College Football Playoff Management Committee 'Leaning' Towards New Format

It appears auto-bids for conference champions will likely remain moving forward for the College Football Playoff.

The CFP will expand to 12 teams starting next season and is currently slated to have a 6+6 format. That means the six high-ranked conference champions and the next six highest-ranked teams will make the field. However, the collapse of the PAC-12 has forced changes to be made, and for the 6+6 format to be done away with.

The two options on the table are:

Changes will be made to the College Football Playoff. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox - Remote/Getty Images)

It appears the College Football Playoff management committee is "leaning" towards the second option, according to Heather Dinich.

"I am at the Big Ten headquarters in Rosemont, Illinois. The College Football Playoff management committee — the commissioners and Jack Swarbrick, Notre Dame’s athletic director — they’re meeting here today. They’re talking about the format, 5+7 maybe. Are they going to switch to that? I don’t know. But it’s definitely on the table and my sources indicate they are leaning towards that in a 12-team playoff," Dinich said during a Wednesday appearance on ESPN (via On3.com).

What is the best format for the College Football Playoff?

There's very simple arguments made in support of each option on the table. Option one - 12 highest-ranked teams - is easy to understand.

The CFP is meant for the best teams in college football, and thus, only the 12 best teams in the country should get in. On the surface, it's the easiest to understand. More years than not, it would also include the SEC, ACC, Big Ten and Big 12 champions. It's hard to envision a situation where the best teams in the P4 conferences don't get in.

Will the CFP moving forward be a 5+7 model or the 12 best teams? (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)

Option two (5+7) isn't as simple, but it does have a lot of support. The argument in favor of it is that by guaranteeing auto-bids for the top five conference champs, all P4 champs and a G5 team get in. That expands to a broad audience, and thus, brings in more fans.

I'm not sure that's really the case in reality. Is a G5 12 seed going to boost TV ratings over a team like Miami in the 12 spot? This option seems more about keeping things fair than just including the 12 best teams, but it has significant support, as reported by Dinich.

What will the College Football Playoff look like in 2024? (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The good news is a decision will likely have to come sooner than later. The season will be over before we know it and the College Football Playoff management committee doesn't want to drag it out. Which model do you prefer? Let us know in the comments below.