There are few new sport proposals that inspire me these days.
Even if something happens, like the proposed 4th and 15th “onside kick”, which was championed by the Eagles in 2020 – and again in 2021 – it will be shot down quickly. Speaking of the NFL, I’m really excited about a 17th regular season game in 2021, but I try not to share my joy with other NFL fans lest they think I’m trolling them. The same goes for my support in expanding the postseason field from 12 to 14 teams ahead of a season.
I’m too scared that I’ll piss off people who don’t want NFL football anymore … for some reason.
But there’s a new proposal out there that makes me jump for joy, and that’s the idea of expanding the college football playoff field from four to twelve teams. The proposal became known last week and is currently being examined by a four-person committee.
I’m not a bettor, but I bet that a field with 12 teams will most likely become a reality at some point. From what I’ve read, it’s a pretty logical idea that every champion from the Power Five conferences would be awarded an automatic bid, plus a bid on a champion from one of the Group of Five conferences (I got that term just learned but think MAC or Mountain West Conference). The other six saplings will be free bids and will most likely be dominated by the SEC and Notre Dame.
I can not wait any longer. I think sports fans need an expanded college playoff field. Why? Excitement, that’s why. Plus, I believe the team that can eventually lift that strange looking CFP trophy will seem like a more legitimate champion. One of the stranger realities in modern sport was the coronation of a national CFB college football champion after the smallest tournament, and even that only came to light recently – there was a time when the media simply voted on the winner. Will there be a 13th team every year that is angry because they didn’t get in? Will at least one Group of Five winner feel like they’ve been screwed more often? Yes and yes, but THAT will always be in college athletics.
What I like most is the fact that an expanded field will bring more college football fans and teams into the idea of claiming this weird looking trophy. As a fan of the Pitt Panthers, I can dream the impossible dream. Hell, if you’re a fan of the Temple Owls, you might be dreaming of an Elite Eight gig that doesn’t involve iconic basketball coach John Chaney.
It will be awesome! Beware, NFL, an expanded college football field could someday give your post-season tournament a run for its money. Why? Fun. Excitement. Passion.
Have you ever watched a college football game? Those present – often 100,000 wrapped up like sardines in primary colors – don’t seem to be too worried about traffic, the price of beer or the competition. They are there to cheer their teams on. It is a three-hour celebration consisting of battle songs, dances and chants. The fans are there. The players are there. Not much is seen as a distraction because that’s just silly.
It’s a stark contrast to today’s NFL climate, where everyone from the owners to the coaches to the players and fans is about as tense as LaMarr Woodley’s thighs.
Do you think college football fans care about touchdown celebrations? No. They probably want to participate – they often do when they storm the field after a big win.
Anyway, just wait for the scores for the 12-team field to come out. You may not be competing with the NFL right away, but I can imagine it will happen at some point. I can well imagine that a soccer field with 12 teams can quickly outperform the basketball tournament with 68 teams in a kind of “I have to cancel work”.
What about those brackets? Would you give the top seed Alabama the edge over the 8th seed Michigan State? Sure, but what if it’s Auburn, the tide’s greatest rival? An actual playoff match between these two schools could cause the entire state of Alabama to implode … days before kick-off.
I also like the idea that the top four conference winners automatically get byes. If that part of the proposal stays intact, Notre Dame, a football program that never wants to be part of a conference, always has to play three games to be crowned champions. Speaking of which, what if Alabama doesn’t win the SEC for a year and has to go the long road to the title, while Baylor, the Big 12 champion, only has to play two games?
Talk about the evening, the playing field between the traditional haves and the haves.
One thing I want to say about the NFL is that it has always been great to create a system that gives every team equal opportunities. Even if you don’t really believe a seventh seedling can hit the table on the way to a Super Bowl title, at least that seventh seedling spot has a chance to line up and give it a try.
A 12-team playoff field could combine the passion of college football with the NFL’s belief in parity, and make it the most glorious post-season tournament we have ever seen.
After all, who knows what a post-season college football field of 12 teams will ultimately look like when it officially becomes a reality, but it could be the best the sports world has achieved since the Super Bowl emerged.
