Clemson football fans are beginning to hear more and more rumors about potential expansion of the CFB Playoff sooner rather than later.
SEC Network Analyst Paul Finebaum is the latest to add fuel to the ever-growing fire.
Finebaum, who has some connections and sources inside the world of College Football and especially in the SEC, said that expansion seems almost inevitable at this point and that he believes it will happen before the formal contract expires in 2025.
He pointed to the CFB Playoff committee’s hypothetical 16-team analysis that was released last week and said it shows the emphasis the committee is putting on the topic.
"“We are definitely going to see an expansion before the end of this contract,” Finebaum said via 247 Sports. “That was clearly the subliminal message from this release, Friday. When I first saw it, I got thrown off. By putting the 16 in there, you just said ‘there’s no way. They’re just playing games.’ The closer you read it, the more you thought about it, it makes sense. I think this is a conversation, really, about not only the College Football Playoff but about television. They’re sending a message. We are, at least, willing to have a serious conversation before the end of this contract. Because of that, they’ve opened the door.”"
Clemson football fans might want to brace for some major changes coming to the CFB Playoff sooner rather than later
As bad as many of Finebaum’s takes are, the one thing that you have to respect with him is that he has been in the business for so long that he does have some good sources when it comes to what’s happening behind-the-scenes.
It’s interesting that he would say he believes there may be a change before the contract even runs out because the contract is only four years away from expiration in the first place.
Whether you believe the playoff should be expanded or not, it seems more and more believable that it’s going to happen and that it will be sooner rather than later.
It’s easy to look at the here-and-now and think about how that will be another hurdle for Clemson to win a National Championship if you added a game or two to the playoff, but the long-term would be beneficial for the Tigers. It would give them room for error and an ability to make the playoff by simply winning their conference without worrying about outside noise or having to impress a committee.