Following the recent conclusion of the revamped college football playoff format, Menlo students were buzzing about new changes that affected the competition and excitement of postseason play. In past years, only four teams competed in the playoffs, but under the new playoff format, this year’s national championship featured No. 8 Ohio State and No. 7 Notre Dame, sparking debate among fans over the real advantages of the new format.
In 2014, the College Football Playoff National Championship was introduced, with the national champion decided by a four-team playoff. A decade later, the NCAA expanded the playoffs to 12 teams, with the five highest-ranked conference champions earning automatic bids. The four highest-ranked conference champions are seeded 1-4, each receiving a first-round bye. Teams seeded 5-12 play each other in the first round on the higher-ranked team’s home field.
Junior Zach Reynolds, a lifelong University of Oregon fan, is excited about the new format since Oregon made the playoffs for the first time in a decade. “Year after year, Oregon was an inch away from the playoffs but they never made it, which was very annoying. But I feel with the 12-team format, it gives more opportunity,” Reynolds said.
Similarly, Menlo alum Dylan Gold (‘23), a sophomore at SMU, sees the new rules as a massive opportunity, with SMU making its first-ever appearance. “The new 12-team playoff format is a game-changer, especially for SMU: it gives our program a chance to compete on a national stage and play bigger programs,” Gold wrote to The Coat of Arms. “SMU’s playoff spot this year shows how the new system rewards strong seasons from teams outside traditional powerhouses.”
Gold prefers the new format because it allows more teams to compete. “I didn’t like the old system because it often excluded deserving teams that weren’t ranked in the top four. This new format is more inclusive, making college football more competitive and fun for everyone,” he wrote. Other teams, including Tennessee, Boise State, Arizona State, Indiana and Penn State, also earned their first appearance.
The new setup has also sparked criticism among fans over the seeding and home-field advantage. Currently, the first round is hosted by the higher-seeded team, a significant advantage in college football. This year, Penn State hosted its first-round matchup against SMU in front of a record-breaking 106,000 fans, a CFP record, according to ESPN. However, starting in the second round, games are played at neutral sites rather than at home, which puts the top four teams at a potential disadvantage coming off a bye week.
Though Reynolds enjoyed attending the Oregon-Ohio State game at the iconic Rose Bowl, he likes the idea of two home games rather than games at neutral sites. “I like the idea of having two games on college campuses just because it’s better for fans,” he said. “It’s better for the students who can’t afford to travel across the country and watch.”
Overall, the inaugural 12-team format seems to have been a success, allowing a broader range of teams that could compete for a National Championship to do so — though challenges remain with seeding and early matchups for top teams. CFP Executive Director Rich Clark said “tweaks” haven’t been ruled out for the 2025 season, according to ESPN. These tweaks could include changes to seeding, home-field advantage and redistributing the number of automatic bids given to the teams from each conference.
