With the College Football Playoff aiming for expansion from four teams to 12 by 2024 at the earliest, the sport’s top coach has voiced his support for the proposal.
Alabama’s Nick Saban has been at the forefront of players’ rights issues over the last few seasons, including matters associated with Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) and now, for the playoff expansion.
“Bowl games are not something players want to play in,” Saban told HBO’s Back on the Record.
“…Now players opt out of that if it’s not part of the playoff. Therefore, I’m for expanding the playoffs,” Saban continued.
The 11-member CFP Board of Managers, composed of each of the 10 FBS conferences and Notre Dame, voted unanimously last week to approve the 12-team format and implement it no later than 2026, sources told SI’s Ross Dellenger.
The decision to expand the playoff to 12 teams is rooted in the strong revenue that it would generate. Expansion would lead to an additional $450 million in estimated revenue in 2024 and ’25.
The hope among the CFP Board of Managers is that the new structure can be implemented as quickly as possible.
