With high-stakes and important games almost every week, there is never a dull moment in college football. Every game matters in such a short season, and because of that, when it comes to the playoffs, there will always be high-caliber teams that miss the cut.

On December 1, 2022, The College Football Board of Managers decided that the 2025 playoff would include twelve teams instead of the usual four. Many saw this as a fantastic idea, as it gives more teams a shot at the championship, but ultimately, this change is for the worse — it’ll ruin college football as we know it for a multitude of reasons.

Every game matters

In the modern sports world, the regular season is merely a ticket to the postseason. It allows all teams to have a shot at the championship, making only certain games high stakes. However, college football is a consistent outlier, with intense, drama-filled games throughout the regular season. Teams practically need to go undefeated to have a shot at the playoffs. Every week is a win-or-go-home game. With the expansion of the College Football Playoffs (CFP), college football will lose this competitive factor and create a regular season where a team can lose two or even three games and still make the playoffs. 

In 2024, the regular season matchup between Ohio State and Michigan drew in more than 19 million viewers, given that it was essentially a ticket to the playoffs for the winner of two undefeated teams. If this game was played in a season where 12 teams made the playoffs, both teams would have likely made it regardless of the outcome, minimizing the importance of the game. Part of the allure of college football is that every player, coach and manager gives it their all in every game, because one little mistake in September can leave them spectating in January. 

Physical toll

Expanding the CFP would be warranted if playing in football didn’t have such a big impact on collisions. There is a finite amount of hits that these young men can take, and playing more games will only inch them closer to that number. For most players, college football will be the last time they step on the field, allowing them to play until their body gives out. However, for the pivotal players planning on going to the NFL, even the smallest injuries could drastically hurt their draft stock and future careers.

Players forgo a singular bowl game to conserve their bodies, but the expansion format could see specific teams play in up to four of them. Additionally, teams who squeeze into the playoffs and advance to the second round will have to play powerhouse teams coming off a bye, putting them at a greater risk of injury.

Playoffs will be top-heavy

For most of college football history, there have been one or two teams as the clear favorites, with a sub-tier of the following four to six teams. Even with only the top four teams making it in, viewers still see at least one blowout in most years, and that will only increase with the expansion. Low-seeded teams will battle it out in the first round, and while those will be entertaining games, they will fall to the hands of a top-four team that has had weeks of rest. Proponents of the expansion have compared it to March Madness in college basketball, where a team can make a Cinderella-type run. However, in football, a sport with 53 men instead of 15 and far more on-script play, the better teams almost always win. By expanding the playoffs, many more teams will have dull endings to exciting seasons. 

For example, in 2023, the Liberty Flames, a non-power five team, went undefeated for the first time in school history. If the expansion were to take place this year, Liberty would’ve played one of the top four teams in their second game, assuming they even made it past the first round. This year, Liberty’s undefeated record propelled them to the 2023 Fiesta Bowl, where they lost 45-6 to the No. 8 ranked Oregon Ducks. Although some might think that teams like Liberty will reap the benefits of the expansion, it’s the opposite because they will have to end their season with a demoralizing loss. 

The expansion of the College Football Playoffs marks one of the most significant changes to the sport in its history, and so much uncertainty comes with it. Although the expansion is compelling and exciting to many college football fans, especially with the thought of a March Madness-type college football in December, the expansion will ultimately destroy the consistent excitement that makes every game fun to watch.