Examining expanded college playoffs

Have you made plans yet for Jan. 20, 2025?

That’s the date for the first national championship game in the newly expanded 12-team playoffs that was announced last week. For many, it’s been a long time coming, although I think the current fourteam format for the national championships series has worked out pretty well.

But you’re not making progress, I’m told, if you’re not inventing new ways to make more money. First things, first.

I don’t want to hear any bellyaching from teams who don’t quite do enough to be included among the top 12 for the playoffs beginning in 2024. A team like Southern Cal, which was on the cusp of being included in the four-team championship series three days ago before being exposed 47-24 by Utah in the Pac-12 championship game.

My goodness, is there anyone on the West Coast who knows how to break down and tackle? Just an awful performance by the Trojans, who lost to Utah for the second time this season.

Another thing that jumps out at me is how long the season will become with the newly-expanded, 12-team playoffs. The season started on Aug. 27 for some and a few teams were still going at it on Saturday with a handful of conference championship games. Beginning in 2024, there’ll be even more games.

According to a press release last week, the first round of the 12-team playoffs won’t begin until Saturday, Dec. 21, which, if it were in use the year, is still two weeks away. The whole process will finally come to a conclusion in late January, about three weeks before pitchers and catchers report to begin the season in baseball.

You know you’ve got a long season when you hyphenate your playing dates (2024-2025), like in basketball.

Mostly overlooked in all the hoopla about expanded playoffs is the fact student-athletes are still expected to go to class and make enough academic progress to remain to remain in good standing while in pursuit of a college degree. Earning a degree, even for hot-shot athletes, is still the main reason for going to college, right?

Hope so. But a quick check of the University of Arkansas academic calendar, for example, shows final exams for the fall semester ends next week and the spring semester for most students doesn’t begin until Jan. 17, 2023. That’s about a month’s layoff, which means football players can do what they enjoy most — play football.

Coaches should also be aware that going 6-6 and winning enough games to qualify for a bowl game is no longer acceptable for a mediocre season. The new benchmark will be to win enough games to make the 12-team playoffs, prompting conversations that could go something like this if we use Florida State for example:

COACH: “We went 9-3, finished second in the conference, and beat Florida and Miami, our in-state rivals. A really good, year, I think.”

ATHLETIC DIRECTOR: “OK, I guess. But those three losses to Wake Forest, North Carolina State, and Clemson really hurt. Kept us from winning conference and being in the playoffs. That’s a lot of money left on the table.”

So, get ready for the added pressure, coaches, because it’s coming. Oh, and keep your fingers crossed a top player or two doesn’t turn pro or jump into the transfer portal before the expanded playoffs even begin. That’s unlikely but what I viewed as impossible only a few years ago happens with regularity now in college athletics.

The amount of money generated for the expanded playoffs is expected to jump from $103 million to $323 million per season beginning in 2024-2025. The players providing the entertainment need to receive a generous share of the cut and I won’t mind if athletes in sports on campus that don’t generate a lot of revenue get to dip into the kitty, as well.

All for one, one for all, right? So, I look forward to seeing you in January, 2025, for the first national championship game in the expanded playoffs. Should be fun. I’ll make the cheese dip, you bring the chips.