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SEC would have occupied a quarter of the CFP spots since 2021 if the 24-team bracket had existed
College football leaders announced an expansion to 24 teams by 2027; the new format includes automatic playoff bids
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LA NACION
If the past five editions of the College Football Playoff had included 24 teams, as they will starting in 2027, the Southeastern Conference would have made up a quarter of the field, five schools would have been in every bracket and no fewer than five of the 16 campus-site games would have been played in cold-weather locations.
College Football Playoff administrators and ESPN announced the expansion from 12 to 24 teams on Monday.
The Power Four conference champions and highest-ranked team from the Group of Six will receive automatic bids and the other 19 spots will be decided by the selection committee. About 30% of college football’s 68 power-conference schools will have a chance to play for the title under the format.
Had the 24-team format been in place from 2021-25, 60 different schools would have appeared in at least one playoff. Under the four-team format from 2021-23 and 12-team format from 2024-25, 28 different schools made the playoff at least once.
Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Oregon would have made the field each year.
Under the conference alignments that applied each of the past five years, the SEC would have had 14 different schools combine for 31 appearances, accounting for 25.8% of the 120 slots.
The Big Ten would have had nine schools total 22 appearances (18.3%), the Big 12 would have had 14 schools and 18 appearances (15%), the Atlantic Coast Conference 11 teams and 18 appearances (15%). The Group of Six would have had 12 schools make 13 appearances (10.8%), with Tulane getting in twice. The old Pac-12 would have accounted for the rest of the spots.
The SEC would have led all conferences with seven teams making the playoff in 2024 and '25. Last year the Big Ten would have had six teams in the field and the Big 12 would have had five. The ACC would have maxed out at four teams. The Group of Six would have had four entries in 2021 with Cincinnati, Houston, Louisiana-Lafayette and San Diego State.
There will be a total of 16 campus-site games in the first and second rounds starting next year. Had the format been in place the last five years, cold-weather teams would have hosted seven games in 2021 and five each from 2022-25, and that doesn't include hosts in places such as Kentucky, Oklahoma and Tennessee that can get chilly and snowy in December. Ohio State would have hosted games each of the five years.
A look back at what a 24-team bracket would have looked like (top eight seeds get first-round byes and home field for second round):
2021
First- and second-round matchups
No. 17 Wake Forest at No. 16 Oklahoma. Winner at No. 1 Alabama.
No. 18 North Carolina State at No. 15 Iowa. Winner at No. 2 Michigan.
No. 19 Clemson at No. 14 Oregon. Winner at No. 3 Georgia.
No. 20 Houston at No. 13 BYU. Winner at No. 4 Cincinnati.
No. 21 Arkansas at No. 12 Pittsburgh. Winner at No. 5 Notre Dame.
No. 22 Kentucky at No. 11 Utah. Winner at No. 6 Ohio State.
No. 23 Louisiana-Lafayette at No. 10 Michigan State. Winner at No. 7 Baylor.
No. 24 San Diego State at No. 9 Oklahoma State. Winner at No. 8 Mississippi.
Quarterfinals and semifinals played at the Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Peach, Rose and Sugar bowls
No. 8 Mississippi pod vs. No. 1 Alabama pod.
No. 7 Baylor pod vs. No. 2 Michigan pod.
No. 6 Ohio State pod vs. No. 3 Georgia pod.
No. 5 Notre Dame pod vs. No. 4 Cincinnati pod.
2022
First- and second-round matchups
No. 17 LSU at No. 16 Tulane. Winner at No. 1 Georgia.
No. 18 UCLA at No. 15 Oregon. Winner at No. 2 Michigan.
No. 19 South Carolina at No. 14 Oregon State. Winner at No. 3 TCU.
No. 20 Texas at No. 13 Florida State. Winner at No. 4 Ohio State.
No. 21 Notre Dame at No. 12 Washington. Winner at No. 5 Alabama.
No. 22 Mississippi State at No. 11 Penn State. Winner at No. 6 Tennessee.
No. 23 North Carolina State at No. 10 Southern California. Winner at No. 7 Clemson.
No. 24 Troy at No. 9 Kansas State. Winner at No. 8 Utah.
Quarterfinals and semifinals played at the Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Peach, Rose and Sugar bowls
No. 8 Utah pod vs. No. 1 Georgia pod
No. 7 Clemson pod vs. No. 2 Michigan pod
No. 6 Tennessee pod vs. No. 3 TCU pod
No. 5 Alabama pod vs. No. 4 Ohio State pod
2023
First- and second-round matchups
No. 17 Iowa at No. 16 Notre Dame. Winner at No. 1 Michigan
No. 18 North Carolina State at No. 15 Louisville. Winner at No. 2 Washington
No. 19 Oregon State at No. 14 Arizona. Winner at No. 3 Texas
No. 20 Oklahoma State at No. 13 LSU. Winner at No. 4 Alabama
No. 21 Tennessee at No. 12 Oklahoma. Winner at No. 5 Florida State
No. 22 Clemson at No. 11 Mississippi. Winner at No. 6 Georgia
No. 23 Liberty at No. 10 Penn State. Winner at No. 7 Ohio State
No. 24 SMU at No. 9 Missouri. Winner at No. 8 Oregon
Quarterfinals and semifinals played at the Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Peach, Rose and Sugar bowls
No. 8 Oregon pod vs. No. 1 Michigan pod
No. 7 Ohio State pod vs. No. 2 Washington pod
No. 6 Georgia pod vs. No. 3 Texas pod
No. 5 Florida State pod vs. No. 4 Alabama pod
2024
First- and second-round matchups
No. 17 BYU at No. 16 Clemson. Winner at No. 1 Oregon.
No. 18 Iowa State at No. 15 South Carolina. Winner at No. 2 Georgia.
No. 19 Missouri at No. 14 Mississippi. Winner at No. 3 Texas.
No. 20 Illinois at No. 13 Miami. Winner at No. 4 Penn State
No. 21 Syracuse at No. 12 Arizona State. Winner at No. 5 Notre Dame.
No. 22 Army at No. 11 Alabama. Winner at No. 6 Ohio State.
No. 23 Colorado at No. 10 SMU. Winner at No. 7 Tennessee.
No. 24 UNLV at No. 9 Boise State. Winner at No. 8 Indiana.
Quarterfinals and semifinals played at the Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Peach, Rose and Sugar bowls
No. 8 Indiana pod vs. No. 1 Oregon pod
No. 7 Tennessee pod vs. No. 2 Georgia pod
No. 6 Ohio State pod vs. No. 3 Texas pod
No. 5 Notre Dame pod vs. No. 4 Penn State pod
2025
First- and second-round matchups
No. 17 Arizona at No. 16 Southern California. Winner at No. 1 Indiana.
No. 18 Michigan at No. 15 Utah. Winner at No. 2 Ohio State.
No. 19 Virginia at No. 14 Vanderbilt. Winner at No. 3 Georgia.
No. 20 Tulane at No. 13 Texas. Winner at No. 4 Texas Tech.
No. 21 Houston at No. 12 BYU. Winner at No. 5 Oregon.
No. 22 Georgia Tech at No. 11 Notre Dame. Winner at No. 6 Mississippi.
No. 23 Iowa at No. 10 Miami. Winner at No. 7 Texas A&M.
No. 24 James Madison at No. 9 Alabama. Winner at No. 8 Oklahoma.
Quarterfinals and semifinals played at the Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Peach, Rose and Sugar bowls
No. 8 Oklahoma pod at No. 1 Indiana pod
No. 7 Texas A&M pod at No. 2 Ohio State pod
No. 6 Mississippi pod at No. 3 Georgia pod
No. 5 Oregon pod at No. 4 Texas Tech pod
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