How Our Proposed 16 Team Playoff Works

How would the proposed 16 Team Playoff work?
Each Conference Champion (11 Division 1 (Bowl Subdivision) Conferences) would each receive an automatic bid. There would be 5 additional at large bids to be given to the top 5 non conference champions. Each of the 11 Division 1(Bowl Subdivision) conference commissioners would sit on the board to determine the 5 at large bids and the seeding of the 16 teams. The 1st and 2nd round games would be played at the home stadiums of the Universities that are given the top 8 seeds in the 1st round, with the 2nd round games being played at the 4 remaining top seeded teams.

When would the Playoffs start?
The first round games (8 total) would be played the 2nd weekend of December. They would be played at the home stadiums of the top 8 seeded Universities. Winners would advance to the 2nd round, losers go home and their season is over.

The 2nd round games would be played the 3rd weekend of December. These games (4 games) would also be played at the home stadiums of the remaining top seeded teams.

The four winning teams of the 2nd round games would advance and play each other in 2 of the current BCS Bowl sites (Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl) on January 1st or 2nd of each year in what would be the National Semifinals round. The four losing teams of the 2nd round games would have their season ended with a loss.

The winners from the National Semifinal games would advance to the National Championship Game which would be played on around the 8th-10th of January, which is within days of when the National Championship is currently played.

How would the Bowl system be affected?
The bowl games could still take place in college football, much like the NIT Tournament exists in College Basketball for those who do not get invited to the NCAA Tournament. We are not proposing that the bowl games go away! Teams that do not make the playoffs could still go to a bowl game and “end your season on a winning note”. The current BCS bowls could be sites for the National Semifinal games and rotate each year as to which sites will host the Semifinal and Championship games.

Would the season be longer?
No. The National Championship Game would be played at the same time/week as it is currently being played now. There would only be a few minor changes that would be made to the current College Football season. These would include games being added the 2nd and 3rd week of December for the 1st and 2nd round games. The National Semifinal round games and National Championship game will be played at the same time as when the BCS bowl games and the current BCS Championship game are currently played. There would be enough money generated from a 16 Team Playoff that every University in Division 1 (FBS Division) should be able to greatly benefit from a Playoff.

How would the payouts work for the teams and conferences?
Schools and the Conferences that they represent would be paid for each round that they play in and advance to. The 1st and 2nd round games would be split revenue for the teams playing in these games just like they currently do with games played in the regular season. In addition, the TV and Sponsorship revenue for the 1st round and 2nd round games would also be shared by the conferences of the teams playing in the respective games. With ESPN paying $125 million per year for the right to carry three BCS games and the BCS Championship game, most would agree that there would be even more Television money for a 16 Team Playoff. Financially speaking, each team and the conferences that they represent would be rewarded far above what is currently available to College Football Teams in the current Bowl System, potentially by millions of dollars per participating school and conference. Each conference will have more money to divide up for the teams in the conference. The money gained by having a 16 Team College Football Playoff can be used to help student athletes from all Division 1 Schools and support all of the athletic programs in so many ways - including using less tax dollars for schools that the athletic programs are not self sufficient and keeping sports that are being considered to be dropped due to budget constraints.

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