College football is changing every day. It's not even the same sport most of us grew up with. Whether you think it's a good thing is neither here nor there, and it's important to evolve and adapt with the times while trying to stay true to the spirit of the game.
So, when the College Football Playoffs (CFP) were expanded, many wondered about the future of bowl games. They're a tradition that's lasted over a century, starting with the first Rose Bowl in 1902. Doing away with them completely was not an option, but the CFP also needs to find some way to preserve the importance of the games. So, instead, the second round of the CFP will involve the Sugar Bowl, Rose Bowl, Peach Bowl, and Fiesta Bowl.
The four highest conference champions will be assigned a bowl game, according to Brett McMurphy of Action Network. The SEC champion will play in the Sugar Bowl, the Big Ten will play in the Rose Bowl, the ACC will play in the Peach Bowl, and finally, the Big 12 will play in the Fiesta Bowl.
Because of existing bowl deals & regardless of seedings, SEC champ will open @CFBPlayoff in Sugar Bowl & Big Ten champ in Rose Bowl. For proximity reasons, ACC champ will be in Peach Bowl & Big 12 champ in Fiesta Bowl
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) October 30, 2024
McMurphy didn't spell out what would happen if another conference champ were ranked higher. However, McMurphy wrote that the ACC and Big 12 are assigned their bowls based on proximity, so it's not a huge stretch to use the same logic for a surprise conference champion.