest ranked conference champions. Four highest ranked conference champions will get the first round byes. Initially set to start in 2026, but they’re exploring whether it can be done sooner.
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So in a normal year, each P5 conference champion and 1 G5 champion if I’m reading that correctly?
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In a normal year, yes, but it also opens the possibility for multiple G5 autobids in a situation like 2012 where unranked Wisconsin won the Big 10 or 2009/2020 where there’s multiple undefeated G5 teams.
Will this expanded playoff system utilize the existing bowls, or at least some of the bowls?
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Reports say it will use the existing bowl system, except for the championship game.
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The playoff announced is actually really good for the MAC. Guarantee 1 G5 team. AAC lost its 3 top members. In the 1 in 10 chance we have the best G5 team we wont have to play the #1 seed but rather than #5 seed. I imagine the playoff structure will add some parity to college football but this year the difference between #1 and #5 per vegas would probably be 3 touchdowns
The only downer is that NIL will probably accelerate the distance between P5-G5-MAC
But playoff access is real if we ever get another Roethlisberger or WMU gets another boat rower or whatever
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It’s not good for the MAC. We’ll never be the 6th rated conference
This gives an undefeated MAC team a path to the playoffs in theory, but in reality I can’t imagining it happening very much. Going to be very profitable for the networks and about 15 or so teams, which appears to be all that’s driving college football at this point.
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Since the college football playoff, the MAC would’ve had a team qualify under these roles once (2016 WMU). I wouldn’t say it’ll never happen, it just won’t be yearly.
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2003 Miami, 2012 NIU, and 2016 WMU were the highest ranked non power champions. 2013 NIU would have been the highest ranked G5 champion if they had won the championship game. 2008 Ball St would have gotten an at large bid if they had won the championship game.
It wouldn’t be a regular occurrence for a MAC team to make the playoff, but it would definitely be achievable.
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As the rich get richer, I can’t see this ever happening again.
We’re not competing with the haves for 6 spots, we’re competing with the have nots for 1 spot. There’s nobody in the G5 so well off it blocks out the MAC.
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Get that, but we’d need multiple P5 wins to elevate the conference into top 6, and still may not happen.
Sun Belt has significantly upgraded last couple years.
**can’t seem to find 2016 conference rankings. Can you link?
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Last year, UC would have been the only G5 team in under the new format. I think it is likely to be just one G5 team every year, playing a first round game against a 5-12 ranked team at a campus site. That’s possibly a come down from the guaranteed major NY6 bowl game arrangement currently in effect.
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You keep saying it is conference rankings. I think top teams from 6 different conferences not based on conference ranking
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Conference rankings don’t matter, it’s the 6 highest rated conference champions (teams) that get the auto bids.
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Thanks… I misunderstood and was under the impression that it was somehow related to the strength of the conference. In that case that is way better for the MAC.
Great news
I just read that the “first round” games will be home games for seeds 5-8
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Any talk of money? I know CFP from BCS was a huge payout for the MAC. Like from $5 million to $25 million. 5x jump in money from BCS. Hopefully this is a big jump up as well.
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There’s so much conference realignment happening, who knows what will happen between now and 2026. Many contracts have been broken already, there will be more contracts broken in the future. Nothing is guaranteed despite the outline announced yesterday.