Expansion is coming to the College Football Playoff next season, with ESPN reportedly locking in a five-year, $1.7-billion deal with the organization to take the field from 12 teams to 24.
The Power 4 conference championship games will be eliminated as a result, and the playoff teams will be selected the day after the regular season ends.
There's plenty of room for criticism in regards to doubling the number of playoff teams, mainly that it could devalue the regular season. However, it may also lead to some incredible games in the month of December.
Here's how a 24-team field would have looked last year.
First-round matchups
17 Arizona vs. 16 USC
24 James Madison vs. 9 Alabama
21 Houston vs. 12 BYU
20 Tulane vs. 13 Texas
22 Georgia Tech vs. 11 Notre Dame
19 Virginia vs. 14 Vanderbilt
23 Iowa vs. 10 Miami
18 Michigan vs. 15 Utah
There are eight byes under the new format, meaning that Alabama would've been the highest-seeded team playing in the first round last year. In this scenario, the Crimson Tide would have hosted Sun Belt champion James Madison, featuring possibly the largest point spread among the eight games. Houston and BYU would have met in the only matchup between teams from the same conference, while Tulane would've traveled to Texas in another Group of 6-versus-Power 4 game.
The 24-team field would have also included Notre Dame, which, in actuality, was left out on Selection Day. The Fighting Irish, of course, boycotted bowl season and declined an invitation to the Pop-Tarts Bowl as a result. The reimagined 2025 bracket would see Georgia Tech travel to South Bend to face Notre Dame in the opening round. The No. 15-versus-No. 18 contest between Utah and Michigan looks especially significant a year later, considering Kyle Whittingham left the Utes after the season to become the Wolverines' coach.
Second-round matchups
Arizona/USC vs. 1 Indiana
James Madison/Alabama vs. 8 Oklahoma
Houston/BYU vs. 5 Oregon
Tulane/Texas vs. 4 Texas Tech
Georgia Tech/Notre Dame vs. 6 Ole Miss
Virginia/Vanderbilt vs. 3 Georgia
Iowa/Miami vs. 7 Texas A&M
Michigan/Utah vs. 2 Ohio State
The second round also takes place on campuses in the 24-team format, setting the stage for a blockbuster showdown in the state of Texas. Provided the Longhorns handled the Green Wave, Texas would head to Lubbock to face Texas Tech. A possible Notre Dame-Ole Miss contest would be one to watch as well, with Trinidad Chambliss and CJ Carr facing off in an outstanding quarterback battle.
The likelihood of conference matchups grows in the second round, with Indiana, Oklahoma, Ohio State, and Georgia all potentially squaring off with familiar foes. That change may certainly present a drawback in some years, but another installment of the Wolverines-Buckeyes rivalry with playoff stakes attached would make for compelling television.
