Will the NCAA D1 Playoff eventually change to 8 teams?

Where have I seen this before?

I think neutral site football playoff games are going to struggle in the long run. People are already choosing more and more to watch at home. Asking a couple of fan bases to travel to conference championship, quarter final, semi final and championship games in rapid succession will be a tough ask.

So, to answer your question, a playoff system larger than 4 teams will likely only work and happen if they play on campus in the first couple of rounds.

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So, to answer your question, a playoff system larger than 4 teams will likely only work and happen if they play on campus in the first couple of rounds.

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I like that better!

First round is at the higher seeded teams' stadium. The rest are BCS Bowl games that rotate.

The economy is improving as well, so people will travel again.

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I think neutral site football playoff games are going to struggle in the long run. People are already choosing more and more to watch at home. Asking a couple of fan bases to travel to conference championship, quarter final, semi final and championship games in rapid succession will be a tough ask.

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This is the biggest obstacle. 8 team playoff would be great to determine that best team, but that obviously isn't the goal of College Football. The biggest goal is to sell tickets, hotel rooms, etc. A good example is Oklahoma getting in the Sugar Bowl this year over Oregon.

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So, to answer your question, a playoff system larger than 4 teams will likely only work and happen if they play on campus in the first couple of rounds

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this is the push by the Big 12 and SEC. The Big Ten and Pac-12 are pushing for the Rose Bowl to be included in at least one game of the 8-team playoff...hoping they don't win, because that will mean that the semifinals will include bowls. If the Big 12, SEC and ACC can outvote the two other conferences, then you will see the first two rounds at higher seeds' stadiums...

I agree that we should still use the BCS to choose the seeds. It's way better than some committee.

However, I think 8 is too many. I would be okay with 6, because I think being #1 or #2 in the BCS should still give you a distinct advantage (like it always has).

#3 vs. #6 and #4 vs. #5 will be played on the higher seed's home field.

Here's where I'm different... Semifinal games will be played on the home field of the higher seed as well, with the championship being the only game played on a neutral site.

Being #1 or #2 should still matter, because the regular season should still matter. If Alabama beats LSU in Baton Rouge and wins the SEC, that should count somewhat like a playoff game. If they meet in the semis, why should LSU have the luxury of potentially playing the game in New Orleans?

#1 and #2 should have home-field all the way until the finals. You'd have to find a way to split the ticket revenue between the two teams, but that wouldn't be too hard. If you wanted to have 8 teams, that would work too.

ETA: Home field HAS to be in the equation. Another example: Let's say Auburn and South Carolina meet in the semifinals. Why should the game be in Atlanta in front of a neutral crowd? Auburn won the SEC and had one less loss. The game should be in Auburn. Plus, more tickets can be sold in college campus stadiums.

I'm pretty certain the whole idea was to test out the playoff system with 4 teams and eventually move to 8. Unless I was just reading that from here, but I swear that's what I remember hearing on ESPN when this all broke back then.

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I like this, except I'd like to see a Conference champ winner get preference in hosting games. There has to be some incentive to win your championship.

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I personally think 8 teams is too many but if there must be 8 teams you've got to give the conference champs home field advantage.

The whole premise to letting in an at large team that didn't win their conference is they are superior on the basis of superior conference strength. Fine, then prove it by winning on the road against those conferences you think you are better than.

I like the idea of six teams. Priority should go first to those who were:

1) ranked #1 in the BCS
2) won their conference and were top 8-10 in the BCS (BCS conference or midmajor)
3) at large and ranked the highest by computer rankings.

the computer rankings idea is also crucial IMO because it is the only thing that gives teams hoping to qualify as at larges an incentive to play quality teams out of conference in the regular season. Again, show your worth if you can't win your conference.

Six teams with first round bye. Teams 3-6 play at 3 and 4 home stadium weekend before Christmas. Winners advance to the bowl game playoffs and eventual NCG.

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I feel like automatically qualifying for the playoff is plenty incentive to win your conference.

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Take this season. Say Missou beats Auburn. By virtue of the rankings, Bama would've hosted a playoff game for getting to sit at home while Missou was beating the team that sent Bama there.

Thats not fair.