Notre Dame won’t be eligible to skip the opening round of the new proposed playoff format.
The College Football Playoff is on the verge of expanding to 12 teams in the coming years, and the model is really awesome. The field will consist of the six highest-ranked conference champions, six at-large bids and the top four seeds, which will consist of only conference champs, will get first-round byes. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
????????????????????????????????: 12-Team Playoff Proposed by College Football Playoff Working Group
Details on the proposal » https://t.co/pbRJKkQ1Zc#CFBPlayoff ???????? pic.twitter.com/JRSrfur0Rq
— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) June 10, 2021
You know who isn’t eligible to ever skip the first round? The Notre Dame Fighting Irish because they’re independent!
In case you think I’m just speculating here, I can promise you that I’m not. Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick confirmed the news, according to Pete Sampson.
Jack Swarbrick confirms that Notre Dame cannot qualify for a bye in the new 12-team College Football Playoff.
Swarbrick adds he looks forward to never hearing again about the 13th data point.
— Pete Sampson (@PeteSampson_) June 10, 2021
Even though Notre Dame won’t ever be eligible for a bye, it’s still not a terrible deal for them. The expanded field gives them a much higher shot of making it on a regular basis.
While the independent status keeps Notre Dame from ever getting a bye, the fact they can set their own schedule is incredibly advantageous when dealing with six at-large bids.
The College Football Playoff is on the verge of officially expanding to 12 teams.
– 6 highest-ranked conference champs
– 6 at-large bids
– 1st round home gamesThis is going to be ELECTRIC.
— David Hookstead (@dhookstead) June 10, 2021
So, while Notre Dame fans might want to sit back and complain, this is almost certainly going to be a net positive for the Fighting Irish.
Plus, imagine a night playoff game in South Bend. That would be absolutely incredible and make a ton of money.
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So, if you’re a Notre Dame fan and complaining, just stop. You don’t have it that bad. Everything is going to work itself out. Enjoy the journey!