This story by Joe Smeltzer initially appeared on our brother site Nittany Sports Now.
The Rose Bowl has agreed to allow the College Football Playoff to expand to 12 teams in the 2024 and ‘25 seasons. ESPN’s Pete Thamel was the first to report it
The College Football Playoff Board of Managers had already agreed to go from four teams to 12 starting in 2026, but now, it looks like the first 12-team playoff will come two years earlier, thanks to the Rose Bowl being on board.
After waiting for months, the Rose Bowl will amend its contract to allow for expansion in 2024.
An official announcement from the College Football Playoff is expected to happen soon.
Sports Illustrated reported Monday that, several weeks back, the Playoff gave the Rose Bowl until the end of November to decide what it wanted to do.
“In many ways,” SI wrote, “the Rose Bowl was holding the CFP hostage, at risk of its own stake in future Playoffs.”
SI also wrote that the Rose Bowl was “in a position to single-handily delay Playoff expansion.”
Playoff officials needed all six College Football Playoff bowl games to be on board for expansion to happen before the Playoff’s contract with expend expires after the 2025 season. The other five bowls— Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Peach, Sugar— were on board.
SI wrote that the Rose Bowl could have cost the Playoff more than $450 million in added revenue that would be generated from expanded Playoffs in 2024 and ‘25, and 16 additional playoff spots.
Tentatively, the first round of the expanded Playoffs would start the third week of December, probably kicking off Friday and Saturday, SI wrote. The quarterfinals would be scheduled around New Year’s Day, with three being played January 1 and one on either New Year’s Eve or Jan. 2.
It’s nice the 6 bowls are on board. I wonder how the athletes, especially those who may have a pro future , think about it.